DEADHOUSE DARK IGNITES THE CANNESERIES COMPETITION LINE-UP.

CANNES: Flying the flag for the Australian genre sector at the 2020 Canneseries Short Form Competition will be the highly-anticipated web-series, Deadhouse Dark, created by Australia’s own horror mastermind Enzo Tedeschi. The series is one of ten international entrants in the competitive strand and will face off against productions from Canada, Finland, Sweden, Argentina, Norway, Poland, The USA and France.

Running concurrently with the annual television mega-market MIP-TV, Canneseries takes place from March 27 to April 1. In 2019, the Australian series Over and Out took top honours and was quickly shepherded into long-form development. This year, the judging panel consists of actors Jamie Bamber (Band of Brothers; NCIS; Battlestar Galactica) and Erin Moriarity (True Detective; The Boys) and French director Timothée Hochet (Relationship; Studio Bagel; Calls).

An anthology of six interconnected horror short films, Deadhouse Dark is anchored by a narrative concerning a woman who receives a mystery box via the ‘dark web’; within the box are items that gradually unveil dark and troubling truths. Slated for an online release in late 2020, the project features actors Nicholas Hope, Zoe Carides, Lauren Orrell, Jenny Wu and Barbara Bingham and directors Rachele Wiggins, Rosie Lourde, Megan Riakos, Denai Gracie and Joshua Long. Tedeschi himself steps into the helmer’s chair for the first episode, an online dating-themed chiller called ‘A Tangled Web We Weave’.

"It's an honour to be premiering this project in such a hallowed space,” says Tedeschi (pictured, above), whose status as one of our leading genre producers is unrivalled in the wake of his features, The Tunnel (2011), A Night of Horror Vol. 1 (2015), Skinford (2017) and Event Zero (2017). “It's the perfect way to kick-off getting the series out to audiences. We're also proud to be representing as the only Aussies in the mix of ten series selected from around the globe. I'm hoping we can find the right partners to be able to move into a longer show format as soon as possible."

One of the sectors’ most vibrantly creative young producers, Rachele Wiggins further enhances her industry standing with her debut behind the camera, directing the segment ‘Mystery Box’. “To be recognised internationally at such a prestigious festival is a huge boon for the Australian genre filmmaking community,” says Wiggins, who co-produced Deadhouse Dark with Tedeschi. “I’m incredibly proud of the wonderful mix of diverse creative voices who made [it] possible, most of whom are emerging talents within the industry. A World Premiere at Canneseries will be an opportunity to showcase that talent and get people to see more of what Australia has to offer.” (Pictured, right; clockwise from top left - Rachele Wiggins, Megan Riakos, Rosie Lourde, Joshua Long, Enzo Tedeschi and  Denai Gracie). 

‘That talent’ includes Rosie Lourde, who directs Naomi Sequeira in the unsettling ‘Dashcam_013_20191031.mp4’, a car-crash drama told completely from the perspective of a dashboard camera (pictured, below); Megan Riakos, writer and director of ‘No Pain No Gain’, the story of a competitive runner desperate to win at any costs; Denai Gracie, whose ’The Staircase’ follows a group of adventurers as they face what lurks in the supernatural darkness; and, Joshua Long, director of ‘My Empire Of Dirt’ about a ‘death midwife’ tasked with helping a woman ease into a peaceful death despite being haunted by her past.  

Principal funding was sourced from Screen Australia, with support granted from Screen Queensland and Silent Assassin Films. Especially developed for an online audience, Deadhouse Dark reflects the changing nature of industry investment, with government funds for the sector increasingly slated for non-theatrical projects. The project provides further evidence of Screen Australia's ongoing re-definition of the production sector, as detailed by Screen Australia's CEO Graeme Mason's recent comments regarding funding and sector development at the Berlin Film Festival. 

Established in 2018, the Canneseries Festival was formed with the aim of becoming the voice of the new, popular and ultra-creative short-form visual storytelling, by spotlighting new, promising and innovative formats.  The award of Best Short Form Series will be handed out during the festival's Closing Ceremony, which will be broadcast on French broadcast giant, Canal +.

THE FURIES' FINAL GIRL: THE AIRLIE DODDS INTERVIEW

FANGORIA X MONSTER FEST 2019: The well-trodden road to overnight bigscreen success began for Airlie Dodds in 2010 with the short film, Purple Flowers. Nearly two decades later, after 10 more short films, a healthy live theatre resume and a stint on the iconic TV series Neighbours, her lead performance as the blood-splattered heroine Kayla in Tony D’Aquino’s The Furies is generating career-defining buzz. Only her third feature film role, the tough 20-day shoot in the wilds outside of Canberra required a physical commitment she was not entirely ready for. The acclaim coming her way, that, she’s ready for…

“I do a lot of short films and TV, so I turn up, do a little bit and go home,” said Dodds, addressing the Monster Fest crowd in Melbourne at a Q&A appearance hosted by SCREEN-SPACE’s Simon Foster. “So, by the second week of the shoot, I was like ‘Tony, I’m so tired!’ And he said, ‘Yeah, me too.’ But we were fine. It was exhilarating, even euphoric running through this bush location.”

Dodds came to the audition process with a strong sense of her character, a young woman thrust into a brutal bushland game of survival when pitted against five merciless monsters. “It was pretty much all on the page, nothing really changed,” she says, recalling that moment when she had to stand before her somewhat offbeat writer/director and weigh up her career choice. “When I did the audition, it was the big scene at the end just after a key character had died. I looked down, towards Tony, and he was watching the monitor wearing purple socks and an avocado T-shirt and I’m thinking, ‘Well, this is my life’ (laughs).”

Making his feature film directorial debut, Tony D’Aquino presents as a pure gentleman, softly spoken and unassuming. Yet he has delivered a horror opus that harkens back to the most gruesome examples of the slasher genre; no surprise his favourite film is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. For Dodds, that dichotomy of character helped her build trust with her director. “He’s very gentle and quite meek,” she recalls fondly. “You might think that in a performative sense he would be pushing for intensity, but his gentleness can ground you at times, which felt very nurturing.” (Pictured, left; D'Aquino, left, with DOP Garry Richards)

The complex psychology of Kayla was key to the actress going after the role. She had played lauded support parts in Damian Power’s acclaimed thriller Killing Ground and Heath Davis’ comedy/drama Book Week, and was ready to graduate to a multi-dimensional lead role. “The main thing about Kayla within this type of genre film is that it helps her emerge, really weaves out her inner strength,” says Dodds, who responded to the convincing character arc in D’Aquino’s script. “When you meet her, you’re not inclined to think her very strong, and she doesn’t really know herself until the circumstances force her to. It was less about the idea of the character and more about her immediate actions that ultimately define her.”

High on the actress’ list of positives was that Kayla has to interact with several female characters to survive. Actresses Linda Ngo, Taylor Ferguson, Ebony Vagulans, Danielle Horvat, Jessica Baker, Harriet Davies and Kaitlyn Boyé are granted as much complexity, if not screen time, as Dodds’ Kayla. For the actress, it was central to the story’s appeal. “There are so many stories about men being cunning and violent and manipulative and crazy, so one of the great things about this film is that it shows those complex elements being explored with women characters,” she opines. “The characters [who survive], do so because of their light, feminine value; they use compassion to get ahead. It is still a tactic, a survival tactic, but it is genuine. They all represent aspects of femininity, the resourcefulness or the vindictiveness, and I like that they are as complex as any male character.” (Pictured, above; from left, Linda Ngo, Dodds and Ebony Vagulans)

THE FURIES director Tony D’Aquino will be present for a Q&A following the Fangoria x Monster Fest session on October 31 at Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney. Check the official website for further information.

MONSTER FEST BOWS MIKE GREEN'S RED DUST SURVIVAL SHOCKER

When a window of opportunity presented itself, Mike Green needed to act fast. With one feature script on the backburner and fatherhood looming, the writer/director had to craft a bare-bones production that played to his strengths as a storyteller. The result is Outback, a grueling survival thriller starring Taylor Wiese and Lauren Lofberg as American tourists who do everything wrong when stranded in our unforgiving backyard. And Green made it work within the window – Outback was outlined in two months, scripted in four weeks and filmed over ten days. “We had a great bunch of people so it was fun, though,” the director told SCREEN-SPACE, on the eve of his film’s World Premiere at Fangoria x Monster Fest 2019 | Melbourne….

SCREEN-SPACE: The vast and beautiful 'villain' of the film, the Australian outback, is such a unique landscape to film. What was the visual aesthetic you and your cinematographer Tim Nagle needed to capture to convey just how merciless our country can be?

MIKE GREEN: We started off handheld, doco-like to give the audience a false sense of security. As we got deeper into the Outback and the drama and stakes rise we tried not to embellish the camera work because the Aussie landscape already has a built in pre-awareness for good reason. It is vast, hot and hostile. (Pictured, below; Outback stars Taylor Wiese, left, and Lauren Lofberg)

SCREEN-SPACE: Audiences understand the menace of the outback, from Wake in Fright and Picnic at Hanging Rock, to Mad Max and The Proposition, and many others. Was there a cinematic template you used in crafting the look and mood of the film? 

MIKE GREEN: My original idea was Open Water in the outback. Touching the Void was another film I looked at closely. For the use of sound, music, it’s a two-handed, the psychological breakdown of the characters. The look was going to be dictated by the landscape. We knew the red soil would play a huge part in the film. Also the blue skies. We were very selective with the use of colour in the film. Wardrobe, props, hero vehicle, locations; we worked to a restricted colour palette. Production designer/costumer Courtney Covey, DP Tim Nagle and I had in-depth conversations and planning around this. Justin Tran our colourist did an amazing job bringing together our footage. He’s got back-to-back features lined up now. 

SCREEN-SPACE: What was the key human element, the emotional arc of the story that your leads Taylor and Lauren had to remain focused upon?

MIKE GREEN: Thematically the story is about not taking tomorrow for granted. It’s how I try to live my life and it hits close to home for me. At it’s heart, Outback is a tragic love story. Originally when I cast Lauren I had her do some self-tapes. She had a relationship she was working through at the time. With her blessing, I built some of the narrative from her personal situation, which proved an effective way in and a strong anchor upon which to build the story. (Pictured, above; Green, far right, with Wiese and crew on location)

SCREEN-SPACE: Even with the MIFF success of your short Mother and time spent watching Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford as DA on Truth, was the first day of your feature film directing debut a surreal experience? Or did you know the time was right?

MIKE GREEN: I was producing, 1st AD, locations manager, directing, writing; I wore many department hats and had a three month old baby at home. I was [both] tired and focused. There wasn’t time to think beyond the task at hand.

SCREEN-SPACE: How much research was done on the physical horrors of dehydration and exposure to high-temperatures? Is there license taken, or is this as close as your audience should ever come to this kind of physical hardship?

MIKE GREEN: We did a lot of research into dehydration and the breaking down of humans in tough situations. People find themselves in sticky situations very easily and surprisingly quickly. How often do you hear people go missing or getting stuck in the Blue Mountains? And that’s in our backyard. Once dehydration takes place, your decision-making skills leave you very quickly. Silly decisions seem to make sense at the time. After people watch Outback, a lot of them tell me their close calls and horror stories getting lost or stranded in sketchy places. Lucy Woolfman our HMU & SFX Designer went to extraordinary lengths to research the effects of dehydration and the physical and textural subtitles to our bodies. (Pictured, above; Lauren Lofberg, on location) 

The World Premiere of Mike Green’s OUTBACK will screen on Saturday October 12 at Cinema Nova as part of 2019 Fangoria x Monster Fest | Melbourne, then on Saturday November 2 at Event Cinemas George Street as part of 2019 Fangoria x Monster Fest | Sydney. Ticket and session details can be found at the official website.

ME & MY LEFT BRAIN: THE ALEX LYKOS INTERVIEW

Alex Lykos burst on the Australian film scene with his debut script, the 2015 adaptation of his play Alex & Eve. Directed by Peter Andrikidis, the film proved a sleeper hit, but was a frustratingly slow process for the young writer. For his follow-up project, Lykos wanted greater control, and the result is the rom-com/fantasy Me & My Left Brain, a crowdpleaser on which Alex Lykos has taken multi-hyphenate duties as writer, director and star. “I went into this blind,” he jokes, “and I got very lucky.”

Lykos reflected upon the experience of shooting Me & My Left Brain in a lengthy chat with SCREEN-SPACE, in which he addressed the value of a cast featuring Malcolm Kennard and Rachael Beck, the insight that one’s personal journey brings to a script and the stark realities of seeing your first film to completion…  

SCREEN-SPACE: There’s the spirit of early Woody Allen in Me & My Left Brain, with homage paid to Play It Again Sam and Annie Hall, for starters. Who are the filmmakers and films that have informed your writing and performing?

LYKOS: Definitely, Woody Allen has been a significant influence on me. Billy Wilder is another, especially The Apartment, and of course Some Like It Hot. Nora Ephron, I love her writing. Cameron Crowe is another; love Say Anything and of course Jerry Maguire. Recently, Alexander Payne, has been a significant influence. 

SCREEN-SPACE: You and co-star Malcolm Kennard share some long-takes together, working up a great chemistry in those moments. What are his strengths as a scene partner?

LYKOS: When first considering Mal, we set up a half-hour cafe meeting; three hours later we were still talking (laughs). Neither of us came up for air. It was pretty clear a connection was made immediately. We saved so much time trying to build ‘chemistry’ as it just happened. Mal’s process was all about staying as relaxed and as loose as possible. He taught me a lot as an actor, especially when it comes to shooting the close-up. Mal is not about playing it safe. He’s a risk-taker and found some lovely moments that were not in the script. Initially, I had some trepidation towards directing, but Mal encouraged me to do so. To have someone of his standing backing me was reassuring. We’re like brothers; we can argue and make up and argue and make up within a minute. We are like Snapchat (laughs); any arguing is immediately erased, there is no lingering residue. (Pictured, right; Lykos and Kennard on-set) 

SCREEN-SPACE: There is a real sense of friendship and natural sweetness between you and your leading lady, Rachael Beck…

LYKOS: Rachael attended one of my stage shows years ago, and we spoke briefly. Her energy and general disposition suited what I had in mind for the role of ‘Vivien’. And from when she came on board, she was just open to everything. It was she who noted the importance of building a bond, encouraging us to catch up, run some lines. Anyone who has worked with her will tell you, she is just delightful to work with. So much so that I have actually written the lead role for her in my next film. She has so many special qualities on screen. (Pictured, below; Rachael Beck and Lykos between takes during the shoot)

SCREEN-SPACE: I sensed a degree of catharsis was being worked through in your scrip. Is ‘Arthur’ and his experiences drawing upon certain specifics of your life?

LYKOS: Absolutely. A lot of us have felt the pressure of Sydney’s real estate market, kicking ourselves for not having bought 10-15 years ago, (leading to) second-guessing a career choice of a life in the arts. You see friends in the corporate world, getting promotions or a pay rise, that ‘uniform climb’ up the ladder. The life that artists choose doesn’t offer that. So there have been many dark moments, at least for me. For one scene, I was on 2 hours sleep a night, enormously stressed. We did this dramatic scene that, in many ways, mirrored my real life situation, and I broke into tears. With each take, I got more emotional and was bawling my eyes out. The take we ultimately used was the 6th one, after I had spent all my tears. On the day it looked like good acting, but in the edit it was too much. 

SCREEN-SPACE: Tell me about the work ethic needed on a shoot like this. It was low-budget but looks polished; there was location work, which comes with its own variables.

LYKOS: It was definitely a grind. We shot in 13 days so I needed to do a lot of pre-production preparation, especially on the locations. I got a couple of actor friends, went to the shooting locations and walked through the scene, literally pre-blocking it. So on the day, with the real actors, I knew exactly how the scene would play out. I think this is where my background in theatre helped. (Pictured, right; co-stars Kennard, left, and Chantelle Barry on location with Lykos)

SCREEN-SPACE: What professional lessons did you learn from the experience of building this film from the ground up?

LYKOS: Oh my gosh, heaps. Having a good crew is paramount. And it really is all about the script. Shooting is a whirlwind, so there is no time to rewrite. I had no idea what post-production entailed. Once we finished shooting, I was introduced to Miriana Marusic (Director of Photography on The Castle) and she edited the film. We built a great energy in the editing suite and I came to rely on her opinion on everything. Without her, the film doesn't get finished. Miriani and I would travel to the Newcastle studio of our sound designer, Anthony Marsh and we would have the best time working on the sound. And I was fortunate enough to have composer Cezary Skubiszewski (Red Dog; The Sapphires) give the film a real professional polish. Flying down to Melbourne to watch the live recording of the music was a real buzz. Cezary treated me like I was family. I went from shooting a film with no idea what post-production was, to having three of the best work alongside me to get it finished. 

SCREEN-SPACE: Are the traditional elements of the romantic comedy being challenged by the shifting nature of gender definition in society? In writing Me & My Left Brain were you conscience of representing male and female roles in the most contemporary way possible?

LYKOS: Absolutely. The landscape has changed and we as writers need to be sensitive to this new landscape. We actually shot the film October in 2017 and in the 2nd week, the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke. I have always tried to write honestly, and when writing this film, I wasn't thinking so much about the representation of men and women. Alex & Eve has played such a big part of my creative life with three incarnations on the stage and the film, and it relied on broad 'ethnic comedy' and ethnic stereotypes. With this film, I wanted to tell a comedy which did not rely on these broad stereotypes. I did not want to cast according to ethnicity, (but) simply based on who had the right disposition for the role irrespective of their cultural background. (Pictured, above; Lykos with co-star Laura Dundovic)

ME & MY LEFT BRAIN will be in select Australian theatres from May 16; venue information and ticket sales are available via the official website.

PREVIEW: 2019 SCREENWAVE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The strengthening of Coffs Harbour as a thriving film culture hub continues on January 10 when the 2019 Screenwave International Film Festival (SWIFF) rolls out the sandy red carpet. One of New South Wales’ most prestigious yet relaxed screening events, SWIFF has crafted a rigorously challenging roster, both artistically and intellectually, with bold new works from such fearless filmmakers as Lars Von Trier, Michael Moore, Lynne Ramsay and Gaspar Noé.

The two-pronged festival directing team of Dave Horsley and Kate Howat signal this year’s direction from Opening Night, with the hot-button social satire Terror Nullius kicking off the 16-day festival. A coarse, canny and brutally funny skewering of racism, patriarchy and social injustice, it is the work of Melbourne creative team Soda Jerk (pictured, below; Soda Jerk's Dan and Dominique Angeloro) who employ montage technique to rework classic Australian film scenes into fresh contemporary commentary. Closing Night honours have been bestowed upon Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate, featuring a Golden Globe nominated Willem Dafoe as painter Vincent van Gogh.

The 2019 program statistics are impressive -60 films from 20 countries, including 14 Australian works and 30 films from women directors. Female identity and gender politics are addressed in the strand ‘Women of Action’, which highlights five films shot through the lens of women filmmakers. These include ¡Las Sandanistas!, documentarian Jenny Murray’s account of Nicaraguan warrior women; Stephanie Wang-Breal’s Blowin’ Up, an insider’s perspective of the lawyers fighting for the rights of sex workers in America’s broken justice system; and, Maysaloun Hamoud’s In Between, an Israeli-French co-production examining the clash of old and new cultures for three Palestinian women.

The vast World Cinema line-up fully justifies SWIFF’s standing on the international festival circuit, with 21 films set to unspool. Arriving uncut after inspiring shocked walkouts at its Cannes screening is Lars Von Trier’s serial killer saga, The House That Jack Built; bad boy Gaspar Noé captures a drug-addled descent into dance-party hell in Climax (pictured, top); and, the enigmatic Lynne Ramsay explores the nature of violence with leading man Joaquin Phoenix in her hitman thriller, You Were Never Really Here.

Some of the most acclaimed films from our global region will screen in World Cinema, with Ana Urushadze’s Scary Mother (Georgia/Estonia), Hirokazu Koreeda’s Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters (Japan) and Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum (Lebanon) all earning kudos from the Asia Pacific Screen Academy’s award body. Other countries represented include The Netherlands (Lukas Dhont’s Cannes FIPRESCI prize winner, Girl); Kenya (Wanuri Kahiu’s Rafiki; pictured, right); Bulgaria (Milko lazarov’s Aga); and, Poland (Spoor, from the directing team of Agnieszka Holland and Kasia Adamik).

Of course, Australian filmmakers are at the fore with strands covering fiction and non-fiction features. Heath Davis’ crowd-pleaser Book Week, Jason Raftopoulos’ father/son drama West of Sunshine starring the late Damian Hill, and Ted Wilson’s Tassie-set drama Under The Cover of Cloud are set to screen. The documentary sector will be represented by such acclaimed works as Ben Lawrence’s riveting Ghosthunter, Gabrielle Brady’s heartbreaking Island of The Hungry Ghosts, and Ben Randall’s teen-girl trafficking expose, Sisters For Sale, as well as the World Premiere of local filmmaker Ian Thompson’s Becoming Colleen.

International factual films will be presented under the banner ‘Pop Docs’, including Fahrenheit 11/9, the latest from political agitator Michael Moore, and Daniel J Clark’s flat-earther think piece, Behind the Curve. Mixing up fact and fiction will be the always popular ‘Music and The Makers’ line-up, which this year features Brett Haley’s feel-good hit Hearts Beat Loud, with Nick Offerman; Mantangi/Maya/M.I.A, Stephen Loveridge’s fly-on-the-wall coverage of the controversial UK rap sensation; and, Stephen Schible’s mesmerizing profile on the great Ryuichi Sakamoto, Coda.

SWIFF understand the breadth of its local audience and has ensured upmarket film festival types and the North Coast cool kids will be able to connect through the program. The surf film strand ‘Call of The Surf’ features the latest in ocean-themed cinema, including the late Rob Stewart’s final shark industry exposé Sharkwater Extinction and The Zimbalist Brothers profile of the Hawaiian surfing ‘new wave’ of the 1990s, Momentum Generation (pictured, right). And the amusingly-titled skater line-up, ‘Make America Skate Again’, will present three films including Bing Lui’s universally acclaimed Minding the Gap, a look at three friends who bond over their boards in America’s rust belt interior.

Two retrospective special presentations will delight cinema purists. The Coen Brothers’ cult classic O Brother, Where Art Thou? will screen accompanied by live music supplied by renowned local musos The Mid North Damn; and, in honour of the 130^th birthday of the late master of cinema Charlie Chaplin, SWIFF with screen his timeless political satire The Great Dictator.

Indicative of the festival’s commitment to regional cinema and support of young filmmakers, SWIFF will screen the work of the 20 finalists in the Nextwave youth filmmaking contest. A year-long statewide high-school and community initiative which has seen 50 workshops held in 11 New South Wales’ regions will culminate with the award ceremony on January 18 at the C.ex Coffs Auditorium, where $40,000 prize money will be distributed amongst the next generation of Australian filmmaking talent. (Pictured, right; SWIFF festival director Dave Horsley)

Read the SCREEN-SPACE interview with Scary Mother director Ana Urushadze and star Nato Murvandze here.

Read the SCREEN-SPACE review of Book Week here.

The 2019 Screenwave International Film Festival will run January 10-25 at two locations, The Jetty Memorial Theatre in Coffs Harbour and the Bellingen Memorial Hall. Full session and ticket information can be found at the official SWIFF website.