By Travis Johnson
Western Australian film funding body Screenwest has announced the recipient of the 2017 West Coast Visions project. Maziar Lahooti will make his feature debut with Below, to be produced by Kate Neylon (Hotel Coolgardie) and Madman Production Company’s Veronica Gleeson and Nick Batzias.
The West Coast Visions initiative is designed to foster emerging screen creative talent in WA, providing funding for low budget features in which one key creative (writer, director, producer) is a WA resident making their feature debut. Previous recipients have included These Final Hours, Hounds of Love, and Blame.
Below will receive $750,000 in production funding.
“I’m thrilled and humbled at the continued support and faith of the producers, Madman, and Screenwest for this opportunity,” Lahooti said on learning of the project’s success. “It is with great responsibility, respect, and dedication to the themes of this story and the audience we’re making it for that we will work tirelessly to do Ian’s phenomenal writing justice in the form of what we’re determined to create – an inceptive, mad, and wildly entertaining piece of Australian cinema.”
Adapted by Ian Wilding from his own stage play, Below follows Darknet grifter Dougie as he is is recruited by his stepdad to work security at a refugee detention centre. There, Dougie is drawn into an underground operation blackmailing detainees to fight for profit. When champion Iranian fighter Azad is killed and his young sister Hamasa left alone, Dougie locates his hitherto dormant conscience and takes a stand.