EXCLUSIVE: Psychological horror project Shark Bait (working title) won the best pitch award at the Melbourne International Film Festival’s four
EXCLUSIVE: Psychological horror project Shark Bait (working title) won the best pitch award at the Melbourne International Film Festival’s four-day 37º South Market, which ended on August 10.
It is written by and will be the directing debut of Western Australian brothers Nick and Nathan Lacey of Based Film, who are producing alongside Brendan Donoghue of Salt Water House.
Nick Lacey’s experiences fed into the story of a newborn Irish photographer embroiled in family secrets and primal shark-fishing rituals after accompanying her recent boyfriend to remote Australia. ScreenWest has provided development financing.
“It is character-based, not a creature feature,” Nick Lacey told Screen. “It examines toxic masculinity and the compulsion to dominate the wild.”
Film London executive Helena Mackenzie presented the prize of A$3,000 and a spot in Film London’s Production Financing Market (PFM) in October.
Producers Brian Rosen of SIXTYFOURSIXTY, and Lizette Atkins of Unicorn Films, also won places at PFM, plus A$1,000 each.
Rosen’s lead project, New Zealand-Australia co-production Spinners, has been written by Anthony McCarten based on his novel of the same name. The story centres on a small-town teenager who announces she has been impregnated by an alien, and a librarian determined to find out the truth.
John Sheedy is directing and Eliza Scanlen will star.
Rosen and Su Armstrong are the Australian producers; the New Zealand co-producers are Emma Slade of Firefly Films and McCarten.
From Unicorn Films, Atkins will attend the PFM with two projects: Modern Lovers is an erotic, psychological thriller about a farm boy and the destitute mother of two with whom he falls in love. Vivienne Walshe wrote the script from a story by Atkins and Ben Hackworth, who will direct.
Atkins is also producing the elevated drama Remember Me about a UK star of stage and screen who unexpectedly crosses paths with her teenage lover. The meeting opens aged wounds that drive her back to Australia to find the daughter she gave up. James Melchior and Susan Yardley wrote the script.
Mackenzie also invited filmmakers Tim Dean and Jaimee Peasley to participate in PFM’s online financing lab in September. They pitched the high-concept horror #Doomscroller, written by Richard Hyde and to be directed by Dean.
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