The Foal Media Kit - NewFilmmakers LA

CONTENTS
Tag Page 3
One Line Synopsis Page 3
One Paragraph Synopsis Page 3
Production Summary Page 4
Key Cast and Crew Credits Page 4
Screenings and Awards Page 5
Shooting Script Page 6
Director’s Statement Page 11
Director’s Biography Page 14
Director’s Filmography Page 15
Press Clippings Page 17

The Foal
Tag
Innocence can’t last forever.
One Line Synopsis
A young girl finds solace with the corpse of a recently deceased foal.
One Paragraph Synopsis
Five-year old Chloe is taken to her Uncle and Aunt’s farm to live when her mother
dies suddenly. Unable to comprehend the concept of death, she befriends the
corpse of a recently deceased foal and adopts the responsibility of caring for it.
Sneaking food, toys and other childish possessions to the foal, Chloe visits it
everyday, in the hope of easing its pain of being abandoned by its mother. When
Chloe’s Uncle discovers her secret he forces her to face the reality of her own
situation.

PRODUCTION SUMMARY
Title:
The Foal
Running Time: 9’38”
Shoot Gauge:
RED ONE
Delivery Gauge:
HDCAM SR
Exhibition Formats:
HDCAM PAL
HDCAM NTSC
Digital Betacam PAL
Digital Betacam NTSC
Betacam SP PAL
Betacam SP NTSC
.MOV
DVD PAL
DVD NTSC
Sound:
Stereo
Delivery Date: 23 rd January 2010
KEY CAST
Uncle John
Chloe
Wife
Social Worker
David Roberts
Olivia Quinn
Sue Kramer
Neeta Gosal
KEY CREW
Director
Producer / Writer
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Editor
Composer
Sound Design
Josh Tanner
Jade van der Lei
Simon Harding
Anna McCafferty
Josh Tanner
Bernard Houston
Owen Arnold & Warren Collier

SCREENINGS
• 2011 – Lume International Film Festival, July 14 th – 23 rd
• 2011 – Long Island International Film Expo, July 12 th
• 2011 – Brooklyn Film Festival, June 4 th – 12 th
• 2011 – St Kilda Film Festival, 24 th – 29 th May
• 2011 – Newport Beach Film Festival, April 28 th – May 5 th
• 2011 – Angry Film Festival, March 24 th
• 2011 – Roma Independent Film Festival, March 18 th – 24 th
• 2011 – Shorts Film Festival, March 15 th
• 2011 – Shepparton Film Festival, March 11 th
• 2011 – 6 th Annual Omaha Film Festival, March 2 nd – 6 th
• 2011 – 17th Annual Sedona Int’l Film Festival, February 20-27 th
• 2010 – Anchorage Int’l Film Festival, Dec 4 th , 5 th & 8 th (& Best Of Screening)
• 2010 – Whistler Film Festival, December 3 rd
• 2010 – Grand OFF Independent Film Awards, Nov 22 nd – 29 th
• 2010 – Golden Knight Malta Int’l Film Festival, Nov 22 nd – 27 th
• 2010 – Cinemagic Int’l Film Festival for Young People, Nov 20 th
• 2010 – St. Louis International Film Festival, Nov 11 th – 21 st
• 2010 – Show Me Shorts Film Festival, Nov 4 th – 28 th
• 2010 – Fort Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival, Oct 22 nd – Nov 7 th
• 2010 – BRNO16 Int’l Festival of Short Film, Oct 13 th – 17 th
• 2010 – Ourense International Film Festival, Oct 1 st – 9 th
• 2010 – Canberra Short Film Festival, Oct 1 st
• 2010 – 25th Odense International Film Festival, Aug 25 th & 26 th
• 2010 – Rhode Island International Film Festival, Aug 14 th
• 2010 – Shorts on the Green Film Festival, July 13 th
• 2010 – Palm Springs International ShortFest, June 26 th
• 2010 – Dungog Film Festival, May 30 th
• 2010 – Festival de Cannes’ Short Film Corner, May 12 th – 22 nd
• 2010 – In The Bin Short Film Festival, May 8 th & 15 th
AWARDS
• 2011 – 9 th Angry Film Festival, Best Australian Short Award
• 2010 – Anchorage Int’l Film Festival, Runner Up - Super Short
• 2010 – Golden Knight Malta Int’l Film Festival, Nomination for Best Film
• 2010 – Shorts on the Green Film Festival, Best Film Award
• 2010 – In the Bin Short Film Festival, Best Film Award

The Foal
by
Jade van der Lei
Post-Production Draft
© Jade van der Lei
9/60 Farm Street Newmarket
Brisbane, Queensland,
Australia 4051
Mobile: +61 403 742 266
E-mail: jade@perceptionpictures.com.au 6th August 2009

1. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY - DAY. 1.
CHLOE (5) stands outside the bushlands farming property, looking
around in somber curiosity. She is wearing a blue frilly dress;
hardly fitting of her surroundings.
SOCIAL WORKER O/S
Chloe, don’t go too far.
A female SOCIAL WORKER (30s), dressed formally, puts a suitcase
down and shakes hands with UNCLE JOHN, a farmer (40s) and his
WIFE (late 30s).
Uncle John looks at Chloe as she wanders off.
2. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY BUSHLANDS - DAY. 2.
Chloe runs through the light bushlands. She looks around in
growing amazement as she moves quickly, dodging trees and patches
of tall grass.
3. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY CLEARING - DAY. 3.
Chloe stops running when she sees something lying beneath a sole
tree. It is a dead foal.
Getting on her hands and knees, she crawls towards the foal.
CHLOE
Baby...Baaaaaby...
Reaching for the foal, Chloe gently pats its head.
CHLOE CONT’D
Hello, Baby.
Chloe sits next to the foal and continues to pat its head.
4. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY CLEARING - MORNING. 4.
Chloe, now dressed in pants, emerges from the scrub and walks
towards the clearing, carrying an apple.
She sees a bird pecking at the foal and hesitates for only a
moment before picking up a large stick in her free hand.
Chloe runs towards the bird, waving the stick in the air.
CHLOE
Get away! Get away!

The bird flies off and Chloe rushes to the foal. She crouches
next to it and pats its head.
CHLOE CONT’D
It’s okay, Baby.
Chloe offers the foal the apple. When it does not respond, she
puts the apple right under its nose and pushes it against its
mouth.
CHLOE CONT’D
It’s for you, Baby. Yummy...
The foal still does not respond and Chloe takes a bite out of the
apple herself before placing it on the ground.
5. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY CLEARING - AFTERNOON. 5.
Chloe lies next to the foal under the tree colouring in a picture
from an activity book. Various toys and bits of food spill out
from a small backpack.
The foal now wears a pair of glasses on the end of its nose and
has several band-aids covering various wounds.
Chloe finishes her colouring and holds up the book.
Look, Baby!
CHLOE
Chloe puts the book down, her smile fading.
CHLOE CONT’D
Where’s your mummy, Baby? Is she
coming back for you?
When the foal does not respond, Chloe hugs it.
CHLOE CONT’D
It’s okay, Baby. I’ll look after
you now.
Chloe pulls back from the foal, wrinkling her nose.
CHLOE CONT’D
You need a wash, Baby!
Chloe looks down at the foal; deep in thought.
6. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY CLEARING - MORNING. 6.
Uncle John stands over the dead foal in complete disbelief.

An expression of realisation comes over his face and he sees
Chloe walking towards him.
Chloe stops a short distance from Uncle John and the foal.
CHLOE
Hi, Uncle John.
Uncle John is speechless as Chloe crouches down to the foal and
pats its head.
Hi, Baby.
CHLOE CONT’D
Uncle John snaps out of his silence.
Chloe looks up at him.
UNCLE JOHN
What are you doing?
CHLOE
Taking care of Baby.
Uncle John sighs and wipes his brow.
It’s dead.
UNCLE JOHN
Chloe does not respond.
UNCLE JOHN
Chloe, it’s dead.
Chloe shakes her head “no”.
Yes, Chloe.
UNCLE JOHN
Uncle John kicks the foal to prove his point. Chloe screams and
puts her arms around the foal in a protective stance.
CHLOE
Don’t hurt Baby!
Uncle John tries to pull Chloe off the foal as she screams.
CHLOE
No! I have to take care of her!
Chloe is pulled off the foal as she punches, kicks and scratches
to get out of Uncle John’s grasp who carries her away from the
tree. Uncle John is shocked by her behaviour.
Chloe!
UNCLE JOHN

Chloe scratches Uncle John’s face, causing him to let go of her.
Crying, she runs into the bushlands.
7. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY BUSHLANDS - MORNING. 7.
Chloe runs through the bushlands until she trips over a tree
root, falling face first onto the ground. She cries as she slams
her fists into the dirt.
Hearing something move in the grass, Chloe looks up to sees
something that terrifies her.
In a moment of fear, she grabs a large rock and brings it down
repeatedly. She then falls back to the ground and cries as she
buries her face in her crossed arms.
Seeing Chloe in the distance, Uncle John runs to her and
cautiously crouches next to her.
He sees a dead snake and the rock Chloe used to hit it in the
grass, and although he is slightly disturbed, he eventually
places his hand gently on Chloe’s shoulder.
Chloe jumps up and throws her arms around Uncle John’s neck,
hugging him tightly. Obviously uncomfortable with the contact, he
hesitates before returning the gesture.
Uncle John holds Chloe as she cries, unsure of what to say.
UNCLE JOHN
It’s okay, Chloe. We’ll look
after you now.
Chloe cries and buries her head in Uncle John’s shoulder.
8. EXT. FARMING PROPERTY CLEARING - EVENING. 8.
Chloe comes out from the bushlands to see that the foal is gone.
Already crying, she walks over to the tree and sees that her
belongings are also gone. All that remains is a dark patch on the
ground where the foal once was.
Chloe sits by the patch and looks towards the edge of the
clearing where another stretch of bushlands begin.
‘Bye, Baby.
CHLOE
Chloe sits under the tree as the sun sets.
THE END

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
JOSH TANNER
Is ignorance bliss? The human psyche is unbelievably versatile in the way that when it is
put into a situation it can't manage, or is told a truth that it doesn't want to accept, it will
blind itself into a blissful sanctuary of ignorance.
The Foal deals with innocence clashing with the harsh reality of accepting death and the
individuality of how one deals with it. Our protagonist, Chloe, buries herself deeper and
deeper into ignorance and denial when she finds a deceased foal underneath a tree and
forges a bond with it.
In scene one and two, Chloe breaks free from the reality of being handed over to new
guardians after losing her mother. Charging into the forest, she seeks to shut it all out as
she takes in the new and exciting sights, eventually coming to a clearing where under a
single tree lies the deceased foal.
Over the course of the film, we establish this clearing as a sanctuary for Chloe; a
metaphor for the place of ignorance she has nestled herself into to block out the truth of
her mother's death. In this sanctuary, death is non-existent. This pushes Chloe to
blissfully deny the foal's mortal state as she achieves every little girl's dream of playing
with a horse.
The casting of Chloe was crucial as the blend of innocence, natural curiosity and
playfulness needed to be boldly evident from the beginning. Once Olivia Quinn was cast
as Chloe, extensive and continuous rehearsals took place, not only to build trust but also
to prepare the young actor mentally for the on-set environment.
My approach to directing this actor was very simple; get to her level, never speak down
and push the word 'pretend'. The importance in drawing out excitement and energy to
make her performance natural was crucial.
Uncle John required an actor who can portray sternness and level headedness that
instills the idea that he is the voice of reality; he is the one who leads Chloe to see the
truth. Uncle John's function in the film is to bring Chloe into the reality of accepting
death. When he sees Chloe with the foal, and the attention she gives it, he views it as a
dangerous evasion of the truth that it will make things worse if it isn't brought to an end.
Uncle John is very much a multi-dimensional character. An awkward fear of children
combined with the fact that he has hardly any former relationship with Chloe and doesn't
know how to verbally council her through her loss, puts him in an awkward position
when she hugs him. Uncle John feels uncomfortable with the attention, unsure how to
react.

The locations of the film will make stark contrasts between each other, creating two
different worlds. The first world is that outside the clearing, which is expressive of the
dismal reality of Chloe's heartbreaking predicament. The second world is inside her
sanctuary; the place that distracts her from reality. The bush land and sanctuary are full
of rich, vibrant and saturated colors that inject life and excitement into the new world as
Chloe escapes into wonder and beauty.
The actual foal prop was constructed from expanded polystyrene and synthetic fur and
hair. In its design, it was specifically chosen to be facing to the left as the human brain
tends to read from left to right.
When we first see the foal, it has only passed away less than one day before Chloe
encounters it. For this reason, there is no decomposition over the entire span of the film.
The decision was made, however, to have the foal's tongue bloated and slightly sticking
out of its mouth. This works as a visual sign of death without going too macabre.
Score
The use of a musical score, much like the design of the film, has a strong purpose of
helping to place the audience in Chloe's mind; the contrast between her fantasy world
and the real world. The main inspiration for the music is the works of Chopin.
When Chloe's interaction with the foal begins, the music will be calming and operatic,
reflecting the true idea of the sanctuary. It is a place void of negativity; calm and
relaxing.
These scenes with the foal will contain an element of playfulness and innocence that
truly capture Chloe's relationship with it. This eventually evolves into a slower and more
nurturing mood as Chloe embodies the role of the foal's guardian. Once Uncle John has
broken into the sanctuary, the music abruptly stops as the truth resurfaces.
Cinematic Vision
The most potent function of the cinematography in this film is to allow the audience to
distinguish between Chloe's fantasy-like state of ignorance and the harsh reality of her
situation. The shots in the film are very static with elaborative framing and, at times,
movement is added to accentuate and instill the feeling of beauty and contentment.
When Uncle John enters the sanctuary and discovers the foal, the truth clashes with
Chloe's world, changing the camera technique dramatically to a realistic handheld style.
This implies that he has somewhat broken and tainted Chloe's sanctuary. This change
completely contrasts everything established before it, solidifying the idea that this is a
major turning point in her journey.
The lighting was biased towards using natural light. Not only were we trying to show the
landscape in all its natural glory and beauty but we couldn’t afford to be spending long
periods of time with our young actor being on set for only a certain amount of time.

The screen aspect ratio of 2.40:1 was chosen to emphasize the concept of Chloe's
wide-eyed view of the world. Everything is new to Chloe. This is the first time she has
ever been on a farm and using this screen ratio allows us to see the new experience just
as she does.
Using shallow depth of field is an important part to making Chloe's time with the foal as
dream like as possible, visually expressing her ignorance to the world around her and
the detachment from reality.
Editing
The film editing contrasts in areas from slow cuts in the opening scene, to the fast-paced
and sporadic movement of Chloe running through the bush land. The edits in the
sanctuary will be slow and delicate to push the idea of the calmness and tranquility in
the atmosphere. When Uncle John breaks into the sanctuary, the cuts become faster
and more aggressive as we get further and further into the struggle between denial and
accepting the truth, dictating a more aggressive and emotionally hostile Chloe.
I believe that The Foal has to potential to deeply affect audiences, causing them to
reflect on their own losses in life, childhoods, innocence and the moments that have
shaped them into the people they are today.

DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
JOSH TANNER
In 2007, at age 19, Josh began work on his first independent short film; the psychological thriller
The Man Amongst Trees. As the director, writer, producer, director of photography, editor and
sound designer, it was a big challenge and he spent six months to get it from concept to the
finished product. The time spent certainly paid off when the film was officially selected for the
2007 Melbourne Underground Film Festival and the 2007 Sydney Underground Film Festival.
The Man Amongst Trees was also selected for the 2008 Queensland New Filmmaker Awards
and was the most nominated film of the year’s competition.
Josh moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland in January 2008 to pursue his filmmaking career.
After working on various music clips and TVCs in the camera department Josh moved onto
features on the role of Data Wrangler, working on the feature films Storage and Triangle, as well
as the feature documentary My America.
Josh directed his first short film with Perception Pictures, Embrace in late 2008, which was
completed in January 2009. He has recently completed two short films, Deliberation and The
Foal, where he worked with notable actors David Roberts (Matrix 2&3, Gettin’ Square, Fools
Gold) and Henry Nixon (Noise).
The Foal won Best Film at both the 2010 In the Bin and Shorts on the Green Film Festivals
as well as 1 st Runner Up of the Super Short Golden Oosikar Award at the 2010 Anchorage
International Film Festival. The film has also screened at over twenty international and
national film festivals including Dungog, Palm Springs, Rhode Island, Fort Lauderdale,
Sedona, St Louis, Whistler, Canberra and Show Me Shorts film festivals.
Director Josh Tanner with actor Olivia Quinn (Chloe)
Director Josh Tanner with actor David Roberts (Uncle John)

DIRECTOR’S FILMOGRAPHY
JOSH TANNER
Short Film Credits
• 2010 – The Foal (RED, 10 mins) Director / Editor, Producer Jade van der Lei, Perception
Pictures Pty Ltd
• 2010 – Deliberation (RED, 8 mins) Director / Editor, Producer Jade van der Lei, Perception
Pictures Pty Ltd
• 2009 – Embrace (RED, 7 mins) Director, Producers Jade van der Lei and Alana Jessop,
Perception Pictures Pty Ltd
• 2008 – The Accountant & The Clown (16mm, 6 mins) Writer / Director / Producer / Director
of Photography / Editor, Bogan Films
• 2007 – The Man Amongst Trees (DV, Super 8mm, 10 mins) Writer / Director / Producer /
Director of Photography / Editor / Sound Designer, Bogan Films
• 2006 – B.O.A.T. (DV, 10 mins) Co-Director / Producer / Editor, Co-Director Nick Kervin,
Bogan Films
• 2006 – Keys (Super 8mm, 6 mins) Writer / Director / Producer / DOP / Editor, Bogan Films
• 2005 – Boardslides and Bogans (DV, 20 Mins) Writer / Director / Producer / Director of
Photography / Editor, Bogan Films
• 2005 – Francine: One Man’s Story (DV, 3 Mins) Writer / Director / Producer / Director of
Photography / Editor, Bogan Films
• 2004 – Robbo: A Skate Documentary (DV, 7 mins) Writer / Director / Producer / Director
of Photography / Editor, Bogan Films
TVC Credits
• 2009 – Mmmm! – Souvlaki Hut TVC (RED 30 secs) Director / Writer / Director of
Photography / Editor, Producer Corey de Luka, Take 1 Media
• 2009 – Teeth are Optional! – Souvlaki Hut TVC (RED 30 secs) Director / Writer / Director
of Photography / Editor, Producer Corey de Luka, Take 1 Media
• 2008 – QIV SI – Gorgeous Hairstyler Promo / TVC (RED 3 mins) Director / Writer /
Director of Photography / Editor, Producer Corey de Luka, Take 1 Media
• 2008 – Marcus Edward “Chic” (DV 30 secs) Director / Writer / Director of Photography /
Editor, Producer Corey de Luka, Take 1 Media
Film Awards and Nominations
• 2011 – The Foal, 9 th Angry Film Festival, Best Australian Short Award
• 2010 – The Foal, Anchorage International Film Festival Super Short Golden Oosikar Award
• 2010 – The Foal, 49 th Golden Knight Malta Int’l Film Festival (Nomination for Best Film)
• 2010 – The Foal, Shorts on the Green, Best Film Award
• 2010 – The Foal, In the Bin Short Film Festival, Best Short Film
• 2010 – Deliberation, In the Bin Short Film Festival – Winner, Best Cinematography
• 2008 – The Man Amongst Trees, Queensland New Filmmaker Awards – Nominated for
Best Film 10m and under, Encouragement in Cinematography, Best Director, Most Original
Screenplay, Excellence in Editing, Innovation of Form, Promising New Talent, Best
Producer

Festival Screenings
• 2011 – The Foal, Lume International Film Festival, July 14 th – 23 rd
• 2011 – The Foal, Long Island International Film Expo, July 12 th
• 2011 – The Foal, Brooklyn Film Festival, June 3 – 12 th
• 2011 – The Foal, St Kilda Film Festival, 24 th – 29 th May
• 2011 – The Foal, Newport Beach Film Festival, April 28 th – May 5 th
• 2011 – The Foal, Angry Film Festival, March 24 th
• 2011 – The Foal, Roma Independent Film Festival, March 18 th – 24 th
• 2011 – The Foal, Shorts Film Festival, March 15 th
• 2011 – The Foal, Shepparton Film Festival, March 11 th
• 2011 – The Foal, 6 th Annual Omaha Film Festival, March 2 nd – 6 th
• 2011 – The Foal, 17th Annual Sedona International Film Festival, February 20 th – 27 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Anchorage International Film Festival, December 4 th , 5 th & 8 th
(as well as Best Of Screening)
• 2010 – The Foal, Whistler Film Festival, December 3 rd
• 2010 – The Foal, Grand OFF Independent Film Awards, Nov 22 nd – 29 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Golden Knight Malta Int’l Film Festival, Nov 22 nd – 27 th
• 2010 – The Foal, St. Louis International Film Festival, Nov 11 th – 21 st
• 2010 – The Foal, Show Me Shorts Film Festival, Nov 4 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Fort Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival, Oct 22 nd – Nov 7 th
• 2010 – The Foal, BRNO 16 Int’l Festival of Short Film, Oct 13 th – 17 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Canberra Short Film Festival, Oct 1 st
• 2010 – The Foal, Cinemagic Int’l Film Festival for Young People, Nov 20 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Ourense International Film Festival, October 1 st – 9 th
• 2010 – The Foal, 25th Odense Film Festival, Aug 25 th & 26 th
• 2010 – Deliberation, 11 th Melbourne Underground Film Festival, Aug 20 th – 28 th
• 2010 – Deliberation, Kansk International Video Festival, Aug 18 th – 27 th
• 2010 – Embrace, Kansk International Video Festival, Aug 18 th – 27 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Rhode Island International Film Festival, Aug 10 th - 15 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Shorts on the Green Film Festival, July 13 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Palm Springs International ShortFest & Film Market, June 22 nd – 28 th
• 2010 – The Foal, Dungog Film Festival, May 30th
• 2010 – The Foal, Festival de Cannes’ Short Film Corner, May 12 th – 22 nd
• 2010 – Deliberation, In The Bin Short Film Festival, May 8 th & 15 th
• 2010 – The Foal, In The Bin Short Film Festival, May 8 th & 15 th
• 2010 – Embrace, European Media Arts Festival, April 24 th
• 2010 – Embrace, Bommer-Fest (Ukraine), April 24 th
• 2010 – Embrace, Bradford International Film Festival, March 24 th & 25 th
• 2010 – Embrace, Shepparton Short Film Festival, March 12th
• 2010 – Embrace, Byron Bay International Film Festival, March 13 th
• 2009 – Embrace, 41 st Edition of the Bolzano Short Film Festival, November 11 th – 15 th
• 2009 – Embrace, 2009 Sexy International Film Festival, Closing Night November 1 st
• 2009 – Embrace, 50 th Brno 16 International Competitive Festival of Short Fiction Film, Oct 14 th
• 2009 – Embrace, Electric Shorts Melbourne, October 7 th
• 2009 – Embrace, The Seventh and the Last Experimental International Film Festival, Sept 26 th
• 2008 – The Accountant and the Clown, Melbourne Underground Film Festival, October 14 th
• 2008 – The Man Amongst Trees, Queensland New Film Makers Awards, August 2 nd
• 2007 – The Man Amongst Trees, Electric Shorts Melbourne, October 11 th
• 2007 – The Man Amongst Trees, Melbourne Underground Film Festival, September 24 th
• 2007 – The Man Amongst Trees, Sydney Underground Film Festival, September 6 th

ShortFest review: ‘Break A Leg’ and ‘The Foal’ | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun
6/27/10 1:06 PM
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ShortFest review: 'Break A Leg' and 'The Foal'
BRUCE FESSIER • THE DESERT SUN • JUNE 26, 2010
Comments(0) Recommend(1) Print this page E-mail this article Share Type Size A A A
'Break A Leg'
Program: “Table Talk,” noon today
Nation: Canada
Run time: 7 minutes
Director: Jesse Shamata
Story: A jaded gangster sits at a table explaining his job to a silent
companion, who is apparently his next assignment.
Scene from “Break A Leg” (PHOTOS COURTESY of palm
springs international shor)
Scorecard: 9 (out of 10). This dramatic film sucks you in with its great
dialogue (monologue, actually) and a frighteningly real performance by the
gangster, Chuck Shamata. And director Shamata wraps up this delightful
package with a wonderful surprise ending.
'The Foal'
Program: “Animal Attraction,” noon, and “On Top Down Under,” 6 p.m. today
Scene from “The Foal”
Nation: Australia
Run time: 10 minutes
Related Topics
News - Events
Director: Josh Tanner
Contextual linking provided by Topix
Story: A young girl finds solace trying to raise a foal on her uncle's ranch
after her mother's death — not knowing the foal is dead.
Scorecard: 8 (out of 10). The concept of this film stretches the boundaries of
believability, but the performance by the little girl (Olivia Quinn) is so
amazing and the cinematography is so beautiful that this is definitely a
superior piece of filmmaking.
Bruce Fessier
In Your Voice | READ REACTIONS TO THIS STORY
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Film reviews (and critics) alive and well in Hollywood
Fessier on Film: ShortFest to award its best with $2,000
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20100626/EVENTS16/6250349/ShortFest-review-Break-A-Leg-and-The-Foal-
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Features
Summer Shorts: What!s Hot This
Year at Palm Springs ShortFest
by Kim Adelman (Updated 6 hours, 29 minutes ago)
With 314 short films from 43 countries screening at the
2010 Palm Springs International ShortFest, identifying the
must-sees is a herculean task. Fortunately, indieWIRE
was granted a preview of a dozen high profile shorts
ranging from Oscar-winner Cynthia Wade!s latest doc to
James Franco!s most recent directorial effort. If you!re
looking to discover international directorial talent on the
rise, get yourself down to the Camelot Theatres in Palm
Springs, CA from June 22 - 28 to check out the following
twelve standout shorts.
Like
| Share
“Born Sweet” - This 28-minute documentary about a
plucky Cambodian boy who theorizes that people are
either born sweet and sickly or salty and strong is directed
by Cynthia Wade of “Freeheld” fame. It!s no surprise that
Wade!s latest effort has already picked up a ton of
accolades, including honorable mention at Sundance, the
Grand Jury Prize at the Independent Film Festival of
Boston, and Best Short doc at Aspen Shortsfest and the
A scene from Cynthia Wade's "Born Sweet."
Ashland and Atlanta fests. Wade was inspired to make “Born Sweet” after hearing an NPR story about villages in Cambodia whose
inhabitances are living with arsenic poisoning as a result of tainted well water.
“The Clerk!s Tale” - Student filmmaker James Franco continues to impress with his latest, a 14-minute slice-of-life focusing on a middleaged
man who works in a mall-based suit store. Franco adapted this story from a poem by Spencer Reece, and the resulting film
(which premiered at Cannes) could be considered a visual poem. It!s the type of piece that would only work as a short, and it works
extremely well. Based on “The Clerk!s Tale” and his previous shorts “Herbert White” and “The Feast of Stephen” (also playing at Palm
Springs), James Franco the filmmaker might have a more impressive career than James Franco the actor.
“Curious Thing” - Alain Hain directed this 9-minute short about straight/gay friendship, which combines an oral documentary approach
with storytelling scripted by Jason Mills. The short, which mesmerizes with its dream-like vibe, has been written up in the New York
Times and has won awards at the Atlanta Film Festival, Palm Beach International Film Festival, the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film
Festival, and most recently at NewFest.
Re
1
2
3
4
5
“Dog Heart” - The first of two very strong narrative shorts from Mexico, this 10-minute pulpy crime story by
Ishmael Nava Alejos is very much out of the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez school. It blazes across the
screen with such confidence that no one should be surprised when Hollywood comes a-knockin! on Alejos!s
door.
“Flat Love” - When it seems like every feature is now being released in 3-D, Spanish writer/director Andres
Sanz has come up with a witty rebuke. His Manhattan art word-set 15-minute short is all about the allure of
two-dimensions. A stylish and surreal love story results, aided and abetted by Isabella Rossellini!s
contribution as the film!s narrator.
“The Foal” - Set in rural Australia, Josh Tanner!s 10-minute portrait of a child in mourning isn!t maudlin at all.
Credit goes to writer/producer Jade van der Lei!s very specific script and Turner!s excellent direction of his
tiny lead actress.
“Glenn Owen Dodds” - Another winner from Australia, Frazer Bailey!s 16-minute comedy about finding a
higher power in the most unexpected place already won over American short film fans, taking home the

Dungog Film Festival - Film - Time Out Sydney
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The sleepy rural NSW town of Dungog hosts a fantastic annual festival of Australian films. Time Out
Sydney reports on this year's event.
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We've all met someone at a festival who insists on telling you how much better the festival was in bygone years.
With an air of superiority they insinuate that you really just came too late to the party. This person remembers
when the people were friendly, the crowds non-existent and the wine a veritable ambrosia.
Having spent a weekend at the Dungog Film Festival it feels good to say that I can now be one of those irritating
people. Dungog Film Festival is at the exact point where it is well organised without having the celebrity status of
the more established film festivals.
In its fourth year, the festival sits in that happy middle ground between optimistic amateurs and cynical old hands.
The programme is devoted to Australian films and features: major motion pictures as well as short films, script
readings, workshops and Q & As.
The feature-length films showcased a broad spectrum of Australian film from the suburban drama Surviving
Georgia, with Pia Miranda and Holly Valance as the estranged daughters of a small town's eccentric vamp, to the
gorefest that is Road Train, a film guaranteed to make one afraid of travelling the country's highways in spite of
the ridiculous concept of an evil truck fuelled by blood.
While the feature films represented a solid range of Australian film, the short film showcases were the real
highlight. Grouped into categories such as whimsical, dark drama and comedy, they featured about 15 brilliant
films that were uplifting as often as they were truly disturbing. The Foal by Josh Tanner was a brutal exploration of
how death is processed by children when an orphaned girl befriends the corpse of a baby horse, while Eskimo
Kiss by Dustin Feneley explored the complicated issue of sexuality and disability. This film was tender without
being patronising and was a stand-out for its creative approach to what is a difficult subject.
Full-length films ranged in subject matter from Palestinian beer brewers to a young Australian boy's entrance into
a Mongolian horse race, and ranged from the stark and depressing to the heart warming. Australia's aptitude for
making fascinating documentaries was apparent. The workshop with Gillian Armstrong was very popular and the
sheer force of her personality cowed any false arrogance from fledgling directors in the audience.
For most of the year Dungog is a small town made up of farmers and miners with the odd artistic recluse thrown
in for some variety. It has one taxi, two pubs and the oldest operating, purpose-built cinema in the country. For

Translation of above article
It almost seems that the RIFF has retained for their last day as some of the best work so far
reviewed, whether it is feature films in competition, documentaries or short films. The Foal (RED,
color, 9 ') has shown itself it be an amazing short film masterpiece. Directed by Australian Josh
Tanner, the short film is included in the International Short Competition section. It tells the story of
little Chloe, five years old, who is taken to her aunt and uncle (maternal) after the sudden death of
her mother. The farm is a wide, green, silent paradise, crammed full of meadows where Chloe can
walk without fear. When she bumps into a dead foal lying under a big tree, the girl immediately
takes the animal into her heart and not realizing it is dead, decides to take care of it. Everyday
Chloe goes to greet the foal (protecting it from the eagles who seek to feed on its carcass). She
covers it with a blanket, tells it stories and shows it her drawings. When her uncle discovers the
dismal outing, he tries to convince her of the impossibility of establishing a relationship with the
animal, as it is dead. But Chloe does not want to listen to her uncle. She does not believe that the
foal is lifeless and, in desperation, runs into the field. In the field, she falls while running and is
attacked by a snake, but brandishing a stone, she kills it. The movie, winner of several prestigious
international awards, is a true parable about the death in the eyes of an innocent child who does not
seem to understand the meaning of death.