Third Year Bachelor of Film and Television film productions, Muscles directed by Edward Housden, and produced by Nicholas Sherry (Post-Graduate Diploma in Producing), and  Deeper Than Yesterday, directed by Ariel Kleiman and produced by Anna Kojevnikov (Post-Graduate Diploma in Producing) were both selected by Cannes committee. Muscles is in Official Selection and Deeper Than Yesterday is in Critic’s Week.

Edward and Ariel were classmates at VCAM’s School of Film & TV, with Ariel acting as cinematographer on Muscles. Supervising Producer for both films, Nicolette Freeman, who is also co-ordinator of the final year program in the School, says it is a "gigantic achievement" for two films from among the class of fifteen students to be selected by the Cannes festival, given the significant international competition for these events.

"The fact that these films are the only two chosen from Australia is testament to the quality of work being created by students while they are at VCAM," she says.

Head of the School of Film & TV Professor Ian Lang says that ever since it was conceived by the French Union of Film Critics in 1962 the objective of Critics Week (La Semaine de la Critique) at Cannes has been to support young film creation the best they can, while continuing to explore and reveal filmmakers from all around the world.

With its discovery and promotion of new filmmakers, la Semaine has always paid great attention to short and medium length films, first steps in the career of a director.

"The Competition category is composed of only seven feature and seven short films, and many hundreds of films compete each year for this honor.  Only five Australian films have been selected for showcase in Critics Week since its start 48 years ago.
 
"In 2005, Victorian College of the Arts film student Justin Kurzel became the first Australian short filmmaker to be represented in Critic’s Week with his film Blue Tongue.

"We are very proud that Ariel Kleiman and Edward Housden will be represented at Cannes this year, and applaud their efforts," said Professor Lang.