Next Gen Shorts
Saturday 22nd March, 4pm
101 mins, Cinema 2, ACMI
Full: $18
Concession: $14
ACMI Member: $12
This session is Unclassified 15+.
The Melbourne Women in Film Festival is proud to showcase the work of women and gender diverse filmmakers and storytellers. This means that we sometimes include films or panel topics that may explore difficult subjects and be confronting for some audiences. Our aim is to ensure our audience has a safe and enjoyable experience when coming along to our festival and so we have included content warnings, classification and cultural information throughout the program.
Please take the time to read the film synopses below to determine whether the session is suitable for you.
Next Gen Shorts shines a spotlight on the creativity and talent of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand’s next generation of filmmakers. With explorations of the messiness of womanhood, inspirational profiles from suburban Melbourne, stories that examine the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, and the all too relatable impulse to 'spill the tea' with friends, these diverse films show that the future of women's and gender diverse filmmaking looks bright!
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Reel Equality
Victorian Premiere
An emerging female filmmaker reflects on the lack of female representation in the film industry she had growing up. By using her own family archives, she poetically leads us into present day, where she interviews industry leaders on the importance of representation, diversity and allyship.
Australia, 2024, 5 minutes
English
Director: Meisha Lowe
Writer: Meisha Lowe
Producer: Jasmine Russell -
Bottleneck
World Premiere
A fight rampages through a quaint cocktail bar leaving three bartenders to process their shock and navigate newly raw relationships. Bottleneck explores vulnerability, masculinity and connection. It is a sharp and honest look at the ingrained, addictive and often problematic nature of late night bar culture.
Australia, 2023, 9 minutes
English
Director: Lotte Sweeney
Writer: Lotte Sweeney
Producer: Lucinda Halls -
Crème Brûlée
World Premiere
Four siblings make a crème brûlée together, while listening to the story of the day their father died. Trying to find joy in grief can be a tricky process, and they have to bake it just right, sifting through time and memory hoping for a way back to the man they lost too early.
Australia, 2024, 14 minutes
English
Director: Lec Hunter
Writer: Lec Hunter
Producer: Sapphira Maisy Rolfe
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Little Hiccups
"In our everyday lives, some things happen that we cannot really explain...or can we?" A silly story about the little monsters scampering around the hidden corner of our life.
Australia, 2023, 2 minutes
Director: Fitriani Revanda
Writer: Fitriani Revanda
Producer: Kate Cawley -
Beyond the Curl
World Premiere
When Ella Rowe decided to curl her dreams into a reality, she fully expected things would spiral. After observing a lack of education and knowledge about Afro-textured hair in Australia, Ella decided to open Elvies Studios in 2019. As a biracial woman, Ella now understands the importance of embracing her natural hair.
Australia, 2023, 7 minutes
English
Director: Larissa Hass, Clair Seoud, Georgia Di Paola
Producer: Larissa Hass, Clair Seoud, Georgia Di Paola -
The Muse
Victorian Premiere
Through the lens of longing, a voyeuristic photographer doesn't just capture images, but unknowingly immerses herself in an intricate tapestry of interconnected lives. As her unknowing muse discovers the photographer’s images, both fear and intrigue consume her. She must weigh the allure of the unrequited yet gratifying gaze against the potential risks it poses. In this complex narrative, the boundaries between hunter and hunted become hazy, propelling both characters into a mesmerising dance of intimacy and intrigue.
Australia, 2023, 10 minutes
English
Director: Jessica Sherlock
Writer: Jessica Sherlock
Producer: Jessica Sherlock
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Tabbeh (طبّة)
World Premiere
Best friends Farha and Rosa catch up on the latest gossip in town, with a round of Tabbeh and two cups of chai.
Australia, 2024, 9 minutes
Arabic
Director: Sarah Ghassali
Writer: Sarah Ghassali
Producer: Grace Hird -
Homi
World Premiere
Homi is the inspirational story of an Afghan refugee who dedicates her life to giving back to her community. From donating 60% of her business profits towards Afghan women get an education to housing new refugees within her own home, Homi does it all. Our story focuses on the incredible personality behind this giving humanitarian and showcases not only her kindness and compassion but also her strength, sass and warmth.
Australia, 2024, 9 minutes
English
Director: Francesca Di Paolo
Producer: Rachael Phillips -
Alba
An aspiring Peruvian-Australian performer must decide whether she's dancing for others, or for herself. Alba is a story of diaspora and coming of age, illustrated through the traditional Marinera dance.
Australia, 2021, 10 minutes
English, Spanish
Director: Mariella Solano
Writer: Mariella Solano
Producer: Taylor Venter
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Stonewall
Australian Premiere
A young woman returns to her regional hometown to make peace with the death of her estranged mother.
Australia, 2024, 5 minutes
English
Directors: Lily Lunder, Koko Crozier
Writers: Lily Lunder, Koko Crozier
Producers: Lily Lunder, Koko Crozier -
Period Party
Content Warning: contains themes relating to eating disorders.
With the help of her family, Bee puts on a period party to celebrate the return of her period after a battle with anorexia.
Mum's neurotic, Dad's embarrassing and Gran doesn't quite get it. Plus little sibling Lou is a wee bit scarred. While the vagina cake melts and the uterus piñata awaits a beating, Bee comes to terms with the messiness of family and womanhood.
Australia, 2024, 9 minutes
English
Director: Georgia Brogan
Writer: Georgia Brogan
Producers: Georgia Brogan, Gus McHue -
Lucky Peach
On the isolated outskirts of suburbia, 20-year-old Lu navigates a domestic life caring for her mentally unwell mother, Mei. When Lu announces she's moving to France to take up a career opportunity, their fractious relationship grows more tense. With impressive visual detail and dramatic precision, Grace Tan's tender, personal story explores the sacrifices made by first-generation immigrant parents.
Australia, 2022, 15 minutes
English, Cantonese
Director: Grace Tan
Writer: Grace Tan
Producers: Sophia O’Rourke, Andrew McMartin