Top: Fayssal Bazzi as D-MAC, Rahel Romahn as NICK, Michael Denkha as IBRAHIM and Lincoln Younes as HASSIM
Bottom: Damon Herriman as JASON, Justin Rosniak as DITCH, Alexander England as SHIT-STICK and Chris Bunton as EVAN
Photographer credit: David Dare Parker
Abe Forsythe's black comedy Down Under is set to hit Australian cinemas on August 4.
Distributed by StudioCanal, the film is a black comedy set during the aftermath of the Cronulla riots.
As Forsythe's second feature, it is the story of two carloads of hotheads from both sides of the fight destined to collide.
Sincere, though misguided, intent gives way to farcical ineptitude as this hilarious yet poignant story of ignorance, fear and kebab-cravings unfolds, and what was meant to be a retaliation mission turns into something neither side could have imagined.
During the shoot, Forsythe told IF the narrative mined comedy through the heavy drama.
“The humour turns on how absurd the situations were and how they spiralled out of control. It doesn’t let the audience off lightly,” he said.
The financiers are Screen Australia, Fulcrum Media, the producer offset and distribution guarantees from the Australian distributor Studiocanal and international sales agent Embankment.
Down under stars Lincoln Younes (Hiding, Love Child Season 2), Rahel Romahn (Underbelly: The Golden Mile, The Combination), Damon Herriman (The Water Diviner, The Little Death, Justified), Michael Denkha (The Combination, Stealth), Fayssal Bazzi (Crownies, Cedar Boys), Alexander England (Gods Of Egypt, Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story), Justin Rosniak (Animal Kingdom), Harriet Dyer (Love Child, Janet King) and introduces Christopher Bunton. It also features Josh McConville, Dylan Young, Christiaan Van Vuuren, Anthony Taufa along with Marshall Napier (The Water Horse, Babe) and David Field (Last Cab To Darwin, The Rover, Chopper).
Forsythe said he was exicted about about the performance of newcomer Christopher Bunton as a character with Down’s syndrome.
"Bunton, who’s 22, has done acting classes at NIDA and participated in the Special Olympics in gymnastics," he said.
“Of all the cast he gave the most consistent performance in really nailing his role."
The DoP is Lachlan Milne, who had worked with producer, Jodi Matterson, in Peter Templeman’s Not Suitable for Children.