Road-trip comedy concept Over Her Dead Body has won this year’s AACTA Pitch: Regional Landscapes development initiative, with creative team Jacqueline Chii Chien Lim, Tamara Whyte, and Daniel Stevenson awarded a cash prize and ongoing support, including script consultation sessions, AWG pathways, and various industry connection opportunities.
The trio was invited to present their story idea, which follows a young woman as she returns her mum’s body to the outback for her funeral with her hyper-critical aunt and irresponsible brother in tow, to a room of industry peers as part of this year’s Screeworks’ Regional to Global summit, where the announcement was made.
Over Her Dead Body was one of five finalists for the initiative announced in May, alongside Karen Jackson and Nicole Sullivan’s Girl On The Edge, Lisa Hoppe and Abi Tabone’s How To Bee, Jessi Le Brocq’s Marry Me Annie, and Francisca Braithwaite and Riccardo Pellizzeri’s Rising Tide.
After one-on-one mentoring sessions and training, the concepts were pitched to a judging panel comprising writer/director Belinda Chayko, writer and script producer Nicole Dade, screenwriter Stuart Page, and Umbrella Entertainment head of sales and acquisitions Nick Hayes earlier this month.
In a statement, Lim, Whyte, and Stevenson said they were thankful for getting “such a great opportunity”.
“We’ve enjoyed the experience of working with the mentors and are looking forward to next steps and lots more laughs,” they said.
Page noted all the shortlisted teams had projects that showed really great promise.
“It’s a reminder as if we ever needed one, of how strong and exciting our regional screenwriting culture is,” he said.
“The Over Her Dead Body team of Jacqueline Chii Chien Lim, Tamara Whyte and Daniel Stevenson brings a wonderful mix of lived and professional experience to the project. Their approach to collaboration was exciting and frankly hilarious, which works really well for the wild story they want to tell. The road trip itself is a wonderful showcase for regional Queensland, seen through the eyes of two feuding, grieving Asian Australian siblings, and it’s this perspective that gives Over Her Dead Body its very particular appeal.”
AACTA Awards and industry development manager Ivan Vukusic said Over My Dead Body had an “interesting mix of cultures, sharp comedic writing, and a rollicking Queensland road trip”.
“Congratulations to Jacqueline, Tamara, and Daniel who are a fun team that we look forward to working with,” he said.
As part of this h year’s prize, Over Her Dead Body will be profiled at next year’s AACTA Festival, with a live script reading starring a professional cast.