the Curb

Filmmaker JJ Winlove has managed an impressive feat for Australian film: having two films released in the same year. With the emotional June Again featuring a trio of excellent performances from Noni Hazelhurst, Claudia Karvan, and Stephen Curry, joining the immersive cinematic experience Crossing Paths, an interactive journey through Sydney as the audiences decides which of the twelve characters stories to follow. Screening to sold out audiences at the Sydney Film Festival, Crossing Paths promises to be an engaging and discussion provoking experience.

In this interview, JJ talks about what it means to be a New Zealand director making films in Australia, how Crossing Paths was created, and more.

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On this episode I chat with director Ingvar Kenne about his haunting film The Land, which screened in 2022 at the Sydney Underground Film Festival and Europe's Snowdance Film Festival where Ingvar won the Best Direction Award. The Land follows Jeremy, played by Steve Rodgers, and Neets, played by Anna Lise Philips, a couple who have a life that many would envy. They have a three-bedroom house, they have a busy family, and they've been married for fourteen years. 

They also have a remote property in the middle of nowhere which Jeremy visits with his distant friend Simon, played by Cameron Stewart, who returns after a long sojourn overseas. His returns sets Neets on edge as Simon seeks to atone for something that happened long ago. As they head out to 'the land', Neets is left with the children, who she swiftly leaves with her mother - who she appears to have a fractious relationship with - so she can spend some time by herself. 

Yet, it's out on 'the land' that Jeremy and Simon's friendship is both fortified and tested as they unsettle aspects of the past that disrupts who they are as people. Performances across the board are exemplary, with Steve and Cameron building off their real-life friendship to portray a friendship that has been tested by distance and time, even though the echoes of it continue to resonate. For Anna Lise Philips, the moments of solitude where she's finally able to relieve some pent up tension, both in a physical and emotional sense, are all too relatable. 

In the following interview with Ingvar, we talk about the foundation of The Land and how his friendship with Steve and Cameron helped create this genuinely powerful film. Our conversation does include discussion about trauma and abuse, so if these aspects are triggering for you, then maybe skip this interview.

For everyone else, please enjoy this discussion with Ingvar. To keep track of where the film will be available to view in the future, please visit thelandmovie.com. And for other interviews and reviews, visit thecurb.com.au.

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On this episode Andrew turns into a bit of a fanboy as he chats with writer and director Tim Carlier about his feature film Paco. This charming and quirky flick follows Manny, played by Manuel Ashman, a sound recordist who is working on a film set one day and has the worst thing happen to him: one of the actors has walked off with a radio microphone. As many people continually tell him, that's a 'very bad thing'.

As he heads off after a long day of filming to find his awol radio microphone, Manny discovers a world of sound - aka Adelaide - and the many creative colleagues and friends he knows as he tries to zone in on the audio of the missing mic. Paco then turns into a charming road trip of a film that sway into all realms of art, including a party which in reality is one large theatre game, and a roaming music video that's being shot around Adelaide.

There's an energy and a charm to Paco that simply sweeps you off your feet. Andrew first watched it at Perth's Revelation Film Festival where he had no idea what to expect, and as the film continued on, I felt myself getting lighter and lighter in my seat. It is that kind of charming. It reminds of Platon Theodoris' great film from 2022, The Lonely Spirits Variety Hour, in the sense that it's a film that's confidently full of joy and hope that you can't help but be swept up by it.

Paco is also a rare Aussie film to have screened at the prestigious Rotterdam Film Festival. For those who are in Australia and eager to catch Paco, then you're in luck (provided you're in Adelaide) as moviejuice will be presenting a screening on Saturday September 16 at the Mercury Cinema in Adelaide. Tim will be there for a Q&A, as will Bromham and the Empty Threats, two bands who feature in the film. Tickets are available here.

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On this episode, Andrew talks with co-directors Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen about their first feature film, You'll Never Find Me. Building on their impressive short film work with Call Connect. and The Recordist, You'll Never Find Me sees a visitor, played by Jordan Cowan, who knocks on the door of Patrick, played by Brendan Rock. She's lost and it's pouring outside, and in the middle of nowhere, his caravan is the only source of sanctuary that she could find. Or is it?

What follows is a twisting, turning character piece where two figures push and probe each other trying to figure out just who the other is. It's a double-hander that plays a lot like a card game, with bluffing, truth revealing, and ultimate tension playing out. 

I've long been a fan of what both Indianna and Josiah have managed to do with their filmmaking brilliance in South Australia. Call Connect. is a short film that easily stands as one of the most riveting and powerful shorts I've seen, and The Recordist is no different. The two have crafted a visual style with their work that is equally amplified by sound design that creates an immersive sonic landscape that supports Indianna's scripts. If there is a future of independent filmmaking in Australia to keep an eye out for, then it's in the heart of Adelaide with Indi and Josiah's work. 

You'll Never Find Me launches at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 16, with a second screening on the 19th. Head over to MIFF.com.au for futher details.

To listen or read previous interviews with filmmakers whose work has screened at MIFF, visit TheCurb.com.au.

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On this episode, Andrew talks with Nick Kozakis, the director behind the unsettling horror film, Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism. Based on true events, Godless tells the story of Lara, played by Georgia Eyers, and her husband Ron, played by Dan Ewing. Lara has been living with delirious episodes, and instead of following the advice of medical practictioners, Ron instead seeks out the work of Daniel, played by Tim Pocock, an unofficial exorcist. What follows is a horrifying, unsettling and unnerving series of events.

In the following spoiler filled interview, Nick Kozakis talks about how he and screenwriter Alexander Angliss-Wilson worked together to present a story like this on screen, also about the importance of having an impactful poster campaign, and also about his own experience with religion, as well as how he worked alongside the supporting cast to explore the ambiguity within the narrative.

While this following discussion does contain spoilers, it does not impact the experience of watching the film. Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism screens at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 11 and 18.

In between this interview being recorded and it being published, physical media distributor Umbrella Entertainment have announced an extras-stacked Bluray release of Godless which will be released in October.

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On this episode, Andrew talks with the filmmakers behind one of the most anxiety provoking films of the year: Birdeater. Jack Clark and Jim Weir are co-directors, with Jack writing the script for this story about a bachelor party that takes horrifying and wild turns.

Part thriller, part character piece, always intense, Birdeater is a film that owes its existence to the legacy of the classic Aussie film: Wake in Fright. In the following discussion, Jack and Jim talk about the influence of Wake in Fright on their film, while also touching on their desire to explore modern masculinity. The pair also talk about the troubles they faced in making the film, and the genuine possibility that they might not have been able to finish production on it.

There's a truly unsettling nature to Birdeater, yet it's delivered in a masterfully captivating manner.

Birdeater screens at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 12, 14, and 16, before heading to Cinefest Oz on Saturday 2 September.

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documentary King Coal. Told in an intimate and reflective manner, King Coal details the history of the all powerful fossil fuel in Appalachia, stretching back in time to the foundation of the mining region and utilising the imagery of the coal miner's daughter to explore the myth and dominance that the black rock has on the region.

King Coal never condemns those who have worked in and relied on the mining industry as a source of income or stability, with Elaine's supportive narration being one that highlights the importance that coal once held for those in the region, while also spotlighting the need to navigate a path out of relying on it. It's with the focus on two young girls who grow up in the region that we follow this tale of coal and the almost fanatical adoration that people in the region still hold onto it. There's a touch of fantastical realism to King Coal which is amplified by the stunning cinematography that reinforces just how nourishing nature can be.

In this interview, recorded ahead of King Coal's national release in America, Elaine talks about the need to explore the story of coal in a tender manner, the importance of telling it from her own lived experience, as well as the vision of hope that it gives at its end.

King Coal is screening across America from August 11th in New York, with further screenings:

New York City - August 11th @ DCTV Theater
Winston-Salem, NC - August 18th @ Aperture Cinema
Charleston, WV - August 31st @ Floralee Cinema
Akron, OH - September 1st @ The NightLight
Cincinnati, OH - September 4th @ The Woodward Theater
Columbus, OH - September 8th @ Wexner Center for the Arts
Queens, NY - September 9th @ Museum of the Moving Image
Blacksburg, VA - September 21st @ Lyric Theater
Bluefield, WV - September 22nd @The Granada Theater

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On this episode, Andrew chats with American filmmaker Lola Blanc about her new short film Pruning. This creepy flick follows a Fox News adjacent political commentator, played by Madeline Brewer, who finds herself in a moral conflict when a mass shooter cites her as an influence for their actions. Over fifteen minutes, Lola Blanc forces viewers to question the morality of those who spout reactionary and inflammatory comments in the media, all the while trying to distance themselves from the violence that is inspired by their words.

In this interview, recorded ahead of Pruning's International Premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival, Lola talks about creating the main character with Madeleine, where her interest in exploring the fractured mindset that emerges from these kinds of fringe voices comes from, and then around the halfway mark we head into spoiler territory as Lola talks about some of the more fantastical and unsettling elements of Pruning.

Aside from being a filmmaker, Lola is also an accomplished musician and has a successful podcast called Trust Me. Find out more about Lola's work by visiting LolaBlanc.com.

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On this episode, I get to chat with Danny and Michael Philippou aka RackaRacka about their bonkers and brutal horror film debut Talk to Me, which lands in cinemas tomorrow. 

This fucked up flick is a possession story mixed with a touch of social commentary. Ultimately though, it's a film with no safety nets. It’s not mucking about at all. Talk to Me intends to make you have one of the most unsettling nights watching a horror film, and the best part is that the Philippou’s know that you’re going to enjoy doing it. Talk to Me is a new benchmark for horror films. It instantly stands as one of the grittiest, grimiest, gruelling and grotty, goretastic Aussie horror films ever. Sign me up for whatever the hell these Philippou brothers are going to create, because if it’s anything like this, then it’s going to be a bloody great time.

In the following interview, the Philippou brothers talk about how they crafted the film, what they learned from their explosive YouTube career, what working with screen legend Miranda Otto was like, and what it means to be an Australian filmmaker working today.

Talk to Me is a film you simply cannot miss on the big screen. 

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This interview contains discussion of mental health issues and suicide.

Albany based filmmaker Adam Morris returns to the region with his second feature film, Frank and Frank (or the Valley and the Walrus: Ruminations on the Mystery from Soup to Nuts). This introspective and explorative film follows Frank (Myles Pollard), a faith and financial influencer whose life is in turmoil as he faces a potential divorce as he heads out on a talking tour. In the throes of despair, Frank chances upon a stranger, also named Frank (Trevor Jamieson), and the two quickly become salvations for one another.

Frank and Frank is a film that explores masculine emotions in an open and honest way, with Pollard's Frank struggling to keep the ground under his feet - both figuratively and literally, as we see him try and reconcile with his faith one day by building a backyard crucifix to hoist himself onto, as if that will be the solution to his problems. The two Frank's share hard truths and engage in a soul searching journey together, lifting each other up.

This synopsis suggests that Frank and Frank is a dark, heavy film, and to be fair, it is at times, but it is also reflective of life in the sense that there are frequent moments of lightness and levity to bring a touch of hope to both of the Frank's lives.

In this interview, Adam and Myles talk about their working relationship, what changed in them as individuals during filming, and the joy of working the Great Southern region of Western Australia.

Frank and Frank (or the Valley and the Walrus: Ruminations on the Mystery from Soup to Nuts) has its world premiere at Perth's Revelation Film Festival on Saturday July 15 at 6pm at Luna Leederville, with a follow up screening on July 16 at 5:45pm at Luna SX. For more details, visit RevelationFilmFest.org.

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