Cinema Australia: Recent Episodes
Cinema Australia
In this episode, I’m joined by Harvey Zielinski - writer and director of Sweet Milk Lake who also stars in the film as two twin brothers, Jake and Sam.I won’t repeat my adoration for Harvey and his career here, because you can hear a lot about that in this interview itself, but here’s the synopsis:After being mistaken for his twin brother, Sam, by his estranged and dying dad, a soft-spoken trans man, Jake, relishes the opportunity to be one of the boys, until the weight of the lie becomes heavier than his need for the truth. Zielinski is a transmasculine actor, writer and director working across stage and screen. Sweet Milk Lake is the actor-turned director’s feature film debut as both writer and director.Beyond Sweet Milk Lake, Harvey is a two-time Heath Ledger Scholarship finalist, recipient of the Casting Guild of Australia’s Rising Star Award, and a Betty Roland Prize finalist.As an actor, Harvey is best known for playing series regular Charlie in the ABC comedy White Fever. He was also a series regular on Amazon Prime’ Deadloch and Catherine Hardwicke’s Don’t Look Deeper opposite Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer. Additional screen credits include Love Me, Spreadsheet, Why Are You Like This and Metrosexual.Anyway… enjoy.
I love a film that evokes the same symptoms as a fever dream, or if you’ve dabbled in acid in your past, an acid trip. That’s how I’d describe the feeling of watching Adam C. Briggs’ weird and wonderful new film, Phillip Philadelphia. It’s difficult to put into words exactly what the film is about, and as Briggs says during this interview, it’s open to interpretation. You can take away from it what you will. Some may interpret it as I have, a dig on the Australian film industry and the delusional impact it can have on most filmmakers attempting to break through its mainstream barriers, but others will have different opinions, and some may be left scratching their heads wondering what they fuck they just watched. As you’ll hear from Briggs here, any of the above suits him just fine.The official synopsis for the film reads like this: British screenwriter Phillip Philadelphia languishes in an old motel at the Gold Coast’s curdled quagmire of vapid opulence. Alienated from the film industry and his environment, low-budget debauches and decaying vestiges of empire prop up his weary existence. A young actor lover, a former colleague, and a drug-dealing neighbour weave throughout Phillip’s escapist fantasies. Phillip Philadelphia is a queer melodrama and absurdist romp in part which examines the dislocation of the artist in modern times.Adam C. Briggs was born in 1993 and works as an independent writer and director in Australia. His films, which rest between docufiction, arthouse and genre cinema have found respect institutionally and critically. His feature A Grand Mockery, which I highly recommend, received best feature at SXSW Sydney in 2024 and Best Direction New Visions at Sitges in 2025. Anyway… enjoy.
On this episode, I’m joined by writer and director Mia’Kate Russell to discuss her very excellent, highly entertaining, violent and bloody cat-and-mouse horror, Penny Lane is Dead. Set in 1986, during a scorching Aussie summer, Penny Lane is Dead follows three best friends who’s celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival when a prank goes horribly wrong.The films cast includes veterans Steve Le Marquand, Fletcher Humphrys and Ben O’Toole, and exciting new comers Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn (daughter of Ben), Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen and Bailey Spalding.Despite Penny Lane is Dead being her debut feature film as writer and director, Mia’kate Russell has worked in the Australian film industry for decades as a makeup and special effects artist on countless films including 2040, What If It Works and Scare Campaign and has been a make-up artist for major productions including Nitram and The Leftovers.As a writer and director, her short films have won more than 30 awards and screened at prestigious festivals all around the world.I absolutely loved this chat with Mia. She is such a great personality, and her humorous approach to filmmaking was a true delight.I should note that Mia did have some audio issues at the beginning of this interview, but they correct them quite quickly. Anyway… enjoy.
Australia really does punch above its weight when it comes to documentary filmmaking. Over the past 18 months alone, this country has produced a number of inspiring, world-class documentaries that fit in so well on the world stage. Documentaries like Floodland, Yurlu | Country, In the Trenches, Every Little Thing, and Songs Inside are some that you really must seek out if you haven’t already seen them. Some new documentaries set for release this year include Jebadiah: Are We Ok?, Hard as Puck, Silenced, Prompt: How to Make a Documentary, and Anthony Frith’s Mockbuster, one of the most unforgettable and enjoyable documentaries made in Australia in recent years. In this episode, I’m joined by Anthony to take a deep dive into the making of Mockbuster, and I can tell you he shares some really inspiring stories that will pump up any filmmaker. Having confidence and belief in yourself is what I took away from Anthony’s story here. Mockbuster follows Anthony, a struggling filmmaker at the time, and his chance at redemption as he navigates the eccentric world of notorious Sharknado production house, The Asylum.Anthony has a love for absurd pop-culture anomalies. His work has taken him to Boston, where he studied the art of churning out novelty songs with cult musician Matt Farley in Lessons From A Middle Class Artist; to Burbank, where he made his feature debut directing a trashy dinosaur movie, The Land that Time Forgot, for The Asylum.Anyway… enjoy.
A screenings across the country recently. A tale of human connection, hope and resilience in the face of great tragedy, Under a Bamboo Sky uses new technology to bring to life the unbelievable story of Australian soldiers held prisoner by the Japanese in WWII. Using their own words in their own voices, Under a Bamboo Sky weaves the oral testimonies of more than 60 former POWs together with newly colourised archival material and new location footage to deliver a moving and intimate first-hand account of their experience.Serge’s directorial experience spans drama, documentary, and commercial productions. Across a broad range of genres, he has directed more than 150 hours of broadcast and theatrical content for the domestic and international film and television markets. Dozens of his films have been recognised at festivals around the world. A note to listeners that this short episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast was originally recorded for my radio segment on CRN.Anyway… enjoy.
Rockit in 2024, which he wrote, directed, and produced. The film premiered internationally, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Mammoth Film Festival, and marked the beginning of his work in feature filmmaking.For a film as good as his latest, Beast, you may find it interesting to learn that Tyler didn’t complete his early schooling, and he certainly didn’t attend film school.Beast follows MMA legend Patton James, played by Daniel MacPherson. Now a commercial fisherman, Patton is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy (Russell Crowe), he commits to one final fight in ONE Championship against its brutal champion.Anyway… enjoy.
This episode is a special one for me because I finally had an opportunity to interview Tilda Cobham-Hervey, an actor who I have long-admired, and whose name has been on my interview bucket list for many years. It was also special to interview James Litchfield, the writer and director of Alphabet Lane - a film that I can’t seem to shake. I’ve seen it twice since I first watched it a few weeks ago, and it gets better on every viewing. Alphabet Lane follows an isolated couple, Anna, played by Tilda, and Jack, played by Nicholas Denton, who lose control of a joke about imaginary friends. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I recommend watching it, then coming back to this podcast episode to avoid any spoilers. Tilda doesn’t need much of an introduction, having appeared in a ton of films and television shows since her breakout performance in Sophie Hydes 52 Tuesdays in 2013. Tilda has since stared in Girl Asleep, The Kettering Incident, Barracuda, I Am Woman, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Apple Cider Vinegar. She has also directed and co-directed short films, and recently directed her first feature film, It’s All Going Very Well… which will be released soon. James is a writer and director from Cooma, NSW with a Master’s graduate of Melbourne’s VCA. He has made several shorts, most of which are characterised by a quiet humour, a sense of mystery, and a grappling with meaning and anxiety, and has a few feature film scripts currently in development with Joe Films. He is an EP on The Northern Run, a rodeo documentary currently in post-production with GoodThing Productions for the ABC.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode, I’m joined by one of my favourite Australian actors, Natalie Abbott, who gives an inspiring performance in The Deb. I think everyone will find something they can relate to with her character Tayla considering the depth and complexities of the character.Also, anyone who’s a fan of musicals in general are going to adore this film. There’s so much to love about The Deb, and Natalie’s performance here really brings the film to life. The Deb is a larger-than-life musical comedy directed by Rebel Wilson. The film follows Natalie Abbott’s Taylah, a high school outcast in a rural town who sees the local debutante ball as her chance to shine. When her cynical, inner-city cousin Maeve (played by Charlotte MacInnes) is sent to live with her, the two clash but eventually unite, searching for self-acceptance, popularity, and a date to the ballNatalie is a performer who made her professional debut playing Muriel Heslop in Muriel’s Wedding The Musical in 2019. The role saw Natalie nominated for a Helpmann Award and a Green Room Award.In 2020, Natalie made her television debut staring in the ABC series Aftertaste, playing opposite Erik Thomson and Rachel Griffiths, reprising her role in 2021 for season 2. Stick around at the end of this interview to find out about the future of Aftertaste if you’re keen. Natalie can be seen most recently in the ABC’ hit series, Austin S2.This is a much shorter episode than usual. As regular listeners know, I like to go much deeper with my Podcast interviews, but this one was recorded as part of a press junket for the film, and time is always limited with these things. Anyway... enjoy.
Proclivitas writer and director Miley Tennecliffe is my guest on this episode which was recorded with a live audience as part of the WA Made Film Festival where Proclivitas celebrated its WA premiere recently. This one was a really fun episode to record, and I’d like to give a special shoutout to the audience who attended this recording on the day, and for asking some great questions which listeners will be able to hear towards the end of the episode. Proclivitas follows Clare (played by Rose Riley), a recovering addict returning to her hometown to sell her deceased mother's home, where she reunites with former flame Jerry (played by George Mason) and battles a demonic presence.Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles.In this episode, I’m joined by Floodland director Jordan Giusti to discuss this very topical documentary set in flood-prone Lismore, where residents face life-changing decisions after devastating floods. A man copes pragmatically, his friend turns activist, and an Indigenous social worker builds a healing centre.Jordan is an award-winning director based in Naarm (Melbourne).Prior to Floodland, Jordan completed numerous short films, including Grevillea and Reptile, which we also discuss here.Jordan is also a two-time Australian Directors Guild Awards nominee for his short film work and has had notable festival screenings.As regular Cinema Australia readers and listeners will know, I usually publish my interviews prior to a film’s release, but I was a bit late with this one as I’ve been on WA Made Film Festival duties over here in Perth.Floodland is still screening at some cinema locations, so be sure to check out the film’s website.Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast.In this episode I’m joined by actor Teresa Palmer, and director Marcelle Lunam to discuss their new rom-com, Addition. Addition follows Grace, played by Palmer, a woman who counts everything because numbers hold her world together. But when a chance encounter with Seamus, played by Joe Dempsie, turns her world upside down, her meticulously ordered life starts to unravel. Having appeared in numerous films and TV shows since the early 2000’s Teresa Palmer really needs no introduction. But if you’re unfamiliar with her work, she has appeared in films such as 2:37, Kieran Darcy-Smith’s Wish You Were Here, Warm Bodies opposite Nicholas Hoult, Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, and Rachel Griffith’s Ride Like a Girl in which she playa Melbourne Cup-winning jockey, Michelle Payne. Teresa’s TV credits include The Family Next Door, The Clearing and Mixtape. Addition is the first narrative feature film for Marcelle Lunam having previously directed the documentary Habana (Abana) Shakes, and the music video Justine Clarke: I Like to Shake. Marcelle’s work here is quite impressive for a first timer. Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the very first episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast for 2026! It’s great to be back. It wasn’t until the back end of 2025 that I realised how few episodes of this Podcast I recorded last year with a focus on more written interviews. I’m going to make it a priority in 2026 to record more episodes and hopefully reach my 150th episode which would be very exciting.On to this episode…I usually stick to interviewing directors and actors, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to guest cinematographer Benjamin Bryan - someone whose career I’ve kept a close eye on since first taking notice of his work on documentary, Franklin in 2022. Few cinematographers working in Australia are shooting films like Benjamin, and his work in his latest film, Iron Winter, is nothing short of breathtaking. Iron Winter observes two friends from Mongolia’s remote Tsakhir (Saak-ear) Valley, as they undertake a grueling rite of passage, herding 2,000 horses across the icy Mongolian steppe in search of grazing land below the snow. This tradition has been under threat in recent times due to harsh weather conditions made worse by climate change and the effects of urbanisation on the local community. Benjamin’s other films include Glenn Triggs’ Ancestry Road and Sue Thomson’s Careless which we also discuss here along with his directing work on his new series pilot, Lake Boga.Anyway… enjoy.
A screenings.Pointe: Dancing on a Knife’s Edge is a captivating and moving documentary about Australian dancer Floeur Alder, daughter of ballet luminaries Lucette Aldous AC and Alan Alder. At 22, just as she was about to embark on her European dance career, she survived a brutal stabbing by a stranger outside her home. While the physical wounds healed, the trauma stirred turbulent memories from her past, sparking a deeply personal quest to find her place in the dance world.Dawn Jackson is an award-winning filmmaker and dancer passionate about social change through storytelling. Since completing her Master’s at the WA Screen Academy, specialising in directing, Dawn has been developing the feature documentary Pointe: Dancing on a Knife’s Edge, which recently won the inaugural Brian Beaton Award. She is also developing Caves House – Place of Love, an innovative social history documentary project, and Hush, a new dance/film work born out of an arts residency in the Arctic Circle. Dawn’s previous work includes the men’s mental health drama Fathom, which she directed and produced in 2017.——If you’ve been following Cinema Australia for a while now, you’ll know that my next guest needs no introduction.Davo has released a new feature film almost every second year since his debut, The Lives We Lead, in 2015. Since then, Davo’s filmography has included Hunting for Shadows, A Silent Agreement, The Blood of God, Public Eye, and The Switchblade Sisterhood.Davo’s latest film, Mothers, Lovers and Others, follows the interweaving private lives and family dramas of several people who cross paths at an orgy.Davo certainly has a signature style, and as I tell him in this interview, there’s no one else like him making movies in Australia today.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode, I’m joined by the great Peter Skinner to discuss his debut feature film, Two Ugly People.There’s not much point in me gushing here about how much I love this film, because I do enough of that throughout this interview. But I will say that it’s only August, and Two Ugly People is already not only one of my favourite Australian films this year, but one of my favourite films of the year in general. Two Ugly People follows two strangers (Michael Sheasby and Cato Ayyar IR) who meet by chance in a highway-side motel, but as their stay goes on, we begin to wonder if their meeting was by chance at all. What follows is truly hypnotic filmmaking from Skinner. Peter Skinner is an Academy Award-qualifying, St Kilda Best Film-winning, and Australian Directors Guild-nominated filmmaker. Beginning as a sculptor with a Bachelor of Visual Arts (First Class Honours), he later earned a Master of Film Studies from the University of Sydney and a Master’s in Directing from AFTRS. His work blends visual arts with narrative storytelling, earning critical acclaim. As co-founder of Seymour Pictures, he wrote, directed, produced, and edited his debut feature Two Ugly People, shortlisted for the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Growing up in working-class Sydney, his films explore love, identity, and the beauty within everyday lives.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode, I’m joined by writer, director and producer Adrian Ortega to discuss the making of his new film, Westgate - a poetic exploration of family, culture, and the weight of past traumas.Set in 1999 in the shadows of the Westgate bridge collapse, Westgate follows single mother Netta (played by Sarah Nicolazzo) and her son Julian (played by Max Nappo). With her debts mounting, and the threat on eviction, Netta has only 24 hours to turn things around while also attending to her son’s unstable health conditions. Adrian Ortega is a Melbourne-based filmmaker whose debut feature Cerulean Blue premiered to sold-out audiences at the 68th Melbourne International Film Festival in 2019, winning the El Rey Award for Excellence in Film Directing at the Barcelona International Film Festival. Streaming on Stanin Australia, the film marked a high point in a career spanning acclaimed documentaries, festival-selected shorts, and productions under his company Proud Wing Films, championing fresh voices in Australian cinema.Anyway… enjoy.
Over a decade in the making, the fully independent science fiction feature film Space/Time is now available via VoD release after a successful but limited cinema run around the country.In this episode, I’m joined by the film’s director and co-writer, Michael O’Halloran, and co-writer Adam Harmer to discuss the making of the film in detail.Here’s the official synopsis for the film:When a team of scientists developing an engine for interstellar travel see their funding cut after a fatal disaster, they resort to criminal activity to finance and rebuild their device.Space/Time stars Ashlee Lollback, Hugh Parker and Pacharo Mzembe.Michael is an award-winning filmmaker whose passion for cinema began early. A QUT graduate, he’s directed acclaimed short films and high-profile commercials.Adam is known for his writing and producing work on short films including The Dossier Case and Break the Rock.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast I’m joined by The Aegean writer, director and co-producer Jacob Richardson to discuss his sweeping and ambitious new film. The Aegean follows Hector (Costas Mandylor), a widowed Greek fisherman who feels the weight of his age in a world that has started to forget him. Everything changes when he meets Theodore (Nicky Dune), a resourceful, sharp, and endlessly positive teenager desperately seeking a saviour to rescue him from a dire situation.United by their shared struggles, they embark on a journey on the enchanting Aegean Sea, where they discover a newfound purpose and a reason to carry on. Jacob Richardson is an Australian filmmaker whose award-winning work has made international headlines. Jacob's first short film, Salt of the Earth - about the Australian inventor of Chicken Salt - premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival. Jacob is also currently has a slate of other feature projects in development.Anyway… enjoy.
Hello, and welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Within the Pines writer and director Paul Evans Thomas, who gives us a great insight into the making of his unmissable new film.There’s no need for me to bang on about why I loved this film so much—because I do enough of that throughout this episode—but I do urge you not to sleep on Within the Pines. It’s an excellent film that I hope people enjoy as much as I did.Within the Pines follows Sam Evans, played by Brendan Cooney, an experienced sound recordist who travels to an isolated forest in order to capture sounds far away from the noise of civilisation. As Sam ventures deeper, his mic picks up a sound no one wants to hear while alone in the woods. Paul Evans Thomas is an Adelaide-based filmmaker and verified YouTuber with over 360,000 subscribers to date on his channel Paul E.T., where he dissects the ins and outs of filmmaking.Paul has been obsessed with film since he was big enough to hold a camera—specifically the thriller/horror genre. An obsession that, combined with his experience in post-production, has helped bring to life the story of Within the Pines.Anyway… enjoy.
Hello, and welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles. In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle Stamoulos, the writer and lead actor of the impressive new short film, Gorgo. Regular listeners will notice that this Podcast episode is shorter than usual as it was originally recorded for my radio show on 2RRR. Danielle is an AACTA-winning Greek-Australian filmmaker, actor, and writer working across film, TV, and theatre. Her short film GORGO, which she created, wrote, and starred in, won the 2025 AACTA Award for Best Australian Short Film. It also screened at major festivals, including Santa Barbara, Flickerfest (winning Best Original Music), St Kilda, Newport Beach, and Rhode Island. Danielle also won Best Performance at the recent 2025 Stellar Film Festival.Inspired by Greek ‘promised brides’ & Ovid’s Medusa myth, Gorgo is a dramatic short film that tells the story of a Greek bride’s cross-continental journey to marry a man she has never met. Matchmade by her best friend Athina, with promises of a new future in a distant land, Medousa finds herself arriving in Australia to a strange home—and a cold welcome. Thrust into her new marriage, she soon discovers a monstrous secret that threatens to tear apart the best friends’ vow of sisterhood.I really hope you get to see the incredibly moving short film at some stage. Keep an eye on cinemaaustralia.com.au and we will try to keep you as up to date as possible. Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to this very different episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast.So, what’s so different about this episode? Well, it’s the first-ever Cinema Australia Podcast recording with a live audience.This episode was recorded during the recent WA Made Film Festival, where we invited friend-of-the-fest Zak Hilditch to join me and other punters for an interview about his career and his new film, We Bury the Dead.We Bury the Dead was filmed in Western Australia and follows Ava Newman (Daisy Ridley), a desperate woman searching for her husband in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment.Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a "body retrieval unit," but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she's burying start showing signs of life.We Bury the Dead will celebrate its official world premiere at SXSW from March 9 to March 13.As the film isn’t officially out yet, and I missed it at the Adelaide Film Festival, most of this episode focuses on Zak’s career as a whole—which is hard not to admire.Following Zak’s Backyard Trilogy, a series of low-budget films he made in the early stages of his career, the filmmaker went on to make the cult classic These Final Hours here in Perth, followed by the Stephen King adaptation 1922 and his horror thriller Rattlesnake, both made for Netflix.Thank you to everyone who attended this session during the WA Made Film Festival. We hope to bring similar sessions to future festivals.Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast.In this episode I’m joined by Charles Williams to discuss Inside, a prison drama starring Guy Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis, Tammy MacIntosh and newcomer, Vincent Miller whose name you should make note of because you’re going to hear a lot more from this impressive young actor. Here’s the synopsis: After being transferred from juvenile to adult prison, Mel (Vincent Miller) is taken under the wing of both Mark (Cosmo Jarvis), Australia’s most despised criminal, and Warren (Guy Pearce), a soon-to-be-paroled inmate. As a paternal triangle grows between them, we see that even the worst of men have a little bit of good inside that will be their undoing.Charles Williams is an acclaimed Australian film director whose short film All These Creatures won the Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Palme d'Or as well as an AACTA award here at home. Charles grew up in a remote country town in northern Victoria. Since then, his films have gone on to screen at more than 200 of the world’s most prestigious festivals. He has also been selected as part of TIFF’s Filmmaker Lab, The Golden Globes Filmmaker Residency and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Inside is Charles’ debut feature film. It has a discomforting psychological depth to it reminiscent of the films of Justin Kurzel like Nitram and Snowtown, and Thomas M. Wright’s The Stranger.There’s nothing familiar about Charles Williams’ filmmaking style though. Inside feels completely unique both visually and narratively. Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast.In this episode, I’m joined by Under Streetlights writer, director and co-producer Danielle Loy to discuss this incredibly moving musical drama. This film is the exact reason why you shouldn’t sleep on independently-made Australian films. Quite often, they’re far better than a lot of the mainstream Australian films being made. Under Streetlights deserves all the attention it gets. Inspired by true events, Under Streetlights follows two young artists, Izak (played by Jacob Harvey) and Ella (played by Madison Hull) from vastly different worlds who collide through their shared passion for music, forging an unexpected bond that defies cultural barriers and fuels their fight to rise above their struggles. Danielle Loy is an award-winning filmmaker and lawyer from Alice Springs. Her documentary film Bush Law was awarded best documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival by screen critic veteran Margaret Pomeranz. Danielle has spent her working life dedicated to bridging chasms of misunderstanding between indigenous and non-indigenous legal systems, and working in a plethora of roles in films and tv shows made in Central Australia. I can’t thank Danielle enough for sharing her personal stories that led to and inspired the making of Under Streetlights. This was an interview that I won’t forget anytime soon. Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast.In this episode, I’m joined by Luke J.S. and Luke Wijayasinha-Gray to discuss Your Love is Mine, a moody and atmospheric relationship drama with a touch of horror. Your Love is Mine explores the depths of love and desperation and tells the story of a couple whose relationship is put to the ultimate test when a sudden tragedy strikes. As one partner goes to unimaginable lengths to preserve their union, the film delves into the emotional extremes that love can drive us to. Your Love is Mine stars Senie Priti, Lester Ellis Jr, and Maurial Spearim.It’s always a thrill to speak with independent filmmakers who are starting out in their career. I really can’t wait to see what these two do next. Your Love is Mine is available to stream now via Bounty Films. Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode I’m joined by Eliza Cox, a filmmaker who has dedicated years of her life to making this exceptional new documentary.Shot over eight years, Queens of Concrete chronicles the journey from childhood to adulthood and the moments that define us. It’s 2016 and Hayley (14), Ava (13) and Charlotte (9) are following their dreams to qualify for the first ever Australian Olympic skateboarding team for the 2020 games. The three girls are strong contenders, but they face crushing life lessons as they navigate heartbreak, betrayal, a global pandemic, and pressure beyond their years.In this interview, Eliza gives us a generous insight in the making of Queens of Concrete discussing the early beginnings of the film, when she first met Hayley, Ava and Charlotte, and the challenges she faced dedicating so many years of her life to this one single documentary. As a viewer, I can assure you it was worth it. Queens of Concrete is already one of my favourite films of the year. Queens of Concrete will release via Madman this year. Keep an eye on cinemaaustralia.com.au for updates on that. Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode I’m joined by The Demon Disorder director, writer, producer and special effects artist, Steve Boyle. The Demon Disorder follows brothers Jake (played by Dirk Hunter) and Graham (played by Christian Willis). When their youngest brother is believed to be demonically possessed, the estranged brothers reunite to confront a dreadful family secret. Charles Cottier, John Noble and Tobie Webster co-star. In my opinion, The Demon Disorder features some of the best practical effects you’ll see in a modern horror film. Working with some of the biggest names in film and television, Steve Boyle has built a reputation for world-class standards in Special FX Production within the industry. With over 30 years experience in Special FX, Steve’s credits as a designer include; Fear Below, The Portable Door, Love and Monsters, Daybreakers, BAIT 3D, Mental, Predestination and Jungle to name a few.In this interview, Steve gives us a great insight into the making of The Demon Disorder while sharing stories from his long career in the industry including his friendship and creative partnership with Michael and Peter Spierig, his time working on Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, and his upcoming work on Kiah Roache Turner’s highly anticipated shark horror, Beast of War.Anyway… Enjoy.
In this episode I’m joined by The Blind Sea writer, director and editor Daniel Fenech, and the film’s main man, Matt Formston.The Blind Sea follows Matt on his quest for sporting greatness to new heights, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest wave surfed by a vision impaired male.Matt is a four time para surfing World Champion, former Paralympic Cyclist and World Champion. At the age of five, Matt was diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy, a rare eye condition that left him two life-changing things: 3% vision, and a desire ever since to do what everyone else says can’t be done.Daniel Fenech is an award-winning director with over 15 years production experience in commercials, music videos and documentary style content. Daniel’s most recent film prior to this was Christmess which he co-produced with the film’s writer and director, Heath Davis.The Blind Sea is one of the most compassionate, moving and visually breathtaking documentaries I’ve seen in years. Matt’s journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring and he’s also very personable which makes The Blind Sea an even more enjoyable film to watch.Before we jump into it, I need to let you know I did have some recording issues at the very beginning of this episode and I missed out on the introduction, so if it feels like we jump strait into it, that’s when the recording began. Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast.I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed recording this episode with Flathead writer and director, Jaydon Martin. Originally, this was meant to be a written interview, but as soon as I began chatting with Jaydon, my instincts told me that he was about to share some insights into the making of Flathead that I really needed to capture audibly. And I’m so glad I did.Simply put, Jaydon’s Flathead is a masterpiece - and it’s already one of my very favourite films of the year. It’s classified as docufiction, a new genre of cinema that even Jaydon believes is a newly coined term. It’s hard to explain what that means, but once you listen to Jaydon’s stories, you’ll understand exactly what docufiction is. Flathead follows Cass, played by actor Cass Cumerford. Late in life, Cass is drawn to his long-forsaken childhood home of Bundaberg,where he finds himself on a spiritual search for redemption.Anyway… enjoy.
I’m very excited to present this very special interview with Travis Jeffery, one of my favourite Australian actors whose work I have admired for many years. Travis is best known for his roles in Gallipoli, Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Danger Close, The Preacher, Frayed, Last King of the Cross, Heart Break High, and more recently Before Dawn and Planet of the Apes. Three of my favourite films that Travis has started in are Spin Out, Top End Wedding and Bloody Hell. Travis will also star in a stack of upcoming films including Zoe Pepper’s Birthright, Myles Pollard’s short film, Inheritance, and Adam Morris’ Frederickstown. As well as those films I’ve just mentioned, Travis is also here to discuss his new short film, Dusty. An intensely emotional, moving, and often gut-wrenching film which follows the lead character Dustin, played by Travis. Unable to accept the death of his best friend, Ashely, Dustin goes into voluntary self isolation with a million beers and several bags of cocaine. Amidst the chaos of his grief-induced bender for one, he accidentally mixes his best friends ashes with a very generous line of cocaine, and to his complete and utter confusion, Ashleigh appears. Dusty is also written by Travis, and is direct Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, the veteran Australian actor’s directing debut.Throughout this interview, Travis gives us a highly educational insight into the mechanics of being of actor, detailing his journey from growing up on a farm, to starring in major Hollywood productions.
My guest on this episode is Bill Bennett, the writer, director, and co-producer of The Way, My Way - a charming true story of Bill himself, and one of his many walks on the 800-kilometer-long Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain. The film is based on Bill’s best-selling memoir of the same name.Bill is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected filmmakers, having made a ton of feature films and numerous documentaries over a forty-year period.Bill has received Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Film and Best Director; he’s had two films in the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, four films in Toronto, and had three major international retrospectives.As usual with this podcast, we go much deeper than just a filmmaker’s most recent film.Here, Bill takes us all the way back to the beginning of his career and his almost-immediate success with early films like A Street to Die and Backlash.Bill also shares some incredible stories about making films like Spider & Rose, Kiss or Kill, Two if by Sea with Sandra Bullock, and The Nugget, which he filmed with a very ill Belinda Emmett while 9/11 was happening at the same time.Regular listeners will know how much I love doing these retrospective-style interviews, so this one was a real treat.Anyway… enjoy.
My guests on this episode are The Switchblade Sisterhood writer, director, producer and cinematographer, Davo Hardy, and actor Kieran Hudson, who makes his feature film debut as lead actor in this film. Regular listeners of the Cinema Australia Podcast will know that Davo is no stranger here. This is Davo’s third time as a guest, and it’s always a pleasure to hear from Davo as his career progresses. The Switchblade Sisterhood follows a young woman grieving the death of her mother. Discovering she has a half-sister, bearing a grudge over their late mother’s abandonment of her, the two take solace in exploring the deceased’s belongings; where they find a book on radical second-wave feminism and a literal switchblade.Both of which are used as weapons of choice in a bitter rivalry about fractured families, gender roles and personal, contemporary and intergenerational politics.The Switchblade Sisterhood is available to watch now via davohardyfilms.com where you can also find Davo’s previous films including features and shorts. Anyway… enjoy.
My guests on this episode are The Rooster writer and director, Mark Leonard Winter, and co-producers Mahveen Shahraki and Geraldine Hakewill.The Rooster is simply must-see cinema. It’s an experience. The Rooster transcends cinematic boundaries, delving deep into the human experience and illuminating the darkest corners of our minds with a shining light. Mark Leonard Winter’s visionary storytelling proves that he is not just a talented actor, but a genuine filmmaker.The Rooster follows Dan, a small-town cop. When the body of his oldest friend Steve (Rhys Mitchell) is found buried in a shallow grave, Dan seeks answers from a volatile hermit (Hugo Weaving) who was the last person to see his friend alive. As Dan gets closer to the truth, he must confront his own personal demons and he discovers that hope can be found in unlikely places.This interview plays as a companion piece to my interview with Mark which I published last year ahead of the film’s screenings at MIFF and CinefestOZ. While that interview was a deep dive into the making of the film, this interview is a bit more playful.Anyway... enjoy.
Heath Davis joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss Christmess which he wrote, directed and co-produced. If you keep up to date with the latest Australian film releases, you’ve no doubt heard about Christmess. It’s getting a lot of buzz at the moment with sold out screenings on the East Coast, upcoming screenings in Western Australia and Tasmania. There’s national media interest and you may have even spotted a digital billboard for the film on your way home from work. If you’ve already attended one of the screenings, you would have heard Heath talk during a Q&A. He’s doing his best to travel around the country with the film which is admirable. This is a filmmaker who backs and believes in his work. Heath is one of Australia’s most exciting filmmakers, and there are few filmmakers whose new films I anticipate more than his. If you haven’t seen Book Week, I highly recommend it. Heath’s other films include the crime thriller Locusts and Broke as well as a stack of shorts which have enjoyed success at Tribeca, Flickerfest, MIFF and more. Christmess follows Chris (played by Steve Le Marquand), a once famous actor who now performs as a shopping centre Santa Claus after his alcohol addiction puts a pause on his acting career. After bumping into his estranged daughter, he seeks help for his recovery in order to win his daughter's forgiveness.Christmess co-stars Middle Kids lead singer Hannah Joy in a breakout performance, and Darren Gilshenan in arguably the best performance of his esteemed career. Put simply, Christmess is unmissable. It’s the perfect tonic to most of the mind-numbing Hollywood dross currently saturating mainstream cinemas. The Hunger Games Part 47… really?More and more Christmess screenings are popping up daily, so be sure to follow Christmess on socials to find out where you can see it near you. Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, I’m joined by internationally-renowned filmmaker Scott Hicks for what I consider to be a very special interview. Interviews like this are the exact reason I launched Cinema Australia just over ten years ago. I set out to capture Australian filmmaking stories, and th those that Scott shares here about his career are priceless. As a keen Australian film enthusiast, I spent most of this interview in a state of awe. Scott shares previously untold stories here, such as the complete narrative behind the production of his unreleased tele-movie, Call Me Mr. Brown, and the time he tactfully guided a inebriated Bill Hunter back on track.Scott also talks about learning from filmmaking giants like Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford, his creative partnership with Australian acting legend Chris Haywood, and of course we talk about Shine. Scott and I actually got so caught up talking about his career that we almost ran out of time to discuss his latest film, The Musical Mind… A Portrait in Process. We do get there eventually towards the end of the interview, so if you’re here specifically for that, hang in there.An Emmy, Peabody and multiple AACTA award-winning filmmaker, Scott Hicks has also been nominated for two Academy Awards as Director and Writer, and British Academy Awards for Directing and Best Film. His documentary on Philip Glass was short-listed for Oscar® nomination and nominated for an Emmy.He was honoured as South Australian of the Year in 1999 and then as Australian of the Year for South Australia in 2008. Scott received a Doctorate of Letters and a Premier’s Lifetime achievement award.Together with his close friend David Chiem, CEO of global company MindChamps, Scott formed MAY30 Entertainment to create quality entertainment for the international market. The Musical Mind… A Portrait in Process marks the first releases for MAY30.Sparked by the impending 25th anniversary of the Academy award-winning blockbuster Shine, The Musical Mind… A Portrait in Process explores the power of the musical brain. Featuring exclusive, intimate footage of super-star international musicians in their private worlds, it opens an intriguing portal into the musical mind.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode I’m joined by The Big Dog writer and director, Dane McCusker.The Big Dog follows Richard Morgan, a stockbroker, suburban family man - and secret findom addict. On the morning of his son’s graduation party, Richard discovers his dominatrix has cleaned out all of his bank accounts including the money for the graduation present – a new car. Now over the course of one Saturday, Richard must try and recover the $76,000 without his wife discovering his secret life.Dane McCusker is a writer, producer and director of award-winning content across multiple mediums. Originally hailing from Bathurst, NSW, he moved to Sydney in 2009 to participate in the Australia Film Television and Radio School. With a film debut as good as The Big Dog is, Dane is certainly a filmmaker to keep an eye on. Anyway… enjoy.
Georgia Eyers is an Australian actress from Brisbane who has gained some serious recognition recently following her impressive lead role in the supernatural horror film Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism alongside Dan Ewing and Tim Pocock. Prior to Godless, Georgia appeared in the WA film, The Xrossing, and recently reunited with that film’s director, Steven Mihaljevich, for his surreal and unsettling psychological drama, Violett.In Violett, Georgia plays a sick Mother who fears unspeakable evil will soon snatch her 11 year old daughter.With both The Xrossing and Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism now available to watch via different formats, a brief cinema release was recently announced for Vioeltt here in WA via Halo Films. Screenings for other states are set to be announced early next year.In this interview, Georgia takes us back to the beginning of her career and how she got started in the industry. She also discusses being embraced by the horror community, and tells us about the impact making two psychologically demanding horror films back-to-back can have on a young actor. Anyway… enjoy.
Hello, and welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles. In this episode I’m joined by actor Jordan Fraser-Trumble who gives an outstanding performance in The Cost which is written and directed by Matthew Holmes. Matthew was a recent guest on this Podcast also discussing this new white-knuckle thriller.In The Cost, Jordon plays David - one of two ordinary men intent on dispensing their own brutal form of justice after abducting a felon who committed a horrific crime many years before.Jordan is a great actor whose career I have been following for many years now since his debut feature film performance in Holmes’ The Legend of Ben Hall back in 2017.Jordan’s other feature film credits include West of Sunshine, and Freelance and Love, Tea and Epiphany which Jordan discusses here also.This is a shorter episode than usual as this interview was originally recorded for my radio segment on the Community Radio Network. The Cost is available to rent now across the usual VoD platforms, and is also available on DVD and Blu-ray. This one is getting some great reviews, folks, and I can’t recommend it enough.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, I’m joined by director, writer, co-producer, co-cinematographer, editor and visual effects supervisor Jack Dignan to discuss his latest film, Puzzle Box.Jack began his career as an Australian film journalist, publishing written reviews across multiple platforms while working on his own DIY short films. In the lead up to After She Died, Jack spent some time working on high-profile Hollywood productions such as Thor: Love and Thunder, Furiosa, Elvis, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in various roles.Puzzle Box follows substance abuser Kait who flees to a house in the woods to self-rehabilitate, while her sister Olivia joins to document the process. Following their arrival the house's layout begins to change, trapping them inside an inescapable puzzle box.When I interview a filmmaker like Jack, I’m quickly reminded why I started Cinema Australia. To me, there’s nothing quite like interviewing an independent filmmaker at the beginning of their career. Hearing Jack’s stories about the making of his two films was a great thrill for me and I can’t thank Jack enough for being a part of this Podcast.Anyway… enjoy.
Hello and welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles.
This episode is one of those “other” episodes of the Cinema Australia Podcast where I bring over two of my recent interviews for the Community Radio Network and publish them here.
These interviews are much shorter than usual, but just as enjoyable.
Filmmaker Paul Goldman kicks things off as he joins us to chat about Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story.
Following that is Robert and James Farnham, the two son’s of Australian music icon John Farnham, who discuss their father’s new documentary, John Farnham: Finding The Voice.
Anyway… enjoy.
This episode is a little bit different than our usual episodes in that it features two interviews with two very talented filmmakers - Matt Vesely who has directed a neat sci-fi thriller called Monolith, and Callan Durlik who has made a very funny romantic comedy called It Only Takes A Night.
Monolith which follows a headstrong journalist, played by Lilly Sullivan, whose investigative podcast uncovers a strange artefact, an alien conspiracy, and the lies at the heart of her own story.
It Only Takes a Night follows four best friends on a girl's night out who end up on a path none of them expected and find out it really does only take one night to change your life.
These two interviews were originally recorded for my radio show on the Community Radio Network, so they’re not as in depth as the usual Cinema Australia Podcast episodes, but there’s still plenty covered for each film.
Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode I’m joined by the frighteningly talented filmmaking duo, and twin brothers, Danny and Michael Philippou to discuss their new horror film, Talk to Me, which is already making waves around the world and has caught the attention of filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Steven Spielberg, as well as author Stephen King.
Talk to Me follows a group of friends who discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand. They become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and opens the door to the spirit world, forcing them to choose who to trust: the dead or the living.
Danny and Michael Philippou, who some of our listeners will know better as YouTube sensations RACKARACKA, are online purveyors of comic horror and action. Their Youtube videos have been watched over 1.5 billion times and amassed over 6.6 million subscribers.
In 2015 their channel was awarded Best International YouTube Channel at the 6th Streamy Awards. Named one of Variety’s 2016 Fame Changers and ranked 5th on Financial Review’s Cultural Power List, the brothers have won numerous awards, including Best Overall at the Online Video Awards and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for the Best Web Show.
Talk To Me is their debut feature film. I’m sure a lot of you will find that hard to believe once you see it such it the world-class quality of the film.
In this interview Danny and Michael discuss their horror inspirations, signing a deal with American mega-distributors A24, the disturbing event which lead to the themes explored in the film and more.
Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode, I’m joined by Rampage Electra writer, director and producer Hassibullah Kushkaki who takes us on a deep dive into the making of this independently produced, action thriller gem which was shot throughout many Perth locations including the historic Fremantle Prison where a majority of the film was shot.
Rampage Electra follows an outcast teenager Hannah who finds herself framed as a violent delinquent owing to the undisclosed history of her family’s troublesome past. As 17-year-old Hannah is coming to terms with the revelation of her mother’s circumstances, she witnesses the untimely death of her father. A story of wrong doing and revenge, Hannah’s longing for a maternal kinship fuels her arbitrary decisions and drives a revolt into an uncontrollable rampage.
In this interview Hassibullah discusses the making of Rampage Electra as well as his move to Perth four years ago, the cultural impacts of growing up in Germany and the US, and how Rolf de Heer’s Bad Boy Bubby and Alex Lorian’s Good For Nothing Blues inspired his filmmaking career. It was a great joy to welcome Perth-based filmmaker Hassib Kushkaki to the Cinema Australia Podcast recently. Hassib is a filmmaker who I have a tremendous amount of respect for and a filmmaker whose career I will be keeping a close eye on over the next few years.
This chat truly is great insight into making a grand independent feature film which I’m sure listeners will get a lot out of.
Alena Lodkina’s Petrol will stick to you like glue. If you dive deep enough into the film's subtexts, and if your experience with this film is anything like mine, it will take weeks to shake. In this episode, Alena joins me to take a very deep dive into the making of Petrol which follows Eva, an impressionable film student, who befriends an enigmatic performance artist named Mia who quickly takes hold of Eva’s imagination. Petrol is Alena’s second film following her debut, Strange Colours. If you haven’t already that film, then I recommend putting it at the top of you must-watch list. Anyway… enjoy.
Hello and welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles. In this episode I’m joined by writer, director, co-producer, director of photography, editor and composer Ivan Sen and actor Simon Baker to discuss their masterful new film, Limbo. In Limbo, Simon Baker plays Travis, a jaded detective who arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder of local Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes 20 years ago. As truths about the murder begin to unfold, the detective gains a new insight into the unsolved case from the victim’s fractured family, the surviving witnesses and the reclusive brother of the chief suspect. A poignant, intimate journey into the complexities of loss and the impact of the justice system on Aboriginal families in Australia.Anyway… enjoy.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, I’m joined by Perth filmmaker Scott Quayle to discuss, The Grey Line - a powerful, eye-opening WA-shot documentary which tells the story of Helen Dwyer, also known as Ellen Collard.Taken from her parents during a time when Aboriginal children were removed from their families through Government mandated policy, Helen was raised by a middle-class family in the suburbs of Perth and believed she was their biological daughter until the age of 14.Despite being raised by a very loving foster family, Helen has never felt like she truly belonged. Not white, not black, she walks a very lonely grey line. This is her story of hurt, a longing to find her true self and to finally be accepted for who she is.As you will hear in this interview, Scott is a relative newcomer to documentary filmmaking of this scale.Scott has released two short films previously: the 2019 documentary, Coming Home: Isle of Man TT, and the short documentary SHIL about a public speaker with a stutter.With a background in corporate marketing, Scott now runs his own production company called Life Films creating one hour documentaries of everyday people for their family and friends.Having moved to Australia at the age of ten from the Isle of Man, Scott tells Cinema Australia that making The Grey Line has been a confronting experience which you will hear more of in this interview. Anyway… enjoy.
The legendary and iconic Australian filmmaker, Rolf de Heer, joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new film, The Survival of Kindness. Written, directed and produced by de Heer, The Survival of Kindness uses allegory to analyse race and privilege, as it follows protagonist BlackWoman (South Australian Mwajemi Hussein), abandoned in a cage in the middle of the desert. Following her escape, she walks through pestilence and persecution, from desert to mountain to city, only to find more captivity.Anyway… Enjoy.
Jub Clerc, director and co-writer of the uplifting coming-of-age road movie, Sweet As, joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. Sweet As follows troubled 16 year old Indigenous girl, Murra (Shantae Barnes-Cowan), who finds herself abandoned after an explosive incident with her addict mother played by Ngaire Pigram. On the cusp of being lost in the child protection system, an unusual lifeline is thrown her way by her uncle Ian (Mark Coles Smith), in the form of a unique photo safari. Before Murra knows it, she is careening down a dusty highway with a minibus full of at-risk teens and two charismatic team leaders. Will this be the lifeline Murra needs or the catalyst for her demise?Sweet As also stars Carlos Sanson Jr, Pedrea Jackson, Mikayla Levy, Andrew Wallace and Tasma Walton. Jub is from the Kimberley in WA where she currently resides.Graduating from WAAPA’S three year acting course, Jub spent many years in theatre before moving into film and television, working on award winning productions including The Circuit 1 & 2, Bran Nue Dae, Mad Bastards, Satellite Boy, Jasper Jones and Mystery Road Season 2.Jub has written and or directed short films, documentaries and tv series, and her debut play, The Fever and the Fret. In this interview, Jub discusses her upbringing and being surrounded by storytellers including Jimmy Chi and the Pigram Brothers, working on The Turning, the parallels between her real life experiences on her own photo safari and Sweet As, and much more.Anyway… enjoy.
The Curse of Baba Yaga writer and director Christopher Colley joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. Perth’s first teen horror TikTok series, The Curse of Baba Yaga is a found footage series following two high school boys, James and Luca, as they navigate a string of disappearances in their quiet suburban town, The Curse of Baba Yaga is from first time writer and director Colley (who also stars on-screen as James) and producer Matt Hodgkinson. With a background in acting, Christopher Colley has pivoted to writing/directing with the aim to push the possibilities of queer characters on screen, exploring nuanced stories that reflect his own lived experiences. Anyway... enjoy.
Esteemed Australian filmmaker, Robert Connolly, and rising star, Ilsa Fogg, join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their brilliant new film, Blueback.Blueback follows Abby (played by Fogg), a young girl who befriends a magnificent wild blue groper while diving. When Abby realizes that the fish is under threat, she takes inspiration from her activist Mum, Dora (played by Radha Mitchell), and takes on poachers to save her friend.
John V. Soto joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss Avarice, a neat action thriller starring Gillian Alexy as a gifted, Olympic-level archer who must rescue her husband, played by Luke Ford, and daughter, played by Téa Heathcote-Marks, after they are abducted during a vicious home invasion.John V. Soto has written and directed five Australian feature films including the sci-fi drama The Gateway, crime thriller The Reckoning, horror thriller Needle and supernatural thriller, Crush.In this interview John shares stories about his passion for Perth and why he loves making movies here. He also discusses his beginnings as a filmmaker and what drew him to the craft, and of course John takes us behind the scenes of Avarice.
The Legend of Ben Hall filmmaker Matthew Holmes joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his career so far, as well as his two new feature films, The Cost and Fear Below.
WA-based filmmaker Sarah Legg joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her new film, Cherubhead - one of the most unique, beautiful, intriguing, and thought-provoking Australian films you're ever likely to see.
Here’s the synopsis: Marie Annette, a virtuous socialite invites orphan Ellie to a holiday home in the hopes of adopting her. However, when Sophie Piero comes to stay at the home on account of a family research program, things head south.
That’s a very basic plot outline, but Sarah’s description of her film during this interview is much more in-depth.
To say that Sarah is an exciting new talent, would be an understatement. When you get the chance to see Cherubhead you will see a filmmaker who refuses to play by the rules and work within the confines of conventional cinema. And if you get the chance to see Cherubhead miultiple times like I have, you will be just as excited to see what Sarah comes up with next.
In this interview Sarah discusses her beginnings as a filmmaker and the creative support she has received from her encouraging parents, the origins of Cherubhead and how its influenced by Machiavelli, and she also shares some great behind the scenes stories too.
Anyway… enjoy.
Highly-regarded Australian actor Richard Roxburgh joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast.
To say the recording of this Podcast episode was a bit of fun would be an understatement.
It’s not every day you get to shoot the breeze with an actor of Richard Roxburgh’s calibre.
That was the case for me while I was attending CinefestOZ Film Festival in Busselton, Western Australia which Richard was also attending as the Jury Chair, responsible alongside other jury members for awarding the festival’s $100,000 Film Prize for Best Film.
I had spoken to Richard during an Opening Night Red Carpet interview, and we also shared a bit of banter at one or two afterparties. But I really wasn’t expecting to get Richard on an episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast while I was at the festival.
On the Thursday morning I received a phone call saying that Richard was at my hotel and available for a half hour interview. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity, even though I was totally unprepared as far as questions go.
Regardless, I managed to get quite a lot out Richard during our interview. We discussed topics from his early beginnings as an actor, working with the likes of Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible II, his adoration for Baz Luhrmann, his desire to work with Warwick Thornton, his latest role in the Stan series Bali 2002, and whether he will ever direct again following his experiences on Romulus, My Father.
Do I really need to introduce Richard here? Probably not, but it’s worth mentioning that Richard is one of Australian busiest and most respected actors, having graced our screens in television shows like Blue Murder, Hawke and of course Rake, and in films like Oscar and Lucinda, Mission: Impossible II, Moulin Rouge!, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Van Helsing, Looking for Grace, Hacksaw Ridge and H is for Happiness.
It’s worth mentioning that this interview was recorded in a pub. The venue was open to the public and there was a lot of activity happening in the background with CinefestOZ events, coffee being poured and drinks being served so please excuse the background noise.
Anyway… enjoy.
This is a different episode format than regular listeners will be used to.
Here I’ll be chatting with two filmmakers in seperate interviews that were originally recorded for my radio spot on the Community Radio Network.
The first interview is with Christine Looby to discuss her new Young Adult coming-of-age adventure film, The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay.
An accomplished Assistant Director with 15 years of experience in film and television, Christine graduated to Directing in 2020 with her debut feature This Little Love of Mine - the first Australian feature to commence production during the global COVID-19 Pandemic.
The second interview is with filmmaker Maya Newell who shares some great stories about the making of her brilliant new documentary The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone.
Spanning nineteen years, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone tells the story of Georgie, an Australian transgender teen as she helps change laws, affirms her gender, finds her voice and emerges into adulthood.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by filmmakers Rowan Devereux and Sophie Saville to discuss two of their new films, feature film Evicted! A Modern Romance - a comedy which follows a group of friends on a seemingly futile hunt for an affordable share house - and Inspire Me - a documentary short following Madeline Stewart’s quest to become the most inspirational disabled person ever.
Hello and welcome to Cinema Australia Podcast.
I’m very excited to be discussing the wonderfully weird, and outrageously funny The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour with the film’s director and co-writer Platon Theodoris.
The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour follows radio host Neville Umbrellaman. When Neville lands in hospital, a group of unexpected performers crash his show, The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour.
Platon Theodoris is an Australian film director, producer and screenwriter. His debut feature film, Alvin’s Harmonious World of Opposites, had its world premiere at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival back in 2015 and I’ve been anticipating his next film ever since. Platon is one of the most unique filmmakers working in Australia today.
If you’ve seen Alvin’s and Lonely Spirits I’m sure you will agree, and if you haven’t seen those films then you really need to amend that ASAP.
In this interview Platon discusses everything from his first viewing of the original stage play on which the film was based, continue his work with this incredible group of actors he’s built a community around, as well as some technical aspects of his filmmaking.
Writer and director Kriv Stenders joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new documentary, Lee Kernaghan: Boy from the Bush.
Stenders is carving out quite a niche for himself as a documentary filmmaker following very successful feature films like Red Dog and Danger Close: The Battle for Long Tan. Stenders’ recent documentary work includes Slim & I, The Go Betweens: Right Here, and Brock: Over the Top.
Here, Stenders discusses growing up around music, working with Lee Kernaghan, filming the energetic concert scenes, his passion for good storytelling, why he thinks Lee Kernaghan: Boy from the Bush is his most experimental film yet, and why documentary filmmaking is such an exciting medium right now.
In this episode Cinema Australia is joined by the makers of new Australian black comedy, Sissy - Hannah Barlow & Kane Senes.
Hannah and Kane co-wrote and co-directed the film and Hannah also stars in the film as one of the lead characters, Emma.
The film follows social media influencer, Sissy, who is invited away on a hen’s weekend with some old school friends. Little does she know she will be stuck in a remote cabin with her high school bully… #triggered.
Hannah and Kane have been making movies for a while now. Most recently the two made the independent mumblecore, For Now.
This is a deep dive into the making of the film, so obviously there are going to be some plot spoilers, but listeners should know that when we do discuss the ending of the film I do warn when to switch off.
Tiriki Onus and Alec Morgan join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their new documentary, Ablaze.
Ablaze is the true story of the first Aboriginal filmmaker, William ‘Bill’ Onus and tells the story of this cultural and political figure who revived his peopleʼs culture in the 1940s and ignited a civil rights movement that would change the course of history.
Ablaze is the compelling tale of how Bill and his supporters brilliantly orchestrated their campaign for equality through performance, entertainment, film and sheer audacity and how they outsmarted mighty forces seeking to destroy Indigenous cultures, languages, and communities.
How to Please a Woman writer and director Renée Webster joins the Cinema Australia Podcast.
How to Please a Woman is a genuine gut-busting laugh-fest. As I tell Renée during this interview, I’ve seen it three times now, and I’m recommending it to everyone.
The film follow Gina (played by Sally Philips), a 50-something woman who develops a business idea to launch an all-male house-cleaning service. However, when her business grows out of control, she must acknowledge her own appetite if she is to make a new life for herself.
The film has had advance screenings around Australian, including here in Perth where it screened at the Perth International Arts Festival, The WA Made Film Festival, and it’s own Gala Night at Luna Cinemas and people are loving it!
How to Please a Woman is Renée Webster’s first feature film. In this interview Renée tells us about developing the script and her process for writing comedy which I found fascinating. She also talks about working with her cast, shooting in Fremantle and much more.
How to Please a Woman is in cinemas from May 19.
Anyway… enjoy.
Welcome to a very special episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast.
So what’s so special about this episode?
Well as regular listeners will know, discussions on this podcast are usually centred around a particular film, and it’s not often that I take listeners on a deep dive into an actor’s career.
It’s just the way the publicity machine works, and not everyone, particularly busy actors, have the time to sit for two hours talking about themselves.
With the recent announcement that actor Joel Jackson has been appointed as an ambassador for CinefestOZ Albany, I invited Joel to join an episode to discuss his career, which Joel jumped at.
Most of you will be familiar with Joel’s work.
The Albany-born actor and musician is celebrated for his work on the big and small screen in projects like Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door, Deadline Gallipoli, Jungle, H is For Happiness, Mystery Road, and I Met a Girl, as well as stage productions like Born Yesterday.
Here, Joel discusses most of those projects, but he also gives us a fascinating insight into the mechanics of an actor working in Australia today. Joel also talks about growing up in Western Australia and his passion for rural communities.
Joel also talks about the hard truths and frustrations of being an actor which some listeners will get a lot out of, especially if you’re an up-and-coming actor yourself.
Anyway… Enjoy.
In this episode I’m joined by Jane Castle - the daughter of trailblazing Australian filmmaker, Lilias Fraser.
Castle’s new documentary, When the Camera Stopped Rolling, tells the epic tale of her mother’s extraordinary life, her fascinating career and their challenging relationship.
Lilias Fraser was the first Australian to study at the National Film School of France who honed her skills on nation-building industrial documentaries of the 1960s, and in 1970 she made one of Australia’s first land rights films, This is Their Land.
When the Camera Stopped Rolling is a must-see documentary and Jane should be commended for such an honest and raw insight into her personal relationship with her mother.
Jane is a multi-award-winnning filmmaker and cinematographer. She’s shot films and documentaries and a tonne of music videos for artists like Prince, U2, Mary J Blige, Usher and INXS.
Jane’s directing work includes the award-winning short, Roadside Café and the SBS documentary Sixty Thousand Barrels. When the Camera Stopped Rolling is Jane’s first feature documentary.
Jane is so open during this interview. We discuss everything from Jane’s childhood, being compared to her mother, her relationship with other members of her family and how they’ve responded to this film, and how the local film community reacted to her mother’s death.
It’s hard to believe A Stitch in Time is Sasha Hadden’s first film. He’s made two short films and a documentary, and this film cements him as a serious talent and a filmmaker to keep an eye on.
Here, Sasha discusses how he developed a passion for filmmaking at a young age thanks to his supportive mother, his love for Australian filmmaking great Bruce Beresford, and how he used this film as a training ground for emerging filmmakers.
As a bonus, this episode also includes a ten minute chat with one of the film’s stars - veteran Australian actor Belinda Giblin who plays Christine in the film.
As one of Australia’s most distinguished actors of stage and screen, most of you will know Belinda from her roles in Home and Away, Sons and Daughters, Good Guys Bad Guys, Heartbreak High, The Sullivans and A Country Practice.
In this episode I’m joined by Mutt writer and director Sam Galloway.
Mutt follows Odette, an expecting mother who delves into a criminal underworld to rescue her dog from a torturous death.
Samuel Galloway is a kiwi filmmaker based in Melbourne. He is both a director of photography for commercial and narrative work, but also holds a distinctively dark and comedic voice as a writer-director. Samuel is known for the short films Past the Second Stage and The Dying Art of Cat Burglary. The web series Waiting on Sound, and of course Mutt.
Anyway... enjoy!
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to the first Cinema Australia Podcast episode for 2022.
In this episode I’m joined by Public Eye writer, producer, director and lead actor Davo Hardy, and his co-star British Flower.
Public Eye follows Elliot Sinclaire, played by Hardy in the film. He’s a children’s entertainer and actor whose social and moral standing is severely challenged when his personal life comes under scrutiny following the viral release of a very private video.
It’s impossible to discuss this film without mentioning certain scenes and themes, so please note that this interview does include spoilers. One of them quite big. We also discuss strong sexual themes so listener discretion is advised.
Anyway… enjoy.
Filmmaker Brendan Fletcher joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new series, Firebite, which he co-created and co-directed with Warwick Thornton (Sweet Country).
In this episode Fletcher reflects back on his Mad Bastards and what he’s been up to since, and obviously we chat everything Firebite including how he was introduced to Thornton, moving from film to television and much more.
WA-based filmmakers Samantha Marlowe and Frances Elliott join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their latest documentary, Girl Like You, which, over six years, follows a couple that battles to stay together as one of them transitions genders; confronting the effects of new body parts, changing gender roles as well as navigating their own evolving sexual identities.
Filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss Wyrmwood Apocalypse - the highly-anticipated followup to his explosive zombie thriller, Wyrmwood Road of the Dead.
Catherine Hill is an accomplished and admired individual who has worked as an actor, script editor and story consultant.
As well as being an award-winning theatre director, Catherine has been employed as a case manager and a crisis worker for over two decades, working with individuals managing complex issues and often experiencing homelessness.
Drawing on all these experiences Catherine wrote, produced and directed Some Happy Day - a neat little film about a homeless woman, Tina, played by Peta Brady, in desperate search of a better life who meets a social worker, Frances, played by Mary Helen Sassman, with troubles of her own.
Some Happy Day was filmed in and with the community in which the story is set. Many of the background actors have a lived experience of what it is like to be without a home.
Here, Catherine discusses the making of the Some Happy Day, how she fell in love with storytelling and the importance of networking within the Australian filmmaking community, among other things.
Director Justin Kurzel and writer Shaun Grant join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their latest collaboration, Nitram.
Nitram is a brilliant but highly disturbing film, that will no doubt divide audiences. It depicts the events leading up to one of the darkest chapters in Australian history - the Port Arthur shootings.
Kurzel and Grant have been making movies together since 2011 as director and writer respectively.
Their first film, Snowtown, landed like a sledgehammer and marked the arrival of two extraordinary filmmaking talents.
Nitram is their third collaboration following Snowtown, and the provocative joy ride that is True History of the Kelly Gang.
Kurzel’s filmography also includes Macbeth and Assissin’s Creed, which both starred Michael Fassbender. He also directed a segment of one of my favourite Australian films, The Turning.
Shaun Grant’s other writing credits include Berlin Syndrome directed by Cate Shortland, Jasper Jones directed by Rachel Perkins, an episode of the American television series Mindhunter, and another film released this year, and another on of my favourites, Penguin Bloom.
We do go into some depth during this interview, and I understand that it may not be easy listening for everyone. We discuss the pairs thoughts on Port Arthur conspiracies, Justin’s discussions with victims, and why they wanted to make a film about Martin Bryant.
Kurzel and Grant also discuss their eagerness to see Nitram with an Australian audience, and being knocked back by Screen Australia before going on to work with Stan and Madman to make the film.
It’s not all serious though, we do have a few laughs along the way and I ask a question that gets quite a reaction: What happened to Sean Keenan’s unbelievably cool cowboy cardigan from True History of the Kelly Gang.
Anyway… enjoy.
Erik Thomson is one of my favourite actors. I’ve enjoyed most of Erik’s work, with Packed to the Rafters, Aftertaste and The Furnace being among my favourites.
Thomson is one of Australia’s most beloved actors, becoming a household name thanks to mega-popular shows like All Saints and Rafters.
In this episode we take a deep dive into Eric’s career and discuss everything from Pacific Drive to High Tide, All Saints, Packed to the Rafters and Back to the Rafters, and of course Aftertaste - a TV series in which Erik gives one of his best ever performances.
We wrap it all up by discussing a few of Eric’s latest films - The Furnace, How to Please a Woman and Blueback all of which were filmed in Western Australia.
Iconic Australian filmmaker, Nadia Tass joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her career, including the making of two of her most well-known and much loved films, Malcolm and The Big Steal.
Nadia Tass is one of Australia’s most respected filmmakers. Known for those films I just mentioned, Nadia also directed Pure Luck, an American film starring Martin Short and Danny Glover. Nadia’s later work includes Matching Jack with Jacinda Barrett, Richard Roxburgh, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, and the tele-film, Fatal Honeymoon, starring Harvey Keitel.
Screenwriters Arka Das and Bina Bhattacharya join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their new anthology feature film, Here Out West.
Synopsis: A baby is kidnapped from a western Sydney hospital by a desperate grandmother. Her flight sets off a chain of events that brings together complete strangers over the course of one dramatic day.
Arka, who wrote the chapter titled BROTHERHOOD, is a writer, director and actor with a number of short films, web series and short documentaries under his belt.
Bina, who wrote the chapter THE ETERNAL DANCE, is an award-winning writer, producer and director whose 2017 short film, Wild Dances, win the Audience Choice Award at the Made in the West Film Festival.
Anyway... enjoy.
Filmmaker Matthew Walker joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new documentary, I’m Wanita.
I’m Wanita is the story of Wanita - a renegade country music singer from Tamworth, hell-bent on realising her childhood dreams of stardom. Self-crowned as ‘Australia's Queen Of Honky Tonk’, Wanita is still waiting for the recognition she knows she deserves.
Director Josh Reed joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his tense, claustrophobic drama, We're Not Here to Fuck Spiders.
Reed describes Spiders as found footage noir. The film is set in a drug dealers house, and is constructed from found surveillance footage. There’s not much we can tell you about the story without giving too much away, but it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. The film builds up to one hell of a final act as different characters who frequent the house begin to reveal themselves.
Here, Josh discusses his film with great depth, including why he decided not he title, the risks of making such a hardcore film in Australia, and why he may never make another film again. Josh is also the son of Long Weekend and Fantasm Comes Again director Colin Eggleston which he talks about.
A Family is one of the most unique locally-produced films I’ve ever seen, so I was thrilled to be chatting with director Jayden Stevens and cinematographer Thomas Swinburn. These two very talented filmmakers also co-wrote and co-produced the film.
Jayden Stevens is a director and photographer from the Gold Coast. He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, where his short film Between Trees won the school’s Brian Robinson Memorial script award. Tom Swinburn studied filmmaking at Ithaca College, and completed a post graduate degree in film at the Victorian College of the Arts where his short film A View from Below was awarded the most bold and innovative production.
Their film, A Family, follows Emerson, a man living in solitary who seeks emotional refuge in the organising and documenting of family moments using low-grade impersonators. When his fake sister becomes inspired to follow his method, their relationship struggles between the forged and genuine.
This is top-tier filmmaking.
Anyway… enjoy.
Martin Wilson joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new shark thriller, Great White.
We love taking a deep dive with filmmakers about their movies, but this interview was originally recorded for our radio segment on 2RRR, so you will notice this is a much shorter interview than usual.
Regardless, this is still an insightful chat with Wilson, who talks about the making of Great White and what makes it different to other creature features. He also discusses working with his cast, and the challenges of making a film while you’re up to your neck in water.
Martin’s screen career spans almost 25 years. He’s an internationally-awarded director based in Perth. His extensive television commercial work includes the 'Cowards Punch' TVC campaign with world boxing champion Danny Green.
Martin has directed hundreds of TV commercials for brands like Hungry Jacks and the West Coast Eagles and Great White is his first feature film.
Here’s the synopsis for Great White: A beautiful trip to a remote island turns into an oceanic nightmare when five friends become stranded at sea while being stalked by a great white shark. Great White stars Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano and Te Kohe Tuhaka.
Anyway… Enjoy.
Director Molly Reynolds joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her stunning new documentary, My Name is Gulpilil, about one of Australia’s most important actors, and one of our most significant cultural and artistic icons, the unparalleled, David Gulpilil. As you’ll hear in this interview, Molly has known David for many years. As the partner of Australian directing legend Rolf De Heer, Reynolds has worked with David on many projects throughout her career including her 2015 documentary, Another Country - a companion film to De Heer’s Charlies Country. Here, Molly discusses how this documentary came about, how and when she first met David, the highs and lows of working with the man , and of course Molly shares some great stories about how she made this incredible and elegant new documentary.
Director Nicole Miller joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss This is Port Adelaide - a passionate love letter to one of Australia’s greatest sporting clubs.
Nicole became immersed in the world of footy and the Port Adelaide Football Club when she directed the recent series The AFL Show, which explains the sport to a Chinese audience. This interview isn’t all about footy though, with Nicole talking a lot about cinema and her processes, as well as being mentored by Snowtown and The True History of the Kelly Gang director Justin Kurzel.
It’s worth noting that this is Nicole’s first ever media interview about the film, and it was a thrill to get to know her and to learn about this impressive new filmmaking talent. I’m sure Nicole has a long career ahead of her.
Anyway… Enjoy.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by Antoine Furlong. The Writer, director and producer of Ascendant - a new Australian sci-fi, mystery, thriller and fantasy film.
Here’s the synopsis: A young environmentalist wakes, trapped, kidnapped in the elevator of a super high-rise building at the mercy of her tormentors. The rest I’ll let Antaine explain, but as you’ll hear, it really is something you have to see and experience for yourself.
Ascendant is an incredible achievement in special effects filmmaking. The film was shot mostly in a confined space, but thanks to some special effects wizardry, this is world building on a massive scale.
Here, Antoine discusses how he moved from working on films with his father - including Mel Gibson’s Braveheart - moving into finance, and back into movies. We also take a deep dive into the making of Ascendant which I think young filmmakers starting out in the business will get a lot out of.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast I’m joined by My First Summer director Katie Found and actor Maiah Stewardson to talk about their beautiful new film, My First Summer.
After the suspicious death of her mother, a 16-year-old is stranded on an isolated rural property. When a misfit local girl discovers her, the two lost teens form a deep bond, until the police close in and threaten their secret summer love.
Anyway... Enjoy.
Writer and director Michael Bentham and actor Matilda Ridgway join the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss their new film, Disclosure.
Disclosure is an intense, dialogue driven four-hander. It’s a story about what happens when a 4-year-old girl, Natasha, makes a serious allegation against a politician's 9-year-old son. An attempt by the children's parents to tackle the issue in a cooperative way soon degenerates into a vicious confrontation. The parents are played by Matilda, Geraldine Hakewill, Mark Leonard Winter and Tom Wren.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by one of Australia’s most experienced documentary filmmakers, Sally Ingleton, to talk about her eye-opening new documentary, Wild Things.
Wild Things follows a new generation of environmental activists hell-bent on saving their futures from the ravages of climate change.
Sally trained at the Swinburne Film and TV School in Melbourne and her first breakout documentary was The Tenth Dancer which Sally discusses at the beginning of this Podcast. Sally then embarked on actively producing social issues and nature documentaries for global TV. Wild Things is Sally’s first feature length documentary.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by The Furnace director, Roderick MacKay.
To escape a harsh existence and return home, a young Afghan cameleer partners with a mysterious bushman on the run with two 400oz Crown-marked gold bars. Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace - the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown. The story is set in Western Australia in 1897.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined The Xrossing director Steven Mihaljevich and producer Carl Maiorana to discuss their new coming-of-age drama. The two also co-wrote the film.
After the murder of a young girl in the Perth Hills, three boys harass a reclusive Aboriginal man known in the neighbourhood as “Black Bobby (played by Kelton Pell). One of the boys, Chris (played by Luke Morgan), must apologise to Bobby and make amends. Encouraged by his media classmate and friend, Abbey, (Georgia Eyers) Chris builds an unlikely friendship with Bobby. Old friendships are tested and new friendships take shape against the forces of ignorance and crime in the neighbourhood. Betrayal, incarceration and more tragedy are now all at the cross roads.
Carl and Steven share some great stories about the making of The Xrossing, including their decision to spell the tittle with an X and they also share a very interesting story about how they cast the film following the tragic death of an original cast member.
We were also given a very special opportunity to share a song from the film, We Should Have Paradise, sung by Kelton Pell, which you can hear about half way through.
Writer and director Kurt Martin joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new Australian drama, Moon Rock for Monday.
Kurt Martin is a director and writer from Sydney, Australia. He has directed numerous short films, TVC's, Music Videos, Web series and Pilot TV series, and has worked on several feature films as an assistant director (1st/2nd) including Teenage Kicks, The School, Out Of The Shadows. Kurt’s body of work has received numerous international nomination's including Switzerland International Film Festival, Schnit Shorts, Tokyo Lift Off, Mumbai Navi International Film Festival and Los Angeles Lift Off Film Festival. His screenplay writing has also been shortlisted for the world’s most prestigious screenplay competitions, including the International prestigious BlueCat ScreenPlay Competition. Kurt is a member in the Director's Chapter in the Australian Director’s Guild and the Australian Film Institute / Australian Academy of Cinema, Television and the Arts.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by director Samuel Bartlett and actor Matt Doran to discuss their new Australian thriller, Intersection.
When a conman discovers his son is abducted, he is forced to drive the city streets completing an escalating series of trials to appease his child’s kidnapper, and atone for his career of deception.
Director Samuel Bartlett studied at the leading national Australian Film TV and Radio School, completed his Masters in Film at Sydney University, and studied story with renowned structure specialist Karel Segers.
Matt Doran is a seasoned actor with over three decades of performing experience. In the 90s he was a mainstay character on the hit TV show Home and Away. This TV success launched his film career, working with Terrance Malick alongside Sean Penn in The Thin Red Line, then working with the Wachowski’s on The Matrix and with George Lucas in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
In this episode Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles is joined by Mark Lamprell, the director of new Australian comedy, Never Too Late.
Never Too Late follows four Vietnam veterans, famous for escaping out of a POW camp, who must now break out of the nursing home from hell to fulfil their unrealised dreams.
Mark is a pleasure to interview and is very generous with his answers and stories which I appreciate. Mark has worked in the film industry for many years. In this interview we discuss launching his career with Kennedy Miller productions, working with George Miller on an abandoned script for Hollywood film, Contact, his time working with an incredible cast of acting veterans with Never too Late, and I get real geeky by asking Mark about working with Australian producing veteran Antony Ginnane and working on the cult classic slasher film, Cut!
Anyway… Enjoy.
50 EPISODES! In the 50th episode of this Podcast, Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles chats with Rams director Jeremy Sims. Rams is a remake of an Icelandic film and follows two Brothers Colin (Sam Neill) and Les (Michael Caton) who have been fighting for decades. Both are award-winning sheep farmers but when disaster strikes and disease threatens their flocks, will they be able to work together to save their sheep, their legacy, and their community? Jeremy is a director, producer and writer of film, television and theatre. Prior to directing Rams, he made Last Cab to Darwin, Beneath Hill 60 and Last Train to Freo.
If you've never seen a film starring Roy Billing, you have no business listening to this Podcast.
I'm joking of course, but Billing has been acting since the 80's and has starring in many Australian films including The Dish, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Charlie & Boots, Mystery Road and Occupation. Billing's Australian television credits go all the way back to E-Street and A Country Practice and include Home and Away, Always Greener, Packed to the Rafters, and more recently Underbelly and Jack Irish, two roles Billings tells are are the ones he gets recognised for the most.
In this Podcast, Billing discusses launching his career in New Zealand where he was born, moving to Australia and what the local film industry was like at the time, and his latest film, Never Too Late.
Never Too Late follows four Vietnam veterans famous for escaping a POW camp. Now they must break out of the nursing home from hell to fulfil their unrealised dreams.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles is joined by actors George Pullar and Ashlyn Louden-Gamble who star in new Australian film, Moon Rock for Monday.
Moon Rock for Monday about a young girl named Monday (Ashlyn Louden-Gamble) who believes the moon rock, or Uluru, can help cure her terminal illness.
To get to Uluru, Monday befriends Tyler (George Puller), a young man who has committed a heinous crime. Tyler essentially kidnaps Monday to assist with his escape from the cops, while Monday’s father, Bob (Aaron Jeffery), desperately tries to track her down and rescue her from the fugitive.
Justin has been at the forefront of the Australian horror and science fiction film industry for many years as the founder and owner of special effects company Wicked of Oz Studios. Justin has over fifteen years’ experience as a top Special Effects Makeup Designer, Art Director and Production Designer, working on big-budget American productions alongside such recognised directors as George Lucas (STAR WARS) and on productions such as CHARLOTTES WEB and THE BANK JOB. Justin and Wicked have played a part in practically every Australian genre film to come down the pipeline in recent years including THE LOVED ONES, THE BABADOOK and SCARE CAMPAIGN.
Justin's new film BLOOD VESSEL is a claustrophobic vampire action horror set on an abandoned World War two warship. BLOOD VESSEL utilises the powerhouse of Wicked’s SFX company and a real-life Bathurst-class corvette to deliver a unique and powerful action horror film.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia, host Matthew Eeles is joined by multi award-winning director, animator and visual artist Isabel Peppard and award winning horror, comedy, documentary and porn filmmaker Josie Hess. These two very talented filmmakers have teamed up to co-direct a very unique documentary called, Morgana. In short, Morgana is an artistic character portrait of a 50-year-old housewife, who reinvents herself as a sex-positive feminist porn star. I assure you, once you’ve seen Morgana, it will remain with you long after viewing. Anyway... enjoy!
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, hose Matthew Eeles is joined by OUR LAW director Cornel Ozies and producer Taryne Laffar.
OUR LAW is set at Western Australia's first Indigenous-run Police Station, two officers learn language and culture to help them police one of the world's most remote beats
OUT LAW will screen at the 2020 Sydney Film Festival and on NITV in mid-June.
Australian filmmaker Ben Lawrence joins the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss his new film, Hearts and Bones.
Ben Lawrence is an internationally award-winning director and photographer. His short films have screened at Edinburgh, Clermont-Ferrand, Los Angeles, San Gio and Sao Paulo film festivals.
His photographs have been recognised at the International Photography Awards in New York, The Australian National Photographic Gallery Portrait Prize, the HeadOn Portrait Festival and The Spider Awards for photojournalism in London.
In 2018, his critically acclaimed debut feature documentary, Ghosthunter screened at multiple festivals around the world and was nominated for a prestigious Illuminate Award at the Sheffield Film Festival. It also earned an AACTA Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary and won the Best Australian Documentary Award at the Sydney Film Festival.
Filmmaker Miranda Nation joins the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast to discuss her tense new psychological drama, Undertow. Determined not to give in to grief after the loss of her baby, Claire becomes suspicious of her husband’s relationship with a feisty young woman, Angie. When she discovers Angie is pregnant, Claire develops an increasingly irrational obsession with her that puts both their lives in danger. Only when confronted by the explosive secret behind Angie’s pregnancy does Claire begin to reclaim her sanity.
In this (mini) episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles is joined by GO! director Owen Trevor to discuss the new Australian family film.
When Jack (William Lodder) and his single mother (Frances O'Connor) move to a small town in Western Australia, he soon gets involved in the competitive world of go-kart racing. Jack's got natural talent but must learn to control his recklessness. To do that, he'll need the help of aspiring engineer, Mandy (Anastasia Bampos), wise-cracking best mate Colin (Darius Amarfio-Jefferson) and mysterious mentor, Patrick (Richard Roxburgh). Together, the team will endeavour to overcome all odds and defeat ruthless racer Dean (Cooper Van Grootel) to win the National Go Kart Championship.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by film critics Travis Johnson and Andrew Peirce to discuss the Australian films of 2019. We cover everything from The Nightingale to Ride Like a Girl, the strong representation of people with disabilities in Australian films, documentaries, the independent film scene and much, much more. This episode also includes interview grabs from the late, great Dame Hill, Rachel Griffiths, Jennifer Kent, RJ Mitte and Damon Gameau.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles is joined by independent filmmaker Mike Green to discuss his new thriller, Outback. Outback is a survival nightmare based on the true story of an American couple, Wade (Taylor Wiese) and Lisa (Lauren Lofberg), who become stranded on their way to Uluru. Think Gerald Rocionato’s Cage Dive on dirt.
Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles is joined by writer and director James Di Martino to discuss his feature film debut, The Faceless Man.
The Faceless Man follows Emily (Sophie Thurling) who is struggling to adjust back to everyday life three years after surviving cancer.
Living in fear of redeveloping the fatal disease, a manifestation haunts Emily from the depths of her subconscious in the form of a faceless creature; her fear incarnate… Or is it?
In this episode of the Cinema Australia we catch up with actor and filmmaker Steven Vidler to discuss his classic Australian film Blackrock and his new Australian film Standing Up For Sunny starring RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad).
In this episode of the Cinema Australia, Matthew Eeles chats with filmmaker Andrew Garton about his new documentary FORGED FROM FIRE which charts the valleys and peaks of the heartwarming project known as The Blacksmiths Tree. On Black Saturday, 7 February 2009, townships north-east of Melbourne were engulfed by firestorms. After the horror of immediate losses, people embarked on various journeys of repair and recovery. The Blacksmiths Tree was one of them.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia, host Matthew Eeles is joined by filmmaker Stevie Cruz-Martin to discuss her new film, Pulse.
Pulse is the story of a gay disabled teenage boy who is devastated when he is neglected after his two best friends start dating. He changes into the body of a beautiful woman, so that he too can find love, at whatever cost.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles is joined by director Imogen Thomas to talk about her heartwarming new film, Emu Runner.
Emu Runner tells the story of nine-year-old Indigenous girl, Gem Daniels (newcomer Rhae-Kye Waites), who lives in a remote Australian town. As she copes with her mother’s unexpected death, Gem finds solace in the company of a wild emu, unwittingly connecting her with her mother’s traditional totem animal.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast we're joined by Australian filmmaker Luke Sullivan and veteran actor Robin Royce Queree to discuss their brave, bold, ambitious, unsettling and highly disturbing apocalyptic drama Reflections in the Dust.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles chats with David Fairhurst, the writer, director, co-producer and co-editor of the mind-bending, psychological thriller, Reaching Distance.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles chats with The Second director Mairi Cameron and screenwriter Stephen Lance. The Second follows the author of a celebrated erotic memoir, whose newfound success is threatened when her best friend and muse reveals the truth behind the memoir's provenance, igniting an incendiary tale of sex, lies and betrayal.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, actors Geraldine Hakewill, Michael Whalley and director Tony Prescott discuss their incredible new film, The Pretend One.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles chats with Queensland filmmaker Britt Kynde about her independent, supernatural comedy, Cursed.
When a neighbour places a curse on their share house, three housemates, two dead brothers and a delivery man are forced to live together or die trying.
Kynde stars in the film alongside Elora Wilson, Paul Tucker, Dave Beamish, Chris Charteris, Ian G. Westley and Maureen Powell.
Cursed will be released via Vimeo on Sunday, 25 March 2018. You can keep up to date with the film by following Grade One Productions on Facebook.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles chats with co-writers, directors and producers Caitlin Farrugia and Michael Jones about their new Australian indie, So Long.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with director Glenn Triggs about his new Australian film, The Comet Kids. Set in 1950s America, The Comet Kids follows five small towners, Lucas, Claudia, Tricks, Inertia and Guns, as they head out on the adventure of a lifetime to find a piece of a comet that crash lands near their hometown. Hot on their tails is the film's villain Cliff who's desperate to lay claim to the comet's discovery which was first spotted by Lucas' father years earlier.
Red Christmas stars scream queen Dee Wallace as a matriarch who has invited her children to celebrate one last Christmas in their family home before it’s sold.
Amid celebrations and domestic drama, they receive a visit from a mysterious stranger. Disfigured and cloaked, they feel sorry for him until they discover his extreme religious motives and anti abortion message.
Red Christmas is directed by Craig Anderson, who joins us in this episode. Craig is a fascinating, passionate filmmaker who justifies his reasonings behind such a messed up premise which you’ll discover more about as the interview goes on.
We should warm you though, some topics discussed in this podcast may be upsetting for some people so listener discretion is advised.
Anyway… Enjoy.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast host Matthew Eeles is joined by director Rhiannon Bannenberg and producer Steve Jaggi to discuss their new Australian surf drama, Rip Tide. If you're a young filmmaker looking got break into the local film industry then this is a must-listen.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles chats with Can't Win. Do Try. director, Jeremy DeCeglie.
Gerald Rascionato is an Australian filmmaker who's new movie, Cage Dive, is one of the most terrifying Australian films in recent memory and arguably the best found-footage horror film ever produced in this country.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast Matthew Eeles chats with Australian director Romi Trowler about her new film, What If It Works?
Cinema Australia's Matthew Eeles chats with Dance Academy director Jeffrey Walker to discuss the film and his career.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with Australian actor, Steve Bastoni. Steve's credits include Police Rescue, Neighbours, The Matrix Reloaded, The Water Diviner and Heath Davis' Broke. Enjoy!
In episode 14 of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with filmmaking sisters - director Sophie Mathisen and Dominique Mathisen -about their new film, Drama.
In this special edition of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles discovers just how well Spin Out co-stars Lincoln Lewis and Travis Jeffery really know each other.
In this special edition of the Cinema Australia Podcast Matthew Eeles finds out how much Spin Out co-stars Lincoln Lewis and Travis Jeffery really know about each other.
In the first episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast Black Label #1, Matthew Eeles speaks with director Alex Proyas about his career from Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds to Gods of Egypt and everything in between.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles interviews director Grant Scicluna and actor Thom Green about their new Australian film, Downriver.
In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with director Abe Forsythe about his new film, Down Under.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, host Matthew Eeles chats with up-and-coming actress Sophie Don about her career so far and her new Australian creature-feature Red Billabong.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with screenwriter Claire Harris and Jo-Anne Brechin about their new film Zelos.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with Australian actor, Matt Day, about his time working in film and television as well as his new short film, Perry.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with Australian director, Joseph Sims-Dennett about his new film, OBSERVANCE.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with writer, director and producer Damian Hill about his new Australian film, Pawno.
In episode #6 of the Cinema Australian Podcast, Matthew Eeles chats with legendary Australian screen and stage actor, Max Cullen about his career and upcoming film, Broke.
In episode 5 of the Cinema Australia podcast I chat with actors Dan Ewing and Tim Pocock and director Luke Sparke about their new, highly-anticipated Australian horror/thriller RED BILLABONG.
In episode 4 of the Cinema Australia podcast we chat with WATCH THE SUNSET cinematographer Damien Lipp and producer/director Michael Gosden.
In the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast we chat with The Daughter director Simon Stone and actress Odessa Young.
In this interview we chat with filmmakers Jonathan N. Dixon and William Emmons about their new horror film, Grey Fear.
In this episode we speak to the incredibly talented Radha Mitchell about her new Australian film, Looking For Grace.
Herbert Pinter is an Australian Production Designer whose work spans many decades. His work includes Storm Boy, Picnic At Hanging Rock, Cloudstreet and the upcoming West Australian film Jasper Jones.
We chat with Australian filmmaker Bentley Dean, director of Tanna. The film was shot with non-actors who had never seen a film before.
We recently had the pleasure of chatting with legendary Australian film producer Richard Brennan. Richard has worked on many great Australian films including Mad Dog Morgan, Newsfront, The Last Goodbye and Long Weekend.