Starring Andrea Demetriades, Asher Keddie and Anthony LaPaglia, this ambitious project is designed to showcase the wealth of genre filmmaking talent that Australia has to offer.
In the wrap-around segment, shot by Justine Kerrigan, Andrea Demetriades (Babyteeth, Reckoning, The End) plays Clara, who is obsessed with her late mother’s cherished Book of Dark Whispers.
Each weird tale that she encounters within its pages explores a new facet of the twisted human psyche, or not-so-human; from the horror of grief to a share-house living disaster, from existential dread to right-swiping vampires.
Dark Whispers – Volume 1 features stories directed by eleven female filmmakers from across the nation: Angie Black, Briony Kidd, Isabel Peppard, Janine Hewitt, Jub Clerc, Kaitlin Tinker, Katrina Irawati Graham, Lucy Gouldthorpe, Madeleine Purdy, Marion Pilowsky and Megan Riakos, who directed the wrap-around segment.
Nine of these filmmakers will be present for the Sydney screening, ready to participate in a Q&A, hosted for Monster Fest by SBS’s Fiona Williams.
This is set to be an historic occasion, as never have so many women directors graced the red carpet at once for an Australian feature film!
“This screening is about bringing everyone together,” explains producer Megan Riakos. “It’s an opportunity for our filmmakers to connect, and to plan future projects and collaborations. I’m excited to be able to present the outstanding work of so many talented creatives to Sydney audiences and industry. These are the filmmakers to watch in the genre space right now.”
Dark Whispers – Volume 1 was produced by Megan Riakos and Leonie Marsh in collaboration with Executive Producer Enzo Tedeschi and Associate Producer Briony Kidd.
The team hope that the format will prove to successful in bringing the work of women genre filmmakers to broader audiences. Taking Dark Whispers – Volume 1 as a departure point, they intend to launch further such projects. Volume 2, for instance, might be science fiction stories from women filmmakers.
The world premiere of Dark Whispers took place at Cinefest Oz Film Festival in August. Further festival dates are to be announced.
Follow along for updates via:
Instagram/Facebook: @darkwhispersanthology
Twitter: @DarkWhispers_au
Hashtag: #darkwhispersanthology #monsterfest2019
Trailer: https://youtu.be/2URb-oWRRoc
Website: https://www.darkwhispersanthology.com/
More about Monster Fest:
Founded in 2011 as an initiative of Monster Pictures, Monster Fest is a mix of Premieres, international festival favourites, challenging new discoveries and curated repertory sidebars alongside industry-focused events such as panels and masterclasses with renowned international guests, and a special emphasis on supporting emerging Australian genre film talent through the festival and beyond.
http://www.monsterfest.com.au/
More about Stranger With My Face:
Stranger With My Face International Film Festival is based in Hobart, Tasmania, founded by filmmakers Briony Kidd and Rebecca Thomson. Deriving its name from the young adult novel by Lois Duncan, it explores the idea of ‘the horror within’ and promotes discussion around genre and gender, from ghost stories to gore, from art house to exploitation. SWMF has a focus on female directors working in horror and related genres and aims to highlight bold new work by independent filmmakers.
http://www.strangerwithmyface.com/
