About three months ago, casting director Stephanie Pringle was with her Chicken and Chips Casting co-founder Alison Fowler and actress Charlotte Chimes at Bondi’s Coogee Pavilion.
At the time, allegations of inappropriate conduct by a Sydney restaurant and hotel group Swillhouse dominated the news cycle, leading Pringle to relate her experience working in Melbourne’s hospitality industry.
It proved the inspiration for Locked In, a short film examining the dark side of hospitality culture that has been selected for January Flickerfest and is also the first project to come under the trio’s new production company Hello Darling.
Written and directed by Pringle, who also executive produces with Fowler, the story follows Gemma, played by Chimes, a country girl new to the city, who scores a job at a trendy Bondi dive bar with help from her friend Ella.
On her first shift, eager to fit in, she misses the warning signs. When the mysterious manager, Jesse, initiates a “Lock In” — a so-called rite of passage — what starts as an exciting end-of-week celebration quickly spirals into danger.
Filming took place over two days at the end of last month at The Beaver Dining Parlour on Bondi Road with Ashyr Mason-Kaine, Christina Sankari, Alex De Crespigny, Ezekiel Simat, Mackenzie Fearnley, and Patrick Jhanur joining Chimes in the cast. It was a case of art imitating life for Fearnley, known for playing one of the leads in Jack Clark and Jim Weir’s thriller Birdeater, who works as a bartender at the Beaver and helped put the production in touch with the venue’s owner Adam Della-Grotta.
Other key crew included DOP Jeremy Shaw, sound designer Leigh Krampe, editor Belinda Tyldsley, and script editor Nik Kacevski.
Chimes, who also produces the project, said while the relevance of the subject matter drove the creative team to “get it out there ASAP”, the film also explored motifs that went beyond a specific industry.
“A greater theme that we wanted to explore was you never know when sexual assault is about to happen,” she said.
“It could be someone very close to you who’s friendly or not. So the greatest theme is that it’s always there, whether you work in hospitality or not. It just so happens that this film is set in a bar.”
The actress is set for further collaboration with Pringle and Fowler under the Hello Darling banner, which will cover both television and features.
Among the projects in the works for the company are a potential series version of Locked In, and a feature that has SA director Alice Maio Mackay attached.
Chimes expressed her desire to connect with other companies through the venture, having already met with creatives such as Darcy Tales’ Austin Hayden, co-writer of the newly published Freestyle Television Manifesto.
“We’re looking to partner with different production companies – we don’t want to do it on our own,” she said.
“[It’s about] how do we start getting things in development now.”
Locked In is one of more than 200 short films selected for next year’s Flickerfest, set to take place at Bondi Beach from January 17 – 26.
Other local highlights this year include Vlog, a family drama written, directed by, and starring Emmy-nominated Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski; Nash Edgerton’s dark comedy Candy Bar, starring Damon Herriman; and Belinda Bromilow’s directorial debut Glove, which follows an adventurous young woman in search of love.
Following the 10-day festival, which incorporates Australian, international, and documentary competitions, Flickerfest will embark on a national tour, visiting over 40 venues across Australia from February to October next year.
Find more information about how to secure tickets here.