By Travis Johnson

Screen Australia, the South Australian Film Corporation and Screenwest have put funding into Mother, a feature film project from West Australian director Grant Sputore and writer Michael Lloyd Green. The script, a sci-fi mother-daughter story, was highly regarded on the 2016 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays of that year.

According to Screen Australia’s release, Mother “…tells the story of a lonely teenage girl known as Daughter, the first of a new generation of humans to be raised by Mother – a kindly robot designed to repopulate the earth after the extinction of mankind. Their unique bond is threatened when a blood-drenched woman (Drifter) inexplicably arrives at the bunker, begging for help. Overnight the stranger calls into question everything Daughter has been told about the outside world and her Mother’s intentions.” Which sounds like a Philip K. Dick spin on Room to us.

Sputore’s got chops, having laboured in commercials for years. His short film, Legacy, earned good notices,and he was also a director’s attachment with Kriv Stenders on the WA-shot Kill Me Three Times.

“From its inception this is a film that was intended to get people’s hearts pounding and their brains firing, in equal measure,” he said. “Michael and I set out to create a screenplay that captures the excitement of the sci-fi thrillers we grew up watching, while exploring contemporary themes that would move, fascinate and enthrall audiences.”

The project is notable for having three female leads, which impressed Screen Australia Head of Production Sally Caplan.

“With three female protagonists driving the central storyline and an emerging director who shows great promise at the helm, Mother was a chance for us to support a rare Australian sci-fi film with a unique and compelling concept,” she noted. “It is a testament to the strength of this project that is has secured excellent Australian, New Zealand and international marketplace support, and we are confident it will prove to be a tremendous career opportunity for Grant Sputore and long-time collaborator [producer] Kelvin Munro.”

Young actress Clara Rugaard has scored the role of Daughter, while the voice of Mother is still being cast, along with the role of the Drifter. WETA Workshop (Avatar, The Lord of The Rings) have been tasked with creating the Mother robot, while Rising Sun Pictures (Logan, The Water Diviner) will handle VFX.  The film will shoot in Adelaide.

“Adelaide Studios are the perfect facility to host the 90% studio-based production where we know the creative team for Mother can deliver a truly unique world,” said SAFC CEO Annabelle Sheehan. “With post and visual effects also taking place in South Australia, the project will draw on the globally acclaimed talent of Adelaide-based Rising Sun Pictures and Kojo Productions.”

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