Press release from MRC
After months of development, pre-production, filming, editing and visual effects – the work of four of SA’s most talented emerging filmmakers will be shown on the big screen at Adelaide’s Mercury Cinema on Wednesday 8 July 2009 – for the very first time.
Now in its 8th year, Raw Nerve is a nationwide initiative developed jointly between Screen Australia and Screen Development Australia (SDA). Its aim is to assist emerging filmmakers to get their first professional short film developed, produced & publicly screened. The Media Resource Centre (MRC), a member of SDA, is the South Australian Coordinator of Raw Nerve.
Since its inception, 31 Raw Nerve projects have been made in South Australia. Previous Raw Nerve filmmakers include Sarah Crowest (winner of Best Screenplay at 2008 Tropfest), Charlotte Hamlyn (winner 2008 Best Youth Film at St Kilda Film Festival & winner 2008 Best Youth Film at the Blue Dandenong’s Film Festival), Storm Ashwood (finalist at the 2006 St Kilda Film Festival), Bianca Barling (an inaugural participant, named in the 2006 Advertiser Top 10 Young Artists) and David Wade (selected for the prestigious international Kino filmmaking lab in Trouville, France).
This year’s participants Sarah McLauchlan, Sean Riley, Luke Marsden and Ben Crisp have produced four ‘shorts’ which will be screened publicly for the first time on Wednesday 8 July.
Don’t Blame Me: written, produced & directed by Ben Crisp; produced by Miles Rowland
Synopsis: A short dramatic comedy telling the story of five normal people who find themselves in the unfamiliar situation of an armed hold-up at a petrol station, and respond by blaming each other for all of their own and the world’s problems.
A World Away: written & directed by Sarah McLauchlan; produced by Michael Clarkin
Synopsis: A dark fantasy film about a little girl called Sophie. Sophie lives alone in the upstairs attic, a cold stark room, locked in by her distant aunt, Camille. Isolated from the world and considered a ghost by the neighbourhood children, Sophie’s only friends are the crayon drawings she makes which, through her imagination, come to life.
Lure: written & directed by Sean O’Riley; produced by Claire Harris
Synopsis: A man is obsessed with red-headed women, he stalks, charms and beds them – but later as they sleep he takes the scissors from the bedside drawer and stands over them, blades poised… Has he lured them to a bloody end?
Things Have Changed: produced & directed by Luke Marsden; written & produced by Seth Williams
Synopsis: Night-time in the city. Former boxer turned mob muscle Harry is holed up in a hotel room with his lover, Vivienne. Underneath their bed, a briefcase full of cash – the score from a heist turned bloodbath. Hunted by both the Law and the crime lord they double-crossed, they are soon going to find out the rewards of greed and ambition. There used to be honour among thieves, but things have certainly changed.
The four short films will screen at the city-based Mercury Cinema (13 Morphett Street, Adelaide) on Wednesday 8 July for two sessions.