Wei Wei is a Chinese student featured in the series
	Setting up for Wei Wei's first key interview
	Director Phoebe Hart interviews a UQ Architecture student at her home with Craig and Suzi shooting

20 July 2006

Craig and Suzi have just completed an intensive six months at the University of Queensland as part of a new initiative between Film Australia, SBS and Big Island Pictures.

Downunder Grads is the latest series from prolific Queensland Producer Mark Chapman (Big Island Pictures).

It follows a number of students tackling the modern Australia university system that is increasingly focused on user-pays education as progressive governments reduce public funding to universities.

The series introduces international students from China, South America, Japan and USA facing their own unique challenges with the Aussie culture and language.

Some of the Aussie students featured face financial pressure or mounting workloads as they try to balance university life and future HEX debts.

Directors Randal Woods and Phoebe Hart literally went looking for participants on the first day of the shoot in Orientation Week. They were assisted by Susanne Howard who with her fluent "Bahasa", directed sequences with Indonesian students.

Despite attending many lectures the only certificate the crew received was the loyalty card from the Merlo Cafe.

Two episodes of the 4 x half hour series will premier at the Sydney Film Festival on 20 June 2007 with the full series expected to air on SBS later in 2007.

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