by FilmInk Staff
Emerging filmmakers from Queensland and Indonesia are using horror to explore culture, folklore and identity in a new cross-cultural film project.
Led by University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) filmmaker and academic Dr Katherine Chediak Putnam, the Crossroads project is producing four short horror films, with filming taking place in both Indonesia and Toowoomba.
The project brings together six emerging filmmakers – three from Queensland and three from Indonesia – who have been working with experienced industry professionals to develop their technical and storytelling skills.
UniSQ students are also working alongside the filmmakers, gaining hands-on experience in an international production environment.
Dr Putnam said horror provided a unique creative language for exploring cultural differences while connecting audiences in Australia and Indonesia through shared themes.
“Horror is one of Australia’s strongest cultural exports, and the genre is highly popular with young Australian and Indonesian audiences,” she said.
“While the genre is expressed differently in each country – from the use of religion and diverse mythological traditions in Indonesian horror to the isolated and harsh landscapes often seen in Australian horror – themes such as fear, survival and family are universal.
“That makes horror a strong creative language for cultural connection, allowing filmmakers to share their cultures, exchange filmmaking practices and draw on shared experiences and human emotions.”
The project has included cultural awareness workshops, script development and directing mentorships with experienced filmmakers including Australian screenwriter Shayne Armstrong (Acolytes, The Darkness) and director Joel Anderson (Lake Mungo), as well as Indonesian horror screenwriter Lele Laila (The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin) and director Tommy Dewo (Black Blood).
The Australian filmmakers travelled to Indonesia to work on productions led by their Indonesian counterparts before the full filmmaking teams came together in Toowoomba to produce the Australian films. Filming in both countries is now complete.
The project also aims to build connections that could support future collaboration between the Australian and Indonesian screen industries.
With international co-production an important pathway for film financing, the project gives emerging filmmakers an opportunity to develop professional networks and gain experience working across different filmmaking cultures.
For the Queensland filmmakers involved, the project also provides access to industry mentorship, international networks and the opportunity to produce a completed short film – opportunities that can be difficult for emerging filmmakers to access, particularly outside Australia’s major cities.
Dr Putnam said the project demonstrated the opportunities for international creative collaboration beyond Australia’s major cities.
The films are expected to be completed by the end of this month, with screening events planned for early next year for industry stakeholders and local communities in Australia and Indonesia.
They will also be screened to university students in both countries as part of an evaluation of how effectively the films resonate with audiences and foster greater cultural understanding.
Crossroads is a partnership between UniSQ, Griffith Film School and Universitas Multimedia Nusantara in Indonesia, building on a longstanding collaboration between filmmakers and academics Dr Putnam, Nico Meissner and Jose Prabowo.
The six emerging filmmakers selected for the project are Queenslanders Sam Pates, Soren Jocumsen and Amy Parry, and Indonesian filmmakers Juan Jonathan, Aliyya Maryam and Ivan Mosqueta.
The project was supported through the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2025-26 Australia-Indonesia Institute Grant Round, which supports initiatives that strengthen mutual understanding, people-to-people links and collaboration between Australia and Indonesia.
