by Dov Kornits
Recently returning from Los Angeles, where her queer rap musical short film Girl Coded was selected for the Los Angeles New Filmmakers Monthly Festival, filmmaker Grace Valerie-Lynette is finally seeing the fruits of her labours.
The career escalator LA berth follows the film’s screenings at Oska Bright Film Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival, and the Inner West Film Fest.
Is this your first short film as writer/director? If so, what drew you to filmmaking, as opposed to podcasting, which you have been doing mostly up til now?
“Girl Coded is not my first short per se, I went to film school at AFTRS, and they had us creating all sorts of fun shorts whilst there. However, it’s the first short that I left feeling like a real filmmaker, putting my blood, sweat and tears into creating over the span of a year.
“Musicals are a real labour of love, requiring your full dedication and creating Girl Coded was absolutely that. But it was also an incredible learning journey, finally being able to put to use everything that I had spent years practicing into one outrageous 8-minute long rom-com whilst also teaching the Bus Stop Films [BSF] students on set, who had inspired the whole process. It was very full circle.
“I’ve always had a love of filmmaking, having gone to university for it – however, I stumbled upon a passion for podcasts along the way. My final year of university was the first year of covid, and like so many other students at that time, I found myself unable to really practice the art of filmmaking that year. I had a project that I was hoping to work through in my final year, and when the restrictions came in, I pivoted and turned it into a podcast instead.
“The Australian podcast industry is incredibly open to emerging practitioners, and very accessible as a means to actually begin creating work because it doesn’t have all the additional budget lines that filmmaking does. You can really just get in there and get creating with limited materials. So, it’s a very worthwhile medium for a young artist to play in at the beginning of their career and cut their teeth. I’ve been working in podcasts for over 3 years now and absolutely adore the format, the people, the industry, the culture. But filmmaking has always been my first home, and I keep finding myself returning to it – through projects like Girl Coded.”
Why a musical?
“So, this short film musical came about through a collaboration between myself, and 15 students at Bus Stop Films who are adults with disabilities. We were looking for a story to tell that would resonate with the students. And through talking about the emotions that the students were feeling at the time – feeling underestimated, unseen – we began to form this idea. The students had made some films before that starred characters with disabilities, which were absolutely brilliant. But they were less interested in telling that story again, so we began looking into other groups, who may be feeling similar to the students. And we landed on teenage girls! The idea of Girl Coded began to form then – and in musicals, you burst out into song when there’s something so emotional that it can’t be plainly said. The songs are gateways into a character’s mind. So, we ran with the idea of a musical, really looking to delve into those feelings that we were discussing in the room through song.
The film also screened outdoor at the Inner West Film Fest – how did this arise? Wasn’t there some funding for the film from Inner West Council?
“Girl Coded was lucky enough to be nominated for the Inner West Young Creatives award in 2023. I’m a big Inner Westie, and most of the students who worked on the film are too – so we applied and came second! It was a hard competition – there were so many incredible short films. But one of the things that was really special to myself and the crew was that because of our place in the competition, Girl Coded screened ahead of the opening film in the Inner West Film Fest. It was incredible for us to see the short on the big screen, in our home suburb.”
You have some notable cast in the film, were they difficult to secure?
“Luckily for us, I knew both Kath Ebbs [Neighbours] and Chloé Hayden [below] previously through my work at Storyglass and Fremantle. So, it was as simple as an email with script! It can absolutely be hard for a short film to secure actors, but we were so incredibly fortunate that both Kath and Chloe were on board with the vision of both the project and BSF’s charitable vision. They were incredibly giving with their time, dedicated to the project, and absolute joys to the students too. The point of the BSF sets is to be a learning experience for the students – so for them to be able to work with incredibly talented actors like Kath and Chloe was a unique and unforgettable opportunity.”
The film would have to be one of the most ambitious projects by Bus Stop Films – can you discuss how the project emerged through Bus Stop Films?
“I worked for 2 years at Bus Stop Films as a tutor for their Accessible Film Studies program. The Accessible Film Studies program is a year long course for adults with disabilities to get their first foot in the door of the film industry. We divide the year into 4 terms, teaching scriptwriting, pre-production, production and post-production – and in order to synthesise the students learning, we make a short film as a class for them to work on. Girl Coded was my class’s short film back in 2022!”
Can you discuss some of the challenges/benefits working with a cast and crew that have disabilities?
“Because there aren’t many spaces given for people with disabilities to practice film, a lot of the students I had in my class were on set for the first time. So, we dedicated a good portion of the day to allowing the students to really get in there and operate the camera, move the lights, use the clapper board, call the shots. But the benefit of that is, when you have a set with a diverse range of people, with diverse skill sets, you cultivate a better set culture. You make the day more enjoyable for everyone, because everyone feels safe and comfortable. And I think cultivating that culture, allowing people to learn on set, is paramount as a director.”
Can you tell us about the screening in LA, and what your expectations are?
“Girl Coded just screened at the New Filmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival [below, with Grace centre] – pride edition, for the month of June. And Screen NSW gave Girl Coded festival funding to fly out to Los Angeles for the festival. One of the things that is really special about New Filmmakers is that it’s not just a screening – the entire week prior, they organise meetings, panels, and networking sessions with various members of the Los Angeles TV and filmmaking community, to help your career grow. So, I met with people from Searchlight, Universal, NBC, attended panels with feature film directors and owners of production companies, and networked with everyone from actors to soundies to teachers in LA. It was an incredible experience, and what I learned from that week is going to be so formative in how I shape my career from here on out.”
What’s next?
“Seeing how Girl Coded has resonated with so many audiences across the world, I’m keen to keep exploring the concept further, hopefully in a series format! We’ve been applying for a few different grants to put together a writers room – so fingers crossed that we can dive deeper into the world behind Robbie and Ruth.”
The film is also screening at St Kilda Film Festival. Have you ever been, what are your expectations of that?
“This’ll be my first time at St Kilda Film Festival – and I’m very excited! They have such a diverse range of programming, and their industry events look so informative – can’t wait!”
Girl Coded is screening at the St Kilda Film Festival on 9 June 2024, tix here.
