Issue 50 Aurora Magazine September 2022

film
is ten percent etc. Our major sponsors have been The Hilton Garden Inn Albany, Six
Degrees, Garrison Restaurant, Paperbark Books, The Corkescrew Gallery in Mount
Barker, Samele Haell from Barricades Media, Amanda Cruse from Aurora Magazine as
well as Hainault Winery in the Perth Hills.
Will this be the business plan moving forward?
Yes, we plan on making one film each year over the next seven to ten years. The
broader vision is to create a local film industry where we can employ small teams both
behind and in front of the camera. Already this year we have grown to the point where
we are able to pay our entire film crew for the length of the production, feature eight
local actors and with the distribution deal we have in place with Halo Films in Perth,
we have access to cinemas across Australia. This week Edward and Isabella is playing a
season at Luna Leederville and will be playing in cinemas in NSW and Victoria in early
September and Tasmania the following month in Hobart’s State Theatre. Edward and
Isabella was the fourth feature film shot in this region following H is for Happiness,
Rams and Breath and now Frank and Frank will be the fifth, there is no reason why we
can’t build and sustain a modest film industry right here in our own backyard.
You’re halfway through production at the moment, how has the Albany experience
been for Myles and Trevor so far?
The local Albany community have welcomed both the Franks with open arms. They are
literally getting stopped on the street on a daily basis and being asked for photos and
given well wishes by people from all walks of life. I’m unbelievably proud to be part of
such a friendly, entrepreneurial and dare I say groovy community down here and I can
safely say when Myles and Trevor return to bigger sets and bigger productions they will
spread the word far and wide that it is definitely worth while coming to Albany to be
part of something very special.
It’s almost unbelievable that you are able to cast these types of actors with such small
budgets, how have you made this possible?
I’m taking advantage of the fact that there is very little quality work for actors in
Australia on a regular basis. I really shouldn’t have access to the likes of Pollard, Hurst
or Jamieson but they’ve all told me that they are constantly yearning for interesting,
thought provoking work and there just doesn’t seem to be much around. Myles told
me this week that Frank and Frank was the best script he’s read in over ten years. For
me that’s a great compliment but it really is a shame that there isn’t more quality work
for our world class performers. Myles went to NIDA for crying out loud, the school that
produced Mel Gibson, Judy Davis, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving, it’s literally one of
the best performance schools in the world.
What’s next after the shooting for Frank and Frank is completed?
We’ll start post-production in September and are aiming to have the film completed by
January or February next year. My partner Talarah Pedrocchi Roelofs will be on editing
duties again after her incredible work editing Edward and Isabella and I’ll start writing
next year’s film. We have the next three movies drafted which will take us through
to 2026 so we’ll be very busy. We’re aiming for a budget of $200,000 for next year’s
feature which we hope again to raise locally.
RIGHT: The teaser poster for Frank and Frank. BELOW: Trevor Jamieson and Myles Pollard on set.
12 LOVE LOCAL