by FilmInk Staff
The 2024 Recontres International du Cinema des Antipodes took centre stage in the in the South of France this October as French and international audiences gathered to watch the best of this year’s antipodean short and feature films.
Among the festival’s big winners this year, the Audience Award for best feature went to Just a Farmer; Best Actress went to Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne in The Convert; Best Actor went to Hugo Weaving in The Rooster; the Grand Jury Prize went to The Rooster and Best Short Film went to Nicole Fantl for Love Lockdown.
Nicole Fantl’s directorial debut was perhaps the shining breakout star of the festival. The quirky and fresh dark comedy which Fantl wrote, directed, stars in and produced with her production company Louve Pictures had the packed cinemas roaring with laughter, despite comedy often not translating well.
Love Lockdown tells the story of two lonely people who go to desperate lengths to find love in a disconnected world. Nicole Fantl dazzles as the unhinged Susan Woods in her unpredictable yet heartfelt performance along side Ryan Johnson who brings an endearing and hilarious performance to the screen as Bob. The film was praised for its unflinching and original portrayal of a complex woman’s struggle to fulfil societal expectations and her own desires, against the backdrop of mounting external pressures. Poignantly relevant themes are explored in this entertaining short which was a standout for its impressive direction, sumptuous production design, striking visuals and on-point acting. It was received so well by audiences and jury alike that it won Nicole Fantl the prestigious Nicolas Baudin Award for best short film.
The clever and entertaining short is also a proof of concept for a series in development and cements the multi-talented polyglot Nicole Fantl as an up-and-coming filmmaker to watch in Australia and beyond.
