Josh Lawson’s feature film The Little Death as well as two short films and an online documentary will be showcased at the 22nd South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, next month.
The Little Death is a sex comedy dealing with a number of different couples who are each grappling with different problems in their relationships and sex lives. Having premiered internationally at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, The Little Death will screen in the Narrative Spotlight category at SXSW.
Yianni Warnock’s short film Happy with Bear (produced by Charles Williams) will enjoy its world premiere at the festival screening in the Narrative Shorts section. Running at six minutes, 28 seconds, Happy with Bear explores the loneliness of a Singaporean exchange student and her attempts to find solace by posting fictional images of herself online.
Also in the Narrative Shorts section is Australian/UK dark-comedy drama Followers which has just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The short, written and directed by Tim Marshall and produced by Christina Radburn and Grant Vidgen, follows the plight of an elderly woman who sees a vision of Jesus by way of a young African man at her swimming class, and befriends him.
Winner of three Australian Interactive Media Industry Association awards and a Walkley award, Cronulla Riots: The Day That Shocked the Nation is a finalist in the running for the SXSW Interactive Innovation Award for Visual Media Experience. The project comes from Northern Pictures and SBS Online who created the interactive experience to offer audiences access to first-hand stories from those who experienced the riots. This is the third SXSW nomination for SBS Online in the last four years.
Over 550 Australian delegates have registered to attend SXSW 2015 to date. SXSW will run 13–22 March 2015 in Austin, Texas. sxsw.com
For more information on the projects, see below.
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
THE LITTLE DEATH
US premiere
Ticket to Ride
Writer/Director Josh Lawson
Producers Jamie Hilton, Matt Reeder, Michael Petroni
Executive Producers Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Josh Pomeranz, Viv Scanu, Stephen Boyle
Cast Josh Lawson, Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Patrick Brammall, Kate Box, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, TJ Power, Erin James
International Sales LevelK
Australian Distributor Entertainment One
Synopsis The Little Death, which marks the arrival of Australian writer/director Josh Lawson, is both an edgy sex comedy and a warm-hearted depiction of the secret lives of five suburban couples living in Sydney. Lawson’s searing and sometimes shocking screenplay weaves together a story that explores a range of sexual fetishes and the repercussions that come with sharing them. Featuring an ensemble of breakthrough talent.
NARRATIVE SHORTS
FOLLOWERS
aSymmetry Film / Christina Radburn / The Festivals Company
Writer/Director Tim Marshall
Producers Christina Radburn, Grant Vidgen
Executive Producers Berwyn Rowlands
International Sales Christina Radburn, Grant Vidgen
US Sales Christina Radburn, Grant Vidgen
Synopsis When an elderly woman sees a vision of Jesus on the shorts of a young African man at her swimming class, she befriends him, believing God has sent him to free her from her loneliness. Followers is a dark-comedy drama about faith and loneliness, and how the two intertwine.
HAPPY WITH BEAR
World premiere
Dasein Productions & Simpatico Films
Writer/Director Yianni Warnock
Producer Charles Williams
International Sales Yianni Warnock
US Sales Yianni Warnock
Australian Distributor Yianni Warnock
Synopsis A Singaporean exchange student struggles with her inner turmoil by vicariously living through her online persona.
INTERACTIVE INNOVATION AWARD FINALIST: VISUAL MEDIA EXPERIENCE
CRONULLA RIOTS: THE DAY THAT SHOCKED THE NATION
Northern Pictures
Director Jaya Balendra
Producers Northern Pictures, SBS Online
International Sales Northern Pictures
Australian Distributor Northern Pictures
Synopsis Cronulla Riots: The Day That Shocked the Nation investigates simmering tensions between groups of white Australians and Lebanese Australians that led to racially motivated violence at Sydney’s Cronulla beach one hot day in December 2005. Fuelled by sensational media reports, the riots and retaliation unleashed a series of confused ideas about identity, belonging and what it means to be Australian. The story of the Cronulla Riots brings together the testimony of those who participated in or were affected by the riots and subsequent retaliation.