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New Crowdfunded Short Film Shines Light on Barrier for Women Filmmakers

11/10/2017
Production Company
Auckland, New Zealand
88
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Susie Porter and Jacki Weaver lend support to Curious Film director Roma D’Arrietta

A new Australian short film starring Susie Porter explores a bizarre love triangle in middle class suburbia. It is an unflinching coming-of-age comic drama exploring sexual awakening in the era of technology, and the universal yearning for connection.

Beverly, currently in financing stage and preparing for pre-production early 2018, is a potent and important work, created by an experienced, talented team. It is also indicative of new Australian creative work today. It is crowd funded.

In an environment where filmmakers are constantly battling for gender parity, pay and local content, the making of Beverly shines a light on the barriers still on the road for the independent female filmmaker.

Roma D’Arrietta, the film’s director and on the roster of Curious Film, said that even mid-career filmmakers were struggling to break through in the current climate despite existing industry initiatives. “I want to be able to have a career telling Australian stories in Australia, and despite experience and signings it’s challenging to make that work,” D’Arrietta said.

“There have been great strides like Screen Australia’s Gender Matters portal and its equal funding of men and women film makers, but there is still a large swathe of solid talent that falls between the cracks.”

“We knew the story of Beverly absolutely had to be told. It was a perfect meditation on the challenges of disconnection and growing up in a digital world, and we could do it with a comic sensibility - so crowdfunding became crucial,” she said.

Written by Rupert Taylor and produced by Curious Film’s Stephen Fitzgibbon, the film is in a genre with a long precedent, and one in which Australian film and television excels - the darkly comic treatment of complex characters in ordinary situations.

Esteemed award-winning actor and star of Beverly, Susie Porter said that she was always attracted to a strong, important script with complex, nuanced female characters. 

“There is so much to chew through both in Beverly the film and the character. When such an authentic story jumps out at you like this it’s hard to say no,” Porter said.

“That it’s an independent team, working from grass roots funding, makes it an even more important project to support. Maintaining the rage is what keeps the industry going and technology has presented both challenges and benefits.”

“Crowdfunding is not only a way to fund a project – it has the ability to really involve people in the production process and deepen the relationship with the audience,” she said. 

Australia’s doyenne of film and television Jacki Weaver is in high demand internationally, and based in LA is currently on location for a new film. Weaver said challenges in Australia were complicated and not just around gender ability per se.

“I believe there should be more female directors, but they are just as good, bad and variable as male directors. I’ve recently worked in Australia with Emma Freeman, Alexandra Schepsi and Mirrah Foulkes and loved them all. I’m working on a Carol Morley film, then later this year with the wonderful Susanne Bier,” Weaver said.

“The point I think is that it’s about content, Australian content on Australian platforms. But also, the rude truth is that female filmmakers have many more obstacles to doing that. So, like all industries, it can be a disrupted pathway. More emphasis on supporting Australian female storytellers can only be a good thing for the industry as a whole.”

The future of the Australian film industry is not just in the hands of a few funding and industry bodies. Nor is it something that just ‘happens’. It needs YOU! It needs all of us. From being a humble supporter to a fully-fledged executive producer the platform is open to all. To support Beverly - a funny, serious, important film with its super talented crew and star cast - you can find more details on the website here.

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