Writer-Director Adrian Ortega's Westgate follows Netta (Sarah Nicolazzo) and her son Julian (Max Nappo) as she embarks on a torturous day of navigating hospitals, family, cultural prejudices, and more, all as she faces the threat of eviction and the ever rising debts that keep her and her son trapped in a class struggle.

This is a film written from a lived-in perspective, with Adrian pulling from his own life to craft a tale that acts as an ode to mothers and the children they raised.

In the following interview, recorded ahead of Westgate's appearance at SXSW Sydney on 17 October 2025, Adrian, Sarah, and Max talk about the collaborative approach to making this Melbourne based drama. Sarah and Max talk about learning from Adrian and his mother, as well as the bonding techniques they used to help strengthen that mother-son relationship that comes across so strongly on screen.

Read Nadine Whitney's review of Westgate here and follow the film on Instagram here to be kept up to date regarding future screening dates.

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