FUSE presents its inaugural FUSE Film program in partnership with Thornbury Picture House on Tuesday 12 September. Featuring Julia Madeleine Stella, a Darebin-based animator and illustrator who has a deep passion for using animation to tell stories in unique and captivating ways that cannot be achieved through any other medium. In 2020 she released her first short film, Star Thief, a whimsical tale of the Moon and a giant fish who devours the night sky.

The Fuse Film event also features short documentary films by graduate students from La Trobe University. These films were produced for the 2020 and 2021 FUSE Spring festivals, but due to COVID restrictions, they were only available online. In the 2020 season, the students were challenged to make films that explored how COVID-19, social isolation and financial pressures were affecting Darebin artists and their practices.