By Dov Kornits
Director Annelise Hickey and producer Josie Baynes experienced something of a dream come true when their short film Stranger, Brother was accepted into The Sundance Film Festival.
A regular at Melbourne production house Wildebeest, where she has worked on a number of TV commercials, young Australian director Annelise Hickey made her big screen debut with the 2023 short Hafekasi, and now follows up with Stranger, Brother, which was produced by Wildebeest’s Josie Baynes (and Tessa Mansfield-Hung). Clocking in at fifteen poetic, powerful minutes, Stranger, Brother is the story of Adam (played by artist and first-time actor Tiaki Teremoana), a queer Polynesian enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle in Melbourne deeply at odds with their insular upbringing. Adam’s world is shaken to its core when ten-year-old brother Mose (Samson Uili) rolls up onto their doorstep, forcing them to face up to a complex family history.
Tell us about Stranger, Brother, you note that it has a doco approach, how/why?
Annelise Hickey: “I wanted to collaborate with artist Tiaki Teremoana on a film, and I wanted to weave their unique presence into the character of Adam. When Tiaki walks into a room, you feel their energy immediately — they exude mana and have a look that’s burned into my memory. I pitched the idea to Tiaki, and they resonated with the storyline in their own way. With their blessing, I shaped the main character around them. Chloe Zhao and Andrea Arnold are known for mixing non-actors with actors to create this hybrid doco/narrative approach. I like this style of performance in the way that it creates something that feels real and raw.”
Was The Sundance Film Festival always your preferred premiere for the film, and did you have any help getting into the festival through your previous work?
Annelise Hickey: “Yes, we were aiming and hoping that Stranger, Brother would premiere at Sundance, so we worked towards it in post. Our deadline was the Sundance submission and we just got in! I can’t tell you if our previous film Hafekasi helped our cause… Sundance haven’t shared this info with us unfortunately.”
Josie Baynes: “Sundance has been my Number 1 festival goal since I was seventeen-years-old, so whatever project I am working on, I do like to aim high and look at Sundance as the first option for a premiere. I nearly fell off my chair when Annelise forwarded me the confirmation email.”
Why Sundance?
Annelise Hickey: “Sundance is renowned for selecting great films by visionary directors, and for supporting indie projects with a unique voice. Many of these filmmakers have gone on to build remarkable careers after premiering their work at Sundance; it is just so highly regarded in the industry. Considering our film’s story and style, it was always our goal to aim for Sundance. Honestly, I’m still in disbelief that we premiered there…it’s been a dream of mine to premiere there.”
Was working on commercial projects at Wildebeest the way that you first started working together? Is that how you knew the other key creatives too?
Annelise Hickey: “Yes, I first met Josie on a small commercial project through Wildebeest, and we instantly got on like a house on fire. She loves her job and is pretty infectious to be around. I’d met our editor Grace Eyre on my first commercial gig ever and loved the way she was always cutting for the story and character arcs… not just the prettiest shots. We’d worked with director of photography Matthew Chuang and production designer Francesca Carey on our other short Hafekasi. They both work more in the narrative space, so it was great to collaborate again with creatives who push us.”
Josie Baynes: “Annelise and I met a few years ago working on commercial projects and since then we’ve been ‘Work Wives’ and dear friends. I couldn’t think of anyone I would want to work with more on commercial and narrative projects. We’ve shared successes, and tears, and on each project we’ve worked on together – whether it’s a special passion project, or a questionable commercial – we’ve learned and developed our skills. I feel very lucky to get to work with her, and the amazing people that she works with on projects big and small. Wildebeest is an amazing production company to work at, as they foster narrative and storytelling through their commercials and are working towards a hybrid model of commercial filmmaking.”
Is Stranger, Brother part of a bigger project, or is it a stand-alone self-contained film?
Annelise Hickey: “At this stage, it is a stand-alone film, but you never know what could happen post the Sundance premiere! It had a great reaction, and might strike a chord with someone who wants to make it into a feature! Ha ha…I’m just putting that out into the universe!”
Stay tuned for more on Stranger, Brother.
