FAME Cinema Nova Night 2026

Written by Lucy Harrison and Lee Clayton

That’s a wrap on FAME LSA’s highly anticipated Cinema Nova Night! On Tuesday 14th April 2026, we were so fortunate (and a bit starstruck) to be joined by a cast of some of Melbourne’s most talented and esteemed legal and arts professionals for our screening of the 2025 short film ‘Rubber Ducky’ at Cinema Nova in Carlton.

Here’s a quick highlight reel of what we got up to!

After an introduction from FAME’s founder (and our inspiration), Shaun Miller, and our wonderful president, Zeta Kelly, we all settled in for a night of film, mingling, and movie popcorn! ‘Rubber Ducky’, directed by Alexander Angliss-Wilson and produced by Natasha Kaminsky and Ashritha Govind, is fresh off the film festival circuit; with screenings at the San Diego Film Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, and Sydney Underground Film Festival. It is an action-packed short film (literally!) that centres on a mother trying to retrieve her daughter’s confiscated rubber ducky from a sadistic school teacher. Not only is the film side-clutchingly funny, but it is also beautifully choreographed and full of surprises! Setting the perfect atmosphere for our post-screening networking drinks in the Nova Bar.

We were lucky enough to be joined by Rubber Ducky’s producer and lead, Natasha Kaminsky! Kaminsky is an accomplished actor, producer, and director, who has studied in both Australia and the U.S. Despite the film only having a run time of 9 minutes, Kaminsky’s passion and talent for film really shone through in every aspect of its cinematography and composition. The bulk of the runtime consists of a fantastically funny fight scene; in her post-screening Q&A, Kaminsky shared that she trained for hours each week in order to perform her own stunts which were heavily inspired by the works of Jackie Chan. Not only did her stunts require a high-level of physical endurance, but they also were highly stylised and choreographed, requiring the actors to come up with creative solutions to avoid discontinuity and consistently perform with a high degree of precision and commitment. We could all strive to have a little bit of Kaminsky’s dedication to her craft and as future lawyers and industry professionals, we should also endeavour to carry her character’s sense of justice – but hopefully without the need to resort to Kill Bill and Mortal Kombat style fighting.

After the screening and Q&A we moved to the Nova Bar where we didn’t only get to discuss the film, but also media and entertainment law! With representatives in attendance from Marshalls+Dent+Wilmouth, Sanicki Lawyers, Studio Legal, Media Arts Lawyers, Ali Bird Legal, ACME and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, there was lots to discuss! It provided an environment where professionals from all facets of media, entertainment, and law were able to impart their wisdom and advice but also share their journeys and experience within their careers and professional lives. This was also an excellent way to make meaningful industry connections in a fun and stress-free environment!

What a cracker of a night, we hope you all had a fabulous time! We also want to express our gratitude to the legal and arts professionals, members, and friends of FAME who were able to join us for this event.

It was so lovely to connect with like-minded creative individuals and we can’t wait to see you at the next one.

Paint & Sip

Written by Lee Clayton

Last week FAME LSA 2026 had the privilege of hosting our first Paint & Sip event of the year. This event entails 2 hours of painting a canvas with whatever the heart desires whilst enjoying some wine (or soft drink), snacks and lots of FAME related conversation topics.

We look forward to hosting this event every semester as it is a great opportunity to relax and wind-down before the semester begins to ramp up. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I sure enjoyed momentarily switching off and swapping out my legal hat for an artistic one—even if only for a brief period. It really reminds you of how beneficial it is to get your creative juices flowing as often as you can.

It is always so lovely to meet new people interested in FAME and the arts at this event, and we are so grateful for everyone that attended.

We hope to see you at the next one!

The Cazalet Discussion

Written by Lewis Ironside and Keely Moggach

Earlier this week, FAME had the honour of hosting Assoc Prof Gary Cazalet for an intimate fireside chat at Cinema Nova discussing the arts and how it can make us better lawyers. Although ‘better’ is certainly a subjective word, here it was approached in a way that meant a lawyer who is creative, empathetic, and most importantly well, both physically and mentally. Whether it’s as simple as engaging in an art and practicing a skill, or learning specific lessons from films, books and television, the arts can teach us much about how we as individuals want to approach the law and interact with the world.

Professor Cazalet highlighted the role of the arts as a tool for both connection and insight. In a profession with the potential to profoundly impact people’s lives, the arts encourage lawyers to be flexible in their communication, and foster sensitivity to the myriad of ways in which culture and politics shape human experience. The possibilities are truly endless, and tonight provided the chance to reflect on the value the arts bring to legal practice and education.

After this chat, we moved into the Nova Bar to network and reflect on how this outlook is not only applicable to law students entering into the field, but also for those already practicing, who may be able to use this outlook to shape how they approach their work.

I am extremely grateful to Gary for sharing his knowledge and wisdom, to our founding instigator, Shaun Miller, for hosting the event, and to the FAME committee and ambassadors for helping to put this event together.

A Career Panel for the Ages!

Written by Keely Moggach

FAME LSA’s recent Careers Panel provided a stellar opportunity for students to meet

and hear from five Melbourne lawyers forging careers within the commercial, arts

and entertainment spheres. While law school can at times feel like juggling a

landslide of cases, competitions and clerkship applications, there’s nothing more

motivating than being reminded of the diverse and fascinating careers that await us

on the other side!

Expertly led by our host, FAME Basso Tyler March, panellists fielded questions about

their careers, industries, and the power of creativity and passion for one’s work in a

legal setting. This event further underscored that where art thrives, so too can the

profession of those protecting the fertile ground from which inspiration flourishes,

and who ensure the creative industries remain accessible to their audiences.

From the interplay between fashion, commercial law and trademarking, the utility of a

legal mind in film production, or the career progression of a professional musician to

principal of a law firm, the intersection between the arts and the law continues to

shine brightly in the Melbourne legal scene!

We could not be more thrilled with this event’s turnout, or more grateful for the time

each of our panellists took to share the spotlight in not only answering our questions,

but sticking around afterwards for a friendly chat with students! A huge thank-you to

everyone who contributed to such a memorable event!

FAME Trivia Night!

Written by Ana Domanski

Trivia Night 2025  FAME LSA 2025 met up for an amazing, fun‑filled trivia night at the historic Queensberry Hotel pub! Working as a team, we powered through a wide range of categories—including pop culture, geography, and arts—before bravely tackling sports (not our strongest suit…). We really shone in the music round, nailing nearly every question and proving our collective playlist prowess! Our FAME‑themed knowledge also came through in spades, as we breezed through questions about film and television. By the final tally, we’d proudly secured fifth place out of ten teams—not too shabby! Huge thanks to everyone who joined us, raised a glass, munched on chips, and cheered us on.

Cinema Nova Night 2025

FAME PRESIDENT Lewis Ironside welcoming everyone to the event

FAME LSA’s Cinema Nova Networking Night may have been on April Fools, but the event was no joke! Many of the best Entertainment and Media lawyers in Melbourne gathered to meet our members at Cinema Nova in Carlton while getting the chance to watch the upcoming ‘Breaking Plates’, an incredible backdrop for an incredible event. So let's recap.

‘Breaking Plates’ is a short film / documentary (only 25 minutes!) created by Karen Pearlman and Richard James Allen of the Sydney Based Physical TV Company. It explores the portrayal of women in the silent film era and how many found their voice in a world that systematically silenced them. An incredibly thoughtful film that went on to win the Best Australian Short Award at the 2025 Antenna Documentary Film Festival.

There are many ways I could describe Breaking Plates, but the best few words I would use include quirky, subversive and most importantly, fun. In particular, I loved how the film incorporated scenes from the silent film era into the storytelling and was thoroughly impressed with how, despite being silent, it felt like there was a cohesive story with the cuts not feeling jarring at all. It truly felt like there was a conversation happening between the old and new generations.

The lessons shared from the past were incredibly interesting too, with the main sentiment behind the film being that the revolution does not come in a sprint, but is something that takes time and endurance. This is an incredibly important message and this film just goes to show that there is still much work to be done. At the end of the day, the struggle for revolution is a marathon with hurdles along the way, requiring grit and energy the entire time.

Also, we can’t talk about Breaking Plates without mentioning the incredible Violette Ayad, who played an amazing lead. She really seemed to engage well with both the substance and message of the film, culminating in a stellar performance. Emma Watkins was another key player in the film and she looked like she was having a blast during her entire scene. The former Yellow Wiggle really leaned into the physicality of the silent film era, with her exaggerated facial expressions and over-the-top movements being a true highlight of the film.

So, what could top an incredible film? The chance to meet people who work in the Creative Industries of course! With everyone packed into the Nova Bar, everyone got the chance to have a chat with people working in industry, from those who have been well-renowned for decades, to those who are only a few months into their careers. A great opportunity to get their thoughts on the film and the Media and Entertainment law industry as well as tips and tricks for the upcoming clerkship application season!

Overall, this night was incredibly fun, and on behalf of FAME LSA, thanks to all students and lawyers who could come on down! We hope you all had a great time!