Joy Hopwood’s musical rom-com Get a Life, Alright will screen on 9Go this month, as the independent filmmaker continues to build momentum with her company Joy House Productions.
Written by Hopwood and associate producer Shamini Singhal, the story follows a struggling young actor who gets a lucky break after delivering flowers on set and falls for the lead actress, with her newfound fame leading her to become a target for jealousy.
The film was shot in the first half of 2021 with a cast that included Satish Kala, Abril Tolnay, Aileen Huynh, Dilshan Rain, Sukraj Deepak, Paul Hughes, Dilroop Khangura, Amelia Conway, Yannick Lowry, Belinda Delaney, Danny Barton, and Michael Giglio, among others.
The overarching theme about the importance of female friendships extended to a production team that included cinematographer Linda Ung, set designer Valentina Iastrobova, sound designer Lara Cross and associate producers, Cat Dibley, Katrina Olsen, and Meret Hassanen, as well as composer Anisha Thomas.
Hopwood hoped the film, which had a two-week theatrical run in May last year via Bonsai Films, would “inspire other filmmakers to continue making indie films and for networks and streamers to expand their programming to have more diverse Australian content”.
“All my films champion diversity, not only in front of but behind the camera too. Making movies requires a lot of passion and the love of storytelling,” she said.
“If you’re motivated by money then the movie-making business is not an industry to get into as it requires luck, preparation, determination, timing, and a good team, who are flexible to various circumstances out of our control and who see the project right through to the very end.”
The news comes at a busy time for Hopwood, who has wrapped filming on fellow rom-com The Gift That Gives, starring Takaya Honda, HaiHa Le, Lex Marinos, and Maria Tran, while also commencing pre-production on It’s Our Time.
Set to be filmed in January next year, It’s Our Time follows Emilia Kong, a filmmaker who is about to get evicted by her landlord (Marinos).
She desperately tries to find ways to get money with the help of her childhood friend, Zoe, leading the pair to attend their high school reunion and open up a can of worms to their past. Maria Tran and Atharv Kolhatkar have also been confirmed for the supporting cast, with the search underway for the leads.
Hopwood, who wrote the script, will work with co-producer Erica Long, 1st AD Michael Giglio, editor Cristobal Olguin Hernandez, and previous collaborators, Cross and Iastrobova.
“We’re looking forward to the next chapter in casting for our next film,” Hopwood said.
Get a Life, Alright will screen on 9Go on July 21, after which it will be available on 9 Catch Up.