SYNOPSIS
Michael arrives for his first date with Katrina hoping to make a good impression but instead finds himself the subject of a strange mind game.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Told in a single take, with chaotic, overlapping dialogue, the central inspiration for this short came from the work of acclaimed film-maker Robert Altman, in particular the masterful opening shot of his 1992 film The Player, itself a parody of the pretentious “one-take.”
Working closely with cinematographer David McKinnar, the film represented an exciting opportunity for me to really challenge myself and experiment with the style of a film-maker whose technical skills I revered but had always considered far beyond my own. I love talking to people about this film because they ask “how did you do that?” and are so shocked when you tell them how simple the set up was. It was just one of those situations where all of the elements worked together perfectly to create this impression of something very complex and technical. I couldn’t be happier with what my cast and crew created. For me, this film represents the realisation of a tone I have been reaching towards for quite some time and provides a calling card for myself as a filmmaker.
CAST
As a director you are really looking for actors with a balance of professionalism and eccentricity and no other project I have worked on demanded both these qualities more. Megan Smart is the perfect Katrina/Not Katrina and brings an extensive acting experience but also a real zest for the strangeness of the story.
Benjamin Ilobuchi, in his acting debut, steps into the role of Michael with an effortless naturalism, providing the perfect foil for the outlandish tone. Scene stealing local comedians Lewis Garnham and Jonathan Schuster bring a vivid and wonderful banter, dipping between scripted dialogue and extensive improvisation with ease.
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL
Following successful screenings at St Kilda Film Festival and FlickerFest, A Rose for Katrina is set to make its international debut at the Tribeca Festival in June. This milestone moment marks a significant achievement for Quinlan and his team.
“I’m just amazed that a festival of this caliber has deemed to include this odd little short we filmed in a sharehouse in Brunswick. It’s so encouraging for me and the team going forward and making more stuff, that these things that start so small can go so far.” says director Harry Quinlan.
ABOUT HARRY QUINLAN
Harry Quinlan is a Melbourne based writer and director of short film and web series. His most recent short film Favour on the Fourth Floor premiered at CinefestOz in 2022 where it was nominated for Best Short. It was awarded Director’s Choice at Sydney Underground Film Festival and screened in competition at Peninsula Film Festival in 2023.
His recent credits also include the Screen Australia funded series Hot Bread. A collaboration with other Melbourne based filmmakers Matthew Wallace and Mark Day. The series has accrued over 200 thousand views and 24 thousand likes on Tik Tok.
In 2020, he wrote and directed the web series Fairy Floss, which premiered at Melbourne Web Fest where it was nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Comedy. The series also won silver for Comedy at DC Web Fest and Best Comedy Ensemble at the Asia Web Awards.
ABOUT TRIBECA FESTIVAL
Since its inception in 1999 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, the Tribeca Festival has been a premier platform for showcasing independent cinema, celebrating diversity, innovation, and creativity in filmmaking.
