NSW creative teams on track for the silver screen

Four filmmaking teams have been selected to fast-track their projects and accelerate their careers with assistance from Screen NSW’s Short to Feature Fast Track program. 

First announced in 2023, the program supports the development of a short film or proof of concept production, alongside script development funding on a feature film to accelerate the project towards financing and production. Aimed at nurturing new voices in the screen industry, the program has expanded in 2024 to support four creative teams, with each receiving $75,000 in funding for short film and feature film development. The teams have also been matched with an experienced executive producer to provide guidance on their projects, as well as expanding recipients professional networks. 

Applications were assessed by Screen NSW Screen Investment Managers alongside market expert Marc Wooldridge, Founder and Managing Director of Maslow Entertainment, with the successful recipients showcasing unique and compelling projects and displaying a strong sense of their project’s audience. 

Creating a vibrant and inclusive screen sector was a commitment in the NSW Government’s Creative Communities policy, and nurturing new ideas and talent is a priority of the three-year NSW Screen and Digital Games Strategy. 

Alumni for the program are already gaining recognition, with Short to Feature Fast Track 2023 short Luna and the Brain Tuna selected to screen at SXSW Sydney 2024 and Adelaide Film Festival 2024. 

Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said: 

"Congratulations to the four teams selected for the strength and breadth of their exciting and provocative projects. Screen NSW is committed to supporting a thriving feature film industry in the state and elevating new voices and locally grown talent.  

“I am confident that the Short to Feature Fast Track initiative will once again provide these filmmakers with the opportunity to develop their films while also building on their networks with experienced industry professionals and market partners. 

“NSW is the home for enriching, high calibre stories for local and global audiences, and programs like this ensure Screen NSW continues to nurture new voices and talent in order to bring our stories to the world. " 

Short To Feature Fast Track assessor and Founder and Managing Director for Maslow Entertainment Marc Wooldridge, said: 

“This is such an exciting and valuable initiative for NSW’s aspiring feature filmmakers, and just like last year, the quality of the submissions was both very high and extremely competitive.  I personally loved meeting all of the shortlisted teams and want to congratulate those that were selected for funding in this round.  I now can’t wait to see how their projects progress from here and wish them all the very best.” 

Full details of the recipients are below. 

Short To Feature Fast Track Recipients  

Short film: Echoes In Time 

Synopsis: A couple investigate a strange phenomena in their home, where the past crosses over into the present. 

Feature film: The Junction 

Synopsis: A couple relocates to the country, looking for a fresh start after a torrid battle with cancer, only to discover that their new home is the focal point for mysterious phenomena, causing the past and present to collide.

Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Romance 

Team Members: Gemma Lee (Director), Charlie Clausen (Writer/Producer) 

Executive Producer: Kath Shelper 

 

Short film: Worms 

Synopsis: After his father commits suicide, a depressed young man fears he will follow in his footsteps unless he undertakes a radical new therapy involving an earthworm with telepathic powers.

Feature film: The Answerers 

Synopsis: Surreal mystery-thriller The Answerers charts the descent into madness of three rudderless misfits who become obsessed with a mysterious phone call said to change the life of anyone who answers it.

Genre: Surreal, Mystery, Thriller, Comedy 

Team Members: Will Goodfellow (Writer), Tom Noakes (Director), Lucy Gaffy (Producer), Adrian Pinto (Producer) 

Executive Producer: Marian Macgowan 

 

Short film: Incorruptible 

Synopsis: Sexually frustrated teen sisters Valentine and Ophelia live on an isolated orchard, whiling away their days co-authoring smutty romance novels, when two handsome young Mormon missionaries knock on their door. 

Feature film: The Wanting 

Synopsis: Single mother Nisa moves into a ramshackle rental in the remote Australian Snowy Mountains with her two daughters, teenaged Cathy and six-year-old Rain, to care for her ailing mother Farah. Upon meeting their handsome new neighbour Chris, all four generations of women fall in love with him in their own ways, upending their fragile peace and triggering the unravelling of a dangerous family secret with potentially disastrous consequences.

Genre: Drama, Thriller 

Team Members: Vanessa Gazy (Writer/Director), Cyna Strachan (Producer) and Liam Heyen (Producer) 

Executive Producer: Kristina Ceyton

 

Short film: The Audition 

Synopsis: During an intense audition, a determined actress finds herself losing her grip on reality as repressed trauma and disturbing visions creep into the audition process, blurring the lines between performance and psychological unravelling. 

Feature film: Method to Madness 

Synopsis: Anna wins the acting role of a lifetime, but her director’s intentions may not be entirely artistic. 

Genre: Horror, Thriller 

Team Members: Rachele Wiggins (Writer/Director), Sandy Stevens (Producer), Enzo Tedeschi (Producer – Short)  

Executive Producer: Kristian Moliere

 

Image: Incorruptible and The Wanting team. L-R Cyna Strachan, Liam Heyen and Vanessa Gazy. Photographer Hugh Stewart.