Triangle Wars: More Than Just an MIFF Movie

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an annual film festival that has been around for 60 years. It was founded in 1951 and has screened and showcased several outstanding films, which may or may not be from Australia. For this year,

Triangle Wars is included in the films screened for this year’s MIFF. More thanbeing showcased in this prestigious film festival, Triangle Wars documents the plight of an Australian community against a developers plans of turning St. Kilda Triangle into a shopping complex and nightclub venue. Apparently, there has been several St. Kilda Triangle issues. One of such issues is that the previous council signed a Development Agreement with the state government and the developer regarding certain plans for St. Kilda Triangle. Apparently, these plans were not made known to the public. Over some period of time, community consultations with the council have been undertaken, in the hopes that the community’s pleas will be heard. On the 7^th of February 2008, Councilors Bolitho, Logan, and Gross, together with Mayor Gibbes attended a Strategic Planning Committee. In relation, thousands of St. Kilda residents also attended the meeting, despite the knowledge that their appeals might be ignored.

All through out the process, unChain St. Kilda, the community action group lobbying for the rejection of the developer’s plans, works together with Aitken Partners, Melbourne-based lawyer firm that caters to both private and business clients. Aitken Partners, like what they have done for unChain St. Kilda, also works with various community groups and helps these organisations fight for their respective causes.

In the course of three years, Triangle Wars has followed every issue that was being discussed in the planning committees. The documentary clearly shows just how outraged the residents are about the developer plans to turn St. Kilda Triangle into a mega mall with night clubs at the sides. The film goes on to unfold scenes of deceit, corruption, and betrayal. But most importantly, this film shows what it takes to be part of the community. Strangers or long-time friends, every one worked hand in hand to stop the developer proposal from being approved and executed. St. Kilda residents, the community group called unChain St. Kilda, and Aitken Partners have worked long and hard to fight for their cause. Eventually, their cries were heard. Plans to make alterations on St. Kilda Triangle were canceled. It was a long battle, but everything paid off in the end.

Triangle Wars, a film directed by Rosie Jones and produced by Peter George & Lizette Atkins, is scheduled for release on 6 October 2011. It a 1 ½ hour film and will be shown at Theatre Royal, The Cameo, The Classic, Cinema Nova, and Peninsula Cinema. Triangle Wars will also premiere  in Sydney on 9 October 2011 at Cinema 2, Chauvel Cinema.