Here Out West, which opens Sydney Film Festival tomorrow evening, is an anthology feature in which a baby being kidnapped from a hospital sets off a series of events that brings complete strangers together over a single day.
The project is the result of Co-Curious’ Behind Closed Doors initiative, a two year development program designed to connect new voices to experienced talent, backed by Screen Australia and Screen NSW.
The script was written by eight emerging writers from Western Sydney, Nisrine Amine, Bina Bhattacharya, Matias Bolla, Claire Cao, Arka Das, Dee Dogan, Vonne Patiag and Tien Tran, and the film directed by Ana Kokkinos, Leah Purcell, Julie Kalceff, Fadia Abboud and Lucy Gaffy.
Newcomers Khoi Trinh, Jaime Ureta and De Lovan Zandy star alongside Das, Geneviève Lemon, Rahel Romahn and Leah Vandenberg.
Annabel Davis from Co-Curious and Bree-Anne Sykes produce the film, alongside Emerald Productions’ Sheila Jayadev. Blake Ayshford, Lyn Norfor and S. Shakthidharan are executive producers.