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Films for the Future
Aspiring Queensland director, Tom-Noakes, creates a comedic sci-fi short film
A skater kid from Brisbane, Tom Noakes made his first film at the age of 13, built his own editing system and began processing footage featuring his fellow skating companions.
After leaving high school, Noakes became dissatisfied with the limitations of skate films and began to appreciate narrative cinema. He was accepted in to the Queensland University of Technology and it was here that Noakes met Will Goodfellow, who he teamed up with to create the short film Mongrel's Creed.
Directed by Noakes and written by Goodfellow, and produced as part of a course at the Australian, Film, Television & Radio School, Mongrel's Creed is a dark comedy set in a future, dystopian reality. At the centre of the film is Jim Gravel, a miserable lifetime employee of the omnipresent "Company," condemned with the soul destroying task of reprogramming rebellious citizens into more controllable, obedient workers.
Gravel finds his limits of moral tolerance tested when ordered by his unscrupulous supervisor to reprogram an enthusiastic, life affirming man-child named simply for dancing in public. Threatened with expulsion if he refuses, Gravel must choose between obeying an amoral, unjust directive and finding the courage to save an innocent man.
"The project stemmed from our friends," Noakes explains. "We have this amazing motley-cru of mongrel friends. Mongrel being a positive term here because to me it refers to a fun loving bohemian liberating nature I usually find in the most interesting of people. However the nature of these friends is always at conflict with society. None of them quite fit the system and neither should they."
Noakes hopes his black comedic sci-fi movie will help mark a trend toward Australian genre- films. "We need to make more genre films. We have to re-stimulate and hook audiences, internationally and domestically, to go see Australian films! This isn't to say we can't hook audiences, we just haven't prioritised what is one of the primary roles of cinema... connecting to an audience," Noakes says.
Mongrel's Creed exhibits a well rounded cast, adding to its depth. Australian veteran actor William Zappa plays anti-hero Gravel. Noakes credits Zappa for his ability to transform from a jaded suppressed employee, to standing up and throwing off his clothes and dancing. Andy Ryan (from the upcoming Tomorrow, When The War Began), who plays Robbie, adds a large part of the film's humour.
The role of Cod was a particularly difficult one to cast according to director Tom Noakes but fortunately Anthony Phelan (pictured - who has starred in Aussie dramas Underbelly and Love My Way) came on board. "He had to be menacing and physically intimidating. Despite being extremely kind and soft in person Phelan pulled off the role perfectly. He's quite frightening on screen."
Defying the odds with a limited budget and malfunctioning equipment, Mongrel's Creed has wrapped production and is now ready for festival distribution. "All in all it was actually a really smooth process," says Noakes. "One of the best filmic experiences I've ever had!"
To see the trailer for Mongrel's Creed, which has gone gangbusters since it was reviewed by influential genre sites on the net, click here or visit the film's Facebook Page.