Return Chute: The survival of a small town video store

Описание: Rod O'Hara bought Bellingen Video Connection in 2018 when video stores were already considered dead. After many setbacks and against all odds, Rod and the community kept this iconic local business and bastion for lovers of television, film and screen culture alive for several years.

Filmed in late 2022 and premiering in April 2023, this short documentary tells the story of Rod O'Hara and his unique store through interviews with Rod, past owners and employees, and passionate and loyal customers. It captures the history, nostalgia, love, and hopes for the video store before Rod made the tough and heartbreaking decision to sell Bellingen Video Connection in late 2023.

Return Chute: The Survival of a Small Town Video Store was selected for the Adelaide Film Festival 2023 and premiered at the Screenwave International Film Festival 2023. The film won the Special Jury Award at Sydfest Independent Film Festival 2024, Best Documentary at the Far South Film Festival 2023, Best Short Documentary at the Sydney Short Film Festival 2023, and Best Open Short at the What The Film (WTF) Festival 2023. The film was also selected for the SWAN - Perth International Women in Film Festival and the Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival in 2023.

Director and Producer: Simone Atallah - Aviatrix Films
Cinematographer and Editor: Mick Jones
Sound Mix: Ryan Burrows
Key Art Design: Brigitta Ryan - Take Care Creative

Thank you to Rod for sharing his story, to everyone who appears in the documentary, the O'Hara family, and to all the film's supporters.

The iconic video store has been reborn as The Dark Room, the perfect venue for film, music, art and comedy lovers, creative inspiration, community gatherings, and delicious food. Plus, there's a great collection of art house, cult, classic and foreign films to hire and throwbacks that celebration of the legacy its past. Follow The Dark Room on Instagram: @bellodarkroom or visit the website, https://www.thedarkroom.au

Bellingen is a small town on Gumbaynggirr Country on the Mid North Coast of NSW in Australia. The shire is known for the beauty of its natural surroundings and its alternative, arts-loving, and eclectic community.

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