IT’S a tough job but somebody’s got to do it, as they say in showbiz (and journalism).

Canberra filmmaker, Christian Doran, is off to Hollywood in the next few days after receiving the Judges Choice Award in the Nova ‘Employment – Focus on Ability’ Short Film Competition. Worth $10,000, he is being put up in the Hollywood Hills for 6 weeks while being introduced to key industry players and learning from other Australians who have had success in TinselTown.

“I am so excited to be heading to LA,” Doran enthuses, “I want to make all of my films in Australia, Canberra if possible, but to understand the industry in the States is to have a foot in the door on a much bigger career.”

His film ‘Daniel De Luca’ was selected from 100 shorts that all focused on the ability of people who are labelled as disabled. Starring Canberra ‘Blue World Order’ director Dallas Bland, it told the story of a man with autism and the simple things that others could do to make his life a happy and productive one.

The pair have worked together before, winning second place in the Mobile Masterpieces competition at Tropfest in 2012.

While in LA, Doran will be using his free time to meet Regina Lee, a script editor ArtsACT have funded him to work with, as well as casting agents and sales agent distributors to sell his latest feature, ‘Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse’ into the US market.

“Face to face time is so valuable in this industry,” Doran says.

You can watch ‘Daniel De Luca’, ‘Echoes’ and his other films on the YouTube channel ChristianDoranFilms.