A discomforting film that feels like a lump in your throat, Birdeater is relentless in its ability to disarm and disturb.
Written and directed by Jack Clark and Jim Weir, it is a well-crafted thriller that ups the pressure in what should be a relaxing and celebratory weekend, turning it on its head.
To put the plot simply: a soon-to-be bride joins her husband on his bachelor party retreat in the Australian outback. However, Birdeater is anything but simple. While there, Irene (Shabana Azeez) lets some truths about her relationship with Louie (Mackenzie Fearnley) out. It speaks to some dark and toxic issues that spark a conversation throughout the group that culminates with devastating results. While Louie is never shown as violent there’s a sinister sense to him, and the palpable tension within the group is captured with sharp intent that’ll make you squirm. He’s the embodiment of toxic masculinity and there’s a terrifying unveiling of their unhealthy relationship that plays out in the most awkward of social settings.
source: SXSW Film Festival
The film is most definitely a horror, but it’s the internal kind that simmers rather than burns. The ease in which coercion and abuse exist within the relationship (which seems sweet at the onset) is chilling. Its style and techniques are confident and it raises thought-provoking questions. As the weekend unfolds into measurable chaos, some effectiveness loses steam. This is undoubtedly a slow burn, but the degree of its unraveling will test some audience’s attention. The isolation further adds to the inability to escape, a perceptible sort of anxiety.
It’s a bold idea for a movie and it mostly works, creating tension and unease with easy strokes. It examines some challenging topics while still being able to subvert audience expectations. A skill that speaks to a seasoned directing team, but as a debut feature Birdeater tests and tortures, and doesn’t waver. There’s admiration for its intent and the performances, especially that of Shabana Azeez, that show significant skill. It winds you around its nimble finger, ensuring you see it through to its shocking end.
Birdeater utilizes the veneer of a gentle evil, its strength balanced by a compelling narrative and a keen sense of how to deliver spine-tingling trepidation.
Although set in the wilderness of rural Australia, Jack Clark and Jim Weir’s Birdeaterhas nothing to do with the deadly species of arachnid. It does however, feature a Buck’s party gone wrong, when the bride-to-be tags along.
Birdeater opens with a man, Louie (Mackenzie Fearnley), staring intensely down the camera lens. His unflinching gaze is immediately uncomfortable for the viewer. The camera then pulls back to reveal the actual target of Louie’s intense gaze – Irene (Shabana Azeez). Although she is seen smiling back, and the following section of the Birdeater is a montage of their relationship, it’s an early red flag as to where the story will venture.
By the end of the opening montage, Irene and Louie are engaged. Their connection is frighteningly close, to the point that Irene is medicated for the separation anxiety she feels when apart from Louie. It is her condition that prompts Louie to invite Irene along for his Buck’s do, which is the beginning of the downfall of their romance. Despite being engaged, Irene knows little about Louie’s friends, and there is an immediate friction when they all arrive at the accommodation. The addition of one of Irene’s male friends, invited to help her feel more at home, only increases ill-feelings further.
Even Louie himself seems at odds with his friends. Several of them are rowdy and outspoken, which is in stark contrast to Louie’s quieter, more serious demeanour. As the weekend begins to play out, everyone politely tiptoes around each other, that is until an explosive revelation and unexpected plan are revealed over dinner. These two events break the levee and suddenly everyone is overflowing with thoughts and emotions, leading to a wild and reckless third act.
Birdeater is an exceptional pot boiler of a film. It starts quietly, slowly simmering away, until boom, everything bubbles over. Clark and Weir demonstrate great skill at creating tension out of nothing. That even in the most innocent of exchanges, dread permeates the air, is testament to Clark and Weir’s talents. Their slow and steady work building up subtle tension is complimented perfectly by the group’s later descent into Hell. What was formerly a calm framework, distorts into a cacophony of noise and frantic edits and further ill-ease.
At the heart of the tension and chaos are Louie and Irene. Their story is a fascinating one. Birdeater delves into coercive control at the darkest of levels. It is how innocently the first revelation about their dynamic is revealed that impacts the viewer the hardest. It rings true of those that find themselves in these scenarios and places the audience into the position of friend, leaving them, like those around the couple, to figure out whether and how they should intervene. The reveal is immediately followed up with is the perfect move to ensure an explosive response for everyone demonstrating just how toxic some relationships can be. Through Irene and Louie, and the differing versions of them seen throughout the narrative, Birdeater perfectly exemplifies that you never truly know those around you.
Australian genre cinema has, over the years, developed a reputation for its brutality. Films from the country are often bleakly violent, but Birdeater excels by taking a softer and more disturbing approach. That this is not a wild man hacking his way through tourists, or a teen torturing the object of their affection, is a nice change-up. Birdeater of course isn’t the first Australian film to skirt the gore, but its focus on relationships is different to a mother in crisis or a grieving teenager. The deviation to expectations is appreciated and allows Birdeater to stand proud as a new entry into the country’s cinematic lore.
Further proof Australia may be doing the best genre cinema in the world.
Australia has long been home to great genre movies and in recent years has made a strong claim for having some of the best output in cinema. Birdeater is an anxious and wild Australia import playing at South by Southwest. Louie (Mackenzie Fearnley, The Artful Dodger) invites his fiancé Irene (Shabana Azeez, Run Rabbit Run) to his bachelor party. Over the course of an evening that involves lots of drinking and other activities, dark secrets are revealed.
The cold open hints at what the type of relationship Louie and Irene are in. Built on routine and possibly convenience, there is obviously something off about the whole thing. There are moments of physical affection, but it seems to be lacking in love. Louie is cold, distant, and seems controlling. For her part, Irene is meek and does not seem to mind their odd arrangement.
Once Birdeater crosses over to the isolated house where the group will be holding their party, things become a little clearer. The revelations become increasingly darker and shocking while themes of toxic masculinity, dependence, and trust are all explored. With each passing second things become more uncomfortable.
Directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir (who also wrote the film) keep the audience on the edge of their seats in a number of ways. Even before secrets are shared, the situation is a tense one. Louie has a grand plan for the gathering and there is an air of mystery the entire time. Louie’s plan can be generously described as romantic, though overbearing and aggressive would probably be more accurate. But even taking his scheme out of the equation, there is an overall sinister atmosphere to everything.
Birdeater gets across this feeling by focusing on its characters, primarily the males. Once they are away from civilization, they each take on almost primal characteristics. This is seen most in Dylan (Ben Hunter) who is loud, abrasive, and constantly angry. Though the others try at times to distance themselves from his influence, they always seem to get sucked back in.
There is little development given to the females, but this ends up adding to the story being told. Much like the men, Birdeater is intentionally ignoring Irene and Grace (Clementine Anderson). The difference is the boys in the film are manipulative. The film picks what moments to highlight the women and in doing so makes them stronger. It is a neat bit of storytelling.
Birdeater is visually impressive, with great use of color and framing. Quick cuts and loud music disorients and succeeds in pulling those watching into the movie’s chaotic world. An argument can be made that there is too much chaos going on. That being said, its powerful tale is a disconcerting one that is simultaneously engaging and unattractive.
Jack Clark and Jim Weir’s debut feature took out the Audience Award, following its world premiere at this year’s Sydney Film Festival, and also wowed them at SXSW, and now arrives on the Gold Coast
By: Abhi Parasher
Birdeater follows a bride-to-be, Irene (Shabana Azeez), who is invited to her fiancé, Louis’s (Mackenzie Fearnley) bachelor party, but when uncomfortable details of their relationship are exposed, the night takes a feral turn.
“We met at AFTRS, and we were throwing around ideas to make a feature after we left,” explains Jack. “I brought this idea to Jim one day about a couple with separation anxiety, which was exciting because it felt contained.”
Birdeater deals with differing perspectives on youth culture through the lens of an ensemble of eccentric personalities. With delicate topics such as emotional abuse at the forefront, it was of utmost importance to the filmmakers to approach the film with sensitivity.
“We knew that we needed the audience to enjoy the company of these characters first and then invert that in the second half,” the pair explain. “Ultimately, we had to trust the audience to understand the intent behind what we were doing.”
Despite a unique story and style, like many filmmakers, Jack and Jim still had to face the constraints of a low budget and time restrictions.
“You probably can’t tell when you’re watching the movie, but we made a lot of concessions every day,” says Jim. “The thing that made it though is that we really relied on our strengths. We knew we had a great Director of Photography [Roger Stonehouse], a great location and an extremely talented ensemble of actors.”
With their first feature in the can, the burgeoning filmmakers are looking ahead to their next venture.
“We run a production company together, so we’ll be working together for a long time” says Jim. “We might not be co-directing every feature, but we’ll definitely be working together.”
Birdeater is currently on the film festival circuit.
“We’re eager to go around Australia quite a bit and talk to local audiences” says Jack. “I think it will be received differently with international audiences compared to local ones.”
(FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount they believe a ticket to the movie to be worth)
Molly Haddon’s The Longest Weekend can best be described as a Trojan Horse film. The work pulls you in with the promise of one kind of experience but leaves you with something quite different. What it does deliver is an excellent family drama and coming-of-age story for a set of alienated siblings who learn through each other and their pasts when the right time is to just say “enough” to the various factors playing havoc on their lives.
The film opens with Lou Palmer (Mia Artemis – absolutely astonishing in the role) drinking herself into oblivion at a local Sydney club. She’s supported by her best friend and some time hook-up, Sasha (Alex King) who gently suggests that Lou might want to calm down a little. Calming down is not on Lou’s radar. She’s just lost her job as a stylist due to being unreliable and often drunk at work, and she’s been kicked out of her house by someone she was presumably sleeping with.
Her mother, Sadie (Tammy Macintosh) is trying to get hold of Lou and her siblings to invite them to a family dinner after she returns from a long weekend away. Rio (Adam Golledge) doesn’t bother to pick up her call. Avery (Elly Hiraani Clapin) answers but is curt and dismissive. Sadie is at her wit’s end with her adult children who range from uninterested to outright hostile towards her.
As fate would have it, Lou losing her job means that she has to move back into her mother’s house. Rio, who never left and seems to have zero motivation to do anything with his life resents her presence in what he calls “his house.” Soon after, Avery arrives at the door and the siblings are reunited, but not in a happy family way.
What we expect to be a piece about bickering siblings who haven’t got their lives sorted out morphs into a much deeper and more poignant drama. Rio has been secretly in contact with their father, Mark (John Batchelor) and is hoping to meet him that weekend.
Lou is the sibling who is wearing her scars on the outside the most. She rejects a plea of true love from Sasha and is borderline abusive with Avery and Rio. Lou is the obvious “mess” and to a large extent the focal point of Jorrden Daley and Molly Haddon’s screenplay. She’s a gay woman who refuses to settle in one spot and uses sex, drugs, and alcohol to numb her trauma. Avery is having her own issues – her husband Daniel is a serial cheat and she’s come to her mother’s house to try to sort out what she’s going to do.
As the film progresses, Haddon allows us to understand each character. Rio is still quite young and hasn’t settled on anything. Sadie clearly indulges his lack of ambition which rankles both Lou and Avery. Lou, of course, doesn’t have a leg to stand on when judging others.
One long weekend changes the Palmer family dynamic forever, and in the process, it also changes its individual members. The siblings share their secrets and their fears and find that they still need to protect each other.
Haddon has directed a wonderful and meaningful family drama that embraces the nature of truth telling and addresses the long-term effects of violence. One may have expected a story about Lou going further down the spiral, but instead the audience is given a narrative that is filled with awareness and kindness. The Longest Weekend is a heartfelt plea for patience and forgiveness – not for the ones that have hurt someone – but for the child inside that was once hurt.
Breathless Films’ first slate films “Lonesome”, “The Longest Weekend”, “Tennessine”, “Love Road” and “Birdeater”
Bolstered by the early success of its first slate of micro budget films, 2022 AACTA-nominated, grassroots production company Breathless Films (Lonesome, The Longest Weekend) is seeking to build a diverse second slate of films that will appeal to both local and international audiences.
Breathless is therefore today announcing a general call out to writers and directors of all levels of experience who are not afraid of rapid production timeframes or working within very tight budgets.
Breathless is once again looking for distinct, strident and authentic voices, and is open to developing projects with both emerging and established film writers and directors.
Film writers and directors are invited to reach out over the month of January via their website www.breathlessfilms.com.au. Breathless producers Ulysses and Ben are now reading synopses, treatments, one-pagers, screenplays, and whatever else filmmakers can throw their way!
Launching on Thursday 10 November, the 2022 Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) features a twelve-day jam packed program stronger than ever. Expect a prime selection of local and international drama, comedy, documentary, and everything in between; from boundary-pushing filmmakers across the globe.
“We’re excited to be back in full swing to share an international survey of queer narratives to audiences. This jam-packed program invites the community to come together to laugh, to be moved, to connect, and to celebrate queer lives and stories,” said David Harris, MQFF CEO.
Running 10 – 21 November, the 32nd MQFF features a Spotlight on Brazil, 49 feature films and documentaries, 12 short film packages, 35 Australian premieres and four Melbourne premieres.
This year, MQFF is thrilled to welcome new collaborative partner, the Victorian Pride Centre to host eight open-air rooftop screenings. Some program highlights taking place at the rooftop cinema include:
The Australian premiere of Blitzed! (2021) directed by Bruce Ashley and Michael Donald (UK) – tracing the evolution of the eponymous London nightclub through the eyes of club regulars Boy George, Princess Julia, Spandau Ballet and more.
Cult classic, But I’m a Cheerleader (1999) directed by Jamie Babbit (USA), is back with a director’s cut. This is a seminal 90s satire that cannot be missed.
The rooftop will also host the Closing Night film Uýra: The Rising Forest (2022) directed by Juliana Curi (Brazil), a superbly lush, ephemeral film that utilises rich colour contrasts and deep, evocative shots to evoke Uýra’s style as both artist and activist – a masterwork of documentary that must be seen the world over.
This year’s MQFF will screen 35 Australian premieres, some highlights include: Black As U R (2020), directed by Michael Rice (USA). This highly incendiary documentary points a lens at Black America, asking: ‘Why do we protest racial injustice, but disregard the injustices experienced by black queer people?’
The inaugural recipient of Frameline Festival’s Out in the Silence Award, Black As U R is a must- see film dedicated to LBGTQ+ visibility in spaces so politically charged that queer representation has been disregarded.
Also premiering in Australia is Chrissy Judy (2022), directed by Todd Flaherty (USA). This devilishly dark comedy follows a New York drag queen on a quest to reinvent himself.
My Emptiness and I (2022), directed by Adrián Silvestre (Spain), is also an Australian premiere and follows Raphi’s journey with gender transition and her changing place in the world.
Set in Barcelona and made with sensitivity and compassion, the film is a beautiful narrative selected for the Big Screen Competition 2022 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
A fantastically fun film for all ages, MQFF’s Rainbow Families Screening: Mini-Zlatan and Uncle Darling (2022), directed by Christian Low (Sweden, Norway, Netherlands).
This Australian premiere follows Ella, who is excited about summer with her favourite uncle, Tommy, but things get complicated when Tommy’s new boyfriend Steve enters the picture.
Ella takes matters into her own hands, orchestrating a Parent Trap-style summer of disaster in the hope of to getting rid of Steve. Based on the children’s book by Swedish author Pija Lindenbaum.
MQFF features four Melbourne premieres, starting with the red-carpet Opening Night screening of Private Desert (2021), showing at ACMI and followed by the official MQFF Opening Night Party.
Directed by Aly Muritiba (Brazil, Portugal) – A tale in two parts of lovers who’ve not met, separated by miles of desert, in a journey of transcendence, of knowing one’s true desire.
Private Desert was the winner of the BNL People’s Choice Award 2021 and was the Brazilian Entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.
The Festival’s Australian Feature of the Year is also a Melbourne Premiere – The Longest Weekend (2022), directed by Molly Haddon (Australia).
Set in Sydney’s Inner West, this soon-to-be indie classic depicts how the lives of three disconnected siblings are turned upside-down when they find themselves forced to live under the same roof.
The program also features 12 shorts packages, highlights include: Laugh Out Proud! – showcasing the greatest hits of queer comedy, featuring seven side-splitting shorts taking audiences on a riotous and raunchy trip to the funny side of queer life.
Freak Out! is back for its signature weird, queer and out-there showcase of features and shorts expanding and redefying what queer horror and genre cinema is, including the Australian Premiere of feature film Hypochondriac.
“VicScreen is proud to have supported MQFF since its inception, celebrating inclusivity, diversity and the best of queer cinema,” said Caroline Pitcher, VicScreen CEO.
“The festival also plays an integral role in championing new Australian voices, providing meaningful opportunities for our homegrown talent.”
“We can’t wait to see Melbourne come to life this November for twelve jam-packed days of curated excellence,” said Pitcher.
“The City of Melbourne prides itself on being a welcoming, inclusive municipality that celebrates our individuality,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
“The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is a spectacular offering of talent and creativity, and I can’t wait to see some of the exciting and thought-provoking films that come out of this year’s selection.
“This festival is an integral part of Melbourne’s film scene, and we’re overjoyed MQFF to fill capacity in 2022,” said Capp.
The 2022 Melbourne Queer Film Festival runs 10 – 21 November. For more information and full program, visit: www.mqff.com.au for details.
Dark Star Pictures has acquired distribution rights in North America for Australian gay love story “Lonesome,” directed by Craig Boreham. Following its world premiere at the Seattle Intl. Film Festival in April, San Francisco’s Frameline Film Festival will present the film on June 20. The film is also screening at the Guadalajara Intl. Film Festival, which runs June 10-18.
The deal was made with Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal, which has already secured distribution for the film in the U.K. and Ireland (Peccadillo Pictures), France (Optimale Distribution), multi-territory Europe (Cinemien/OUTtv Europe), and Poland (Tongariro Releasing).
Sydney-based Boreham was described by The Guardian newspaper as “a strong new voice in Australian Queer cinema” following the premiere of his debut feature film “Teenage Kicks” at the Sydney Film Festival in 2016.
“Lonesome” follows Casey, a country boy, who finds himself down and out in Sydney. When he meets Tib, a street-smart city boy struggling with his own scars of isolation, there’s chemistry, not only sexually but also emotionally as both men find something they have been missing.
“Taking audiences on a thrilling, hedonistic and erotic journey, the film’s lead characters navigate hook-up culture alongside their search for real connection,” according to M-Appeal.
Michael Repsch, president of Dark Star Pictures, said Boreham has “crafted an enthralling and visually stunning take on the big city meets country love story. This refreshing vision is a great representation of the stories Dark Star wants to share with audiences.”
Dark Star, which focuses on auteur-driven and thought-provoking cinema, will be taking “Lonesome” to film festivals first with a theatrical release planned for early 2023, beginning in New York and Los Angeles, and a digital release to follow. Alongside “Lonesome,” Dark Star is launching several newly acquired titles at Frameline Film Festival, including “Phantom Project,” “El Houb” and “Petit Mal.”
Gathering interest from LGBTQ and generalist festivals alike, “Lonesome” world premiered in April at Seattle, followed by InsideOut Toronto, Guadalajara, Lovers Film Festival Turin and Sydney Intl. Film Festival.
“Lonesome” is produced by Ulysses Oliver, Dean Francis, Ben Ferris and Boreham.
Boreham’s awards include best film at My Queer Career, Mardi Gras Film Festival, the City of Melbourne Best Short Film Award, Melbourne Queer Film Festival and National Film Sound Archive Orlando Award. In 2008, a retrospective of Boreham’s work, Cinema of True Poison, was presented by Fundacion Triangulo in Madrid.
Lonesome started as sketches for two different shorts. Image:
When Teenage Kicks director Craig Boreham set about casting his latest feature Lonesome, which enjoys its Australian premiere as part of this year’s Sydney Film Festival (SFF) he hit on an unusual approach to ensure it was appropriately queer. ‘There’s a whole conversation about authentic casting happening at the moment, but it turned out to be a lot more difficult than you’d imagine,’ he says. ‘Going through the traditional channels, you can’t just ask people if they’re gay in an interview. A lot of the time, their agents weren’t really sure or weren’t sure if they would disclose, and a lot of openly gay actors don’t want to be pigeonholed doing queer stuff.’
Director Craig Boreham’s new feature film Lonesome will have its world premiere at the prestigious Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) this month.
Lonesome tells the story of Casey (Josh Lavery), a country lad running from a small-town scandal, who finds himself down and out in the big smoke of Sydney, when he meets Tib (Daniel Gabriel), a city boy, struggling with his own scars of isolation. Together both men find something they have been missing but neither of them knows quite how to negotiate it.
Lonesome also features the acting talent of Anni Finsterer and Ian Roberts and was produced independently by Ben Ferris and Ulysses Oliver from Breathless Films, Dean Francis of JJ Splice Films, who was also the film’s Director of Photography, and executive producer Paul Struthers with m-appeal handling worldwide sales.
Craig says to premiere at SIFF is “an absolute thrill.
“This film was such a labour of love for the entire cast and crew, and we can’t wait to show it to an audience for the first time. SIFF is one of the top festivals in North America, so it is an honour to be having our world premiere there,” says Boreham.
Producer Ben Ferris says, “Lonesome is a poignant and timely queer love story, and one that emerges unexpectedly amid the transactional world of casual hook-up culture. Craig’s talent as a director allows him a lightness of touch to find the comic in the tragic, while losing none of the authenticity and tenderness at the film’s heart. Dean Francis’ cinematography lends a cinematic grace to the basements and rooftops of a Sydney less frequently depicted on screen.”
Producer / Director of Photography Dean Francis says, “It’s rare to see the inner emotional lives of diverse queer characters portrayed with such raw honesty. Making Lonesome totally independently gave Craig and the team complete creative freedom, and it’s fabulous to see these instincts validated by the market and the high-profile film festivals that are embracing Lonesome.”
Lonesome is Boreham’s sophomore feature after 2016 Teenage Kicks. Teenage Kicks had its world premiere at Sydney Film Festival and its European premiere at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival after which the Guardian named Boreham “a compelling new voice in queer Australian cinema”.
Currently Craig is in development on his next project, an adaptation of the acclaimed queer neo-noir novel, Down the Hume. Development is being supported by Screen Australia and is being penned by Craig and the book’s author Peter Polites along with Adrian Chiarella. It is being produced by Annmaree Bell and Paul Struthers of Azure Productions. Down The Hume will be heading to market at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
