Screen Australia has announced 29 feature films, 13 television dramas, four online projects and one VR project that will share in over $1.2 million of story development funding.

Among the many projects getting support were a few that caught our attention.

The Last Days of Lee McQueen

From writer/director sibling duo Spencer and Lloyd Harvey, who previous had success with their short film The Gift, The Last Days of Lee McQueen is a dramatic thriller feature film about the final days of celebrated fashion designer, Alexander McQueen.

Focusing on the last six months of his life, the film follows McQueen as he tries to complete his last runway show, all while being haunted by something otherworldly – highlighting the story of a creative genius who had a lot of love to give, was loved by many in return and was lost far too soon.

EuroVisionary

This comedic coming-of-age drama feature film set in 1983 follows 10-year-old Julie Sumić who discovers the uniting power of the Eurovision Song Contest on a family trip to Yugoslavia. Upon her return to Australia, she introduces the contest to her town in the hopes to undo the damage caused to her family in the aftermath of the ‘Croatian Six’ terrorist scandal – Australia’s first convicted terrorists.

EuroVisionary is written, directed and produced by Jeneffa Soldatić (The Honey Makers) and produced by Petra Lovrenčić (Halal Gurls), and will be their first project for Sestra Films Pty Ltd.

Good Eggs

This six-part comedic drama series follows a trio of women, Nicola, Sarah and Zoya, on their individual yet shared journey to parenthood. Nicola’s never been able to get the attention of men, Sarah’s completely over them and Zoya’s never been into them, and so they decide to try and raise their kids together.

Forging their own paths, Good Eggs sees Nicola, Sarah and Zoya build a new family paradigm – taking refuge from society’s expectations of ‘family’. The series is written by Melanie Tait, whose credits include The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race, and produced by Cecilia Ritchie.

Gorgeous

Off the back of a career defining story, Journalist Charlotte Barber returns home to Launceston, Tasmania to make a podcast; a ‘then and now’ piece juxtaposing the current 2017 Marriage Equality vote with the unsolved murder of her girlfriend’s mother 20 years earlier when homosexuality was still criminalised.

As she conducts her investigations, Charlotte’s personal connection to the story becomes intertwined with her own need to confront the shame she’s held around her sexuality. This project is from Writer/Producers Alexandra Keddie and Gemma Bird Matheson.

I’d Rather Eat Cake 

This proposed series is made up of six eight-minute episodes.  Twenty-three-year-old Cobie assumed her sexual awakening would eventually arrive. But upon discovering she’s potentially asexual, Cobie takes matters into her own hands… I’d Rather Eat Cake is a comedy/drama based on truth that chronicles a young female’s journey towards radical self-acceptance.

The project is from writer Tahlia Norrish and producer Sophia Armstrong.

Scrunt Hunt

Comprising 15 five-minute long episodes this project is from one of our favourite singing comedians Joran Raskopoulos.  It’s Blue’s Clues meets Twin Peaks as Jordan and her son Scrunt; a yellow lizard boy powered by A.I. character technology, embark on adventures and solve mysteries in their animated neighbourhood.

Moni 

Part of the Digital Originals funding scheme, this project is described as “In a desperate attempt to appease his sister, Moni, a closeted 39-year-old Samoan man awkwardly sets out to find a female date for her wedding; however, when his dead mother has other plans, his seemingly simple mission becomes a whole lot more complicated.” The project is written by Taofia Pelesasa, Alana Hicks, and Erin Foy.

Baby Face

After their estranged sister dies, Bly, a millennial mid gender transition, is suddenly responsible for their troubled fourteen-year-old nephew, Michael. But on the cusp of going through puberty for the second time, Bly must now become the most adult thing in the world: a parent. This project is from writer-director AP Pobjoy.

Tomgirl

Justin, a shy nine-year-old, is bullied at school, much to the shock of his overbearing Filipino mother. When his queer cross-dressing Uncle moves in, Justin begins dressing as a girl, receiving an enchanting crash course in his homeland culture and finds the unexpected superpower in being himself. This project is from writer-director Vonne Patiag.

10 Moments

10 Moments tells the story of a gay male relationship from the moment a couple first meet through to their decision to continue or separate ten years later, using key moments told by an ensemble of gay male writers and directors working in a multiplicity of genres. John Sheedy, Neil Triffett, Tim Spencer, Franco di Chiera, Pete McTighe, Brendon McDonall, Alberto Di Troia, Roger Monk, Samuel van Grinsven and Adrian Chiarella are all one the writing team.

Omar and Dawn

Omar, a young gay Lebanese Australian, determined not to return to dangerous sex work and life on the streets, is given one last chance in foster care with an older woman, which challenges and changes their lives forever. This project from writer-director James Elazzi was a successful theatrical production.

Scorpio

Between sex work, Orthodox Russians, and a rising Melbourne property market, the twenty-something year old Scorpio has a few balls to juggle. To make matters worse, she finds herself pulled in multiple directions; trying to honour the old-world Russian values set by her family, while embracing sex, love, and lesbianism for all they’re worth.

What results is an irreconcilable cocktail ready to explode in her face, revealing to those around her that there’s more to Scorpio than they know. A comedy / drama, Scorpio traces one young woman’s experience dealing with family expectation, and the lies one must keep in order to sustain a double life. This project is written by Allanah Avalon.

All these screen productions are taking their next step and might be on our cinema, phone and television screens down the track.

OIP Staff

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