In this episode, I’m joined by Harvey Zielinski - writer and director of Sweet Milk Lake who also stars in the film as two twin brothers, Jake and Sam.

I won’t repeat my adoration for Harvey and his career here, because you can hear a lot about that in this interview itself, but here’s the synopsis:

After being mistaken for his twin brother, Sam, by his estranged and dying dad, a soft-spoken trans man, Jake, relishes the opportunity to be one of the boys, until the weight of the lie becomes heavier than his need for the truth.

Zielinski is a transmasculine actor, writer and director working across stage and screen. Sweet Milk Lake is the actor-turned director’s feature film debut as both writer and director.

Beyond Sweet Milk Lake, Harvey is a two-time Heath Ledger Scholarship finalist, recipient of the Casting Guild of Australia’s Rising Star Award, and a Betty Roland Prize finalist.

As an actor, Harvey is best known for playing series regular Charlie in the ABC comedy White Fever. He was also a series regular on Amazon Prime’ Deadloch and Catherine Hardwicke’s Don’t Look Deeper opposite Don Cheadle and Emily Mortimer.

Additional screen credits include Love Me, Spreadsheet, Why Are You Like This and Metrosexual.

Anyway… enjoy.

I love a film that evokes the same symptoms as a fever dream, or if you’ve dabbled in acid in your past, an acid trip.

That’s how I’d describe the feeling of watching Adam C. Briggs’ weird and wonderful new film, Phillip Philadelphia.

It’s difficult to put into words exactly what the film is about, and as Briggs says during this interview, it’s open to interpretation. You can take away from it what you will.

Some may interpret it as I have, a dig on the Australian film industry and the delusional impact it can have on most filmmakers attempting to break through its mainstream barriers, but others will have different opinions, and some may be left scratching their heads wondering what they fuck they just watched. As you’ll hear from Briggs here, any of the above suits him just fine.

The official synopsis for the film reads like this: British screenwriter Phillip Philadelphia languishes in an old motel at the Gold Coast’s curdled quagmire of vapid opulence.

Alienated from the film industry and his environment, low-budget debauches and decaying vestiges of empire prop up his weary existence.

A young actor lover, a former colleague, and a drug-dealing neighbour weave throughout Phillip’s escapist fantasies.

Phillip Philadelphia is a queer melodrama and absurdist romp in part which examines the dislocation of the artist in modern times.

Adam C. Briggs was born in 1993 and works as an independent writer and director in Australia.

His films, which rest between docufiction, arthouse and genre cinema have found respect institutionally and critically.

His feature A Grand Mockery, which I highly recommend, received best feature at SXSW Sydney in 2024 and Best Direction New Visions at Sitges in 2025.

Anyway… enjoy.

On this episode, I’m joined by writer and director Mia’Kate Russell to discuss her very excellent, highly entertaining, violent and bloody cat-and-mouse horror, Penny Lane is Dead.

Set in 1986, during a scorching Aussie summer, Penny Lane is Dead follows three best friends who’s celebration at a beach house turns into a blood-soaked fight for survival when a prank goes horribly wrong.

The films cast includes veterans Steve Le Marquand, Fletcher Humphrys and Ben O’Toole, and exciting new comers Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn (daughter of Ben), Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen and Bailey Spalding.

Despite Penny Lane is Dead being her debut feature film as writer and director, Mia’kate Russell has worked in the Australian film industry for decades as a makeup and special effects artist on countless films including 2040, What If It Works and Scare Campaign and has been a make-up artist for major productions including Nitram and The Leftovers.

As a writer and director, her short films have won more than 30 awards and screened at prestigious festivals all around the world.

I absolutely loved this chat with Mia. She is such a great personality, and her humorous approach to filmmaking was a true delight.

I should note that Mia did have some audio issues at the beginning of this interview, but they correct them quite quickly.

Anyway… enjoy.

Australia really does punch above its weight when it comes to documentary filmmaking. Over the past 18 months alone, this country has produced a number of inspiring, world-class documentaries that fit in so well on the world stage.

Documentaries like Floodland, Yurlu | Country, In the Trenches, Every Little Thing, and Songs Inside are some that you really must seek out if you haven’t already seen them.

Some new documentaries set for release this year include Jebadiah: Are We Ok?, Hard as Puck, Silenced, Prompt: How to Make a Documentary, and Anthony Frith’s Mockbuster, one of the most unforgettable and enjoyable documentaries made in Australia in recent years.

In this episode, I’m joined by Anthony to take a deep dive into the making of Mockbuster, and I can tell you he shares some really inspiring stories that will pump up any filmmaker. Having confidence and belief in yourself is what I took away from Anthony’s story here.

Mockbuster follows Anthony, a struggling filmmaker at the time, and his chance at redemption as he navigates the eccentric world of notorious Sharknado production house, The Asylum.

Anthony has a love for absurd pop-culture anomalies. His work has taken him to Boston, where he studied the art of churning out novelty songs with cult musician Matt Farley in Lessons From A Middle Class Artist; to Burbank, where he made his feature debut directing a trashy dinosaur movie, The Land that Time Forgot, for The Asylum.

Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles.

In this very mini episode, I’m joined by Under a Bamboo Sky filmmaker Serge Ou, to discuss his confronting and revealing new documentary which hits Netflix this week after a successful run of Q&A screenings across the country recently.

A tale of human connection, hope and resilience in the face of great tragedy, Under a Bamboo Sky uses new technology to bring to life the unbelievable story of Australian soldiers held prisoner by the Japanese in WWII.

 

Using their own words in their own voices, Under a Bamboo Sky weaves the oral testimonies of more than 60 former POWs together with newly colourised archival material and new location footage to deliver a moving and intimate first-hand account of their experience.

Serge’s directorial experience spans drama, documentary, and commercial productions. Across a broad range of genres, he has directed more than 150 hours of broadcast and theatrical content for the domestic and international film and television markets.

Dozens of his films have been recognised at festivals around the world.

A note to listeners that this short episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast was originally recorded for my radio segment on CRN.

Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast.

Straight off the bat, I need to say that this interview with Beast director Tyler Atkins is one of my favourites ever.

I always appreciate openness and honesty from my guests, and Tyler delivers it in spades here. It’s one of the most real and raw insights into the difficult world of filmmaking that I’ve ever recorded. If you’re an emerging filmmaker looking to make your mark, take in what Tyler is saying here. It’s no walk in the park and takes a bucket load of dedication.

Tyler made his feature debut with Bosch & Rockit in 2024, which he wrote, directed, and produced. The film premiered internationally, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Mammoth Film Festival, and marked the beginning of his work in feature filmmaking.

For a film as good as his latest, Beast, you may find it interesting to learn that Tyler didn’t complete his early schooling, and he certainly didn’t attend film school.

Beast follows MMA legend Patton James, played by Daniel MacPherson. Now a commercial fisherman, Patton is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy (Russell Crowe), he commits to one final fight in ONE Championship against its brutal champion.

Anyway… enjoy.

This episode is a special one for me because I finally had an opportunity to interview Tilda Cobham-Hervey, an actor who I have long-admired, and whose name has been on my interview bucket list for many years.

It was also special to interview James Litchfield, the writer and director of Alphabet Lane - a film that I can’t seem to shake. I’ve seen it twice since I first watched it a few weeks ago, and it gets better on every viewing.

Alphabet Lane follows an isolated couple, Anna, played by Tilda, and Jack, played by Nicholas Denton, who lose control of a joke about imaginary friends.

If you haven’t seen the film yet, I recommend watching it, then coming back to this podcast episode to avoid any spoilers.

Tilda doesn’t need much of an introduction, having appeared in a ton of films and television shows since her breakout performance in Sophie Hydes 52 Tuesdays in 2013. Tilda has since stared in Girl Asleep, The Kettering Incident, Barracuda, I Am Woman, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart and Apple Cider Vinegar. She has also directed and co-directed short films, and recently directed her first feature film, It’s All Going Very Well… which will be released soon.

James is a writer and director from Cooma, NSW with a Master’s graduate of Melbourne’s VCA. He has made several shorts, most of which are characterised by a quiet humour, a sense of mystery, and a grappling with meaning and anxiety, and has a few feature film scripts currently in development with Joe Films. He is an EP on The Northern Run, a rodeo documentary currently in post-production with GoodThing Productions for the ABC.

Anyway… enjoy.

In this episode, I’m joined by one of my favourite Australian actors, Natalie Abbott, who gives an inspiring performance in The Deb. I think everyone will find something they can relate to with her character Tayla considering the depth and complexities of the character.

Also, anyone who’s a fan of musicals in general are going to adore this film.

There’s so much to love about The Deb, and Natalie’s performance here really brings the film to life.

The Deb is a larger-than-life musical comedy directed by Rebel Wilson. The film follows Natalie Abbott’s Taylah, a high school outcast in a rural town who sees the local debutante ball as her chance to shine.

When her cynical, inner-city cousin Maeve (played by Charlotte MacInnes) is sent to live with her, the two clash but eventually unite, searching for self-acceptance, popularity, and a date to the ball

Natalie is a performer who made her professional debut playing Muriel Heslop in Muriel’s Wedding The Musical in 2019. The role saw Natalie nominated for a Helpmann Award and a Green Room Award.

In 2020, Natalie made her television debut staring in the ABC series Aftertaste, playing opposite Erik Thomson and Rachel Griffiths, reprising her role in 2021 for season 2. Stick around at the end of this interview to find out about the future of Aftertaste if you’re keen.

Natalie can be seen most recently in the ABC’ hit series, Austin S2.

This is a much shorter episode than usual. As regular listeners know, I like to go much deeper with my Podcast interviews, but this one was recorded as part of a press junket for the film, and time is always limited with these things.

Anyway... enjoy.

Proclivitas writer and director Miley Tennecliffe is my guest on this episode which was recorded with a live audience as part of the WA Made Film Festival where Proclivitas celebrated its WA premiere recently.

This one was a really fun episode to record, and I’d like to give a special shoutout to the audience who attended this recording on the day, and for asking some great questions which listeners will be able to hear towards the end of the episode.

Proclivitas follows Clare (played by Rose Riley), a recovering addict returning to her hometown to sell her deceased mother's home, where she reunites with former flame Jerry (played by George Mason) and battles a demonic presence.

Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles.

In this episode, I’m joined by Floodland director Jordan Giusti to discuss this very topical documentary set in flood-prone Lismore, where residents face life-changing decisions after devastating floods. A man copes pragmatically, his friend turns activist, and an Indigenous social worker builds a healing centre.

Jordan is an award-winning director based in Naarm (Melbourne).

Prior to Floodland, Jordan completed numerous short films, including Grevillea and Reptile, which we also discuss here.

Jordan is also a two-time Australian Directors Guild Awards nominee for his short film work and has had notable festival screenings.

As regular Cinema Australia readers and listeners will know, I usually publish my interviews prior to a film’s release, but I was a bit late with this one as I’ve been on WA Made Film Festival duties over here in Perth.

Floodland is still screening at some cinema locations, so be sure to check out the film’s website.

Anyway… enjoy.