by Abhi Parasher

“First and foremost, the Australian film industry is the best industry there is,” says director Ron Kahlon. “As a man of colour, I was told it would be really hard to get into the industry. I thought, ‘let me give it a shot anyway’, and I was immediately blown away by the support I got from actors, technicians, and everyone else in the industry.”

Kahlon is an Australian film director and writer of Indian origin. He is currently in post-production on his proof-of-concept short film, The Last Surprise, starring Kestie Morassi.

“After Wolf Creek, I was offered a lot of horror films and I decided to wait until I wanted to do another one. I wanted to wait because I was afraid of being typecast as the scream queen,” shares Morassi. “I was sent The Last Surprise and I knew it was a horror, so I sort of said no. Then I read it and I contacted the producer straight away, telling him I really wanted to meet the director. After 5 minutes of talking to Ron, I was in. I knew from that first conversation that he was going to be a great director because he knew exactly what he wanted.”

The Last Surprise follows a down-on-their-luck couple who are heading to a holiday lodge in hopes of reviving their relationship. However, their idyllic getaway turns into an endless night of horror when they are terrorised by a sadistic killer.

“This idea came from when I was holidaying in the same spot,” says Kahlon. “The development phase took a year. That is how it is with writing; you’re constantly revising and re-writing. I just waited until I was satisfied with the story before I approached anyone.

“The genre I work in, is not suitable for film festivals,” he admits, referring to a form of snobbery from major film festivals towards genre. “I just want to make a film I like, and I am satisfied with. I know there is an audience for every genre and when you embark on that journey, you’ll find people who share that same sensibility.”

Making horror films can take a toll on both the creators and the audience. Luckily for Morassi, she is able to let go of those heightened emotions that actors have to live with. “Funnily enough, Wolf Creek was one of the easiest shoots of my life,” she recalls. “I’ve never been one to hold onto my work afterwards, at least emotionally. I can leave that stuff on set. It’s when I look at the dailies and feel like I didn’t give it my all and what we’re left with at the end of the day is a heap of shit… That’s the stuff I can’t let go.”

The Last Surprise is currently at the assembly stage of the edit, with post-production handled by Sydney-based studio, MIK Studio. The ultimate goal for Kahlon is to pitch the short film around to production houses and put on display what he and his team are capable of creating.

“It’s just showing everyone that if we can keep you on the edge of your seat for 30 minutes, then we can do the same with 90,” he says. “Being an indie film, we have a lot of challenges, from budget to crew. And if we can succeed with all those obstacles, we can do the same with a feature. I’ve seen the assembly, and it is looking incredible, so I would say we have succeeded.”

Although The Last Surprise is a proof-of-concept for a feature film, the actual longer-form story will follow a different story.

“I’ve already done this story and I don’t really want to repeat it. I don’t think you can repeat the same thing at the same level because once you are in the moment and everything is raw and organic, that is the best it is going to be. If you try and repeat the same thing, it’ll never reach up to the same height.”

Kahlon has already started writing the feature.

“We are all driven by one thing, which is a passion for films,” Kahlon ends. “When I first began in this industry, everyone told me it was going to be extremely hard. I want to encourage more people to come up and work in this space. What we are doing is building a bridge between two different cultures. I want the upcoming generation of filmmakers, who are people of colour, to feel like they can make films in this industry. We are setting an example here that everyone is welcome, everyone can work, and everyone can grow.”

Photos by Rhys Sherring
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