by Dov Kornits
Queensland filmmaker Rhys Ellis’ stylish short film – about the mind wandering in the presence of enigmatic strangers in Outback motels, starring Tori Webb, Joel Drabble and the voice of Roy Billing – will premiere at CinefestOZ.
Why set Granite Highway in the ‘90s and how did you go about representing that through the film?
“I wanted to remove the safety net of modern technology. No smartphones, no Google, which naturally added to the danger and isolation of the story. Setting it in the ‘90s also let me explore a time I partially grew up in but only remember in a kind of hazy, dreamlike way.
“We ended up shooting in three different motels because it was tough to find one location that had the right look for every scene. We paid a lot of attention to the details, costumes, props, the car, even casting Roy Billing as a voice actor.
“To me, Roy is such an icon of that era in Australian film and TV, and having his voice in the film really grounded it in that time.
“Tonally, I’m influenced by films like Chopper and Somersault. I love the gritty, evocative worlds those stories created, and I wanted to build something of my own in that tradition.”
Why this story, is there any personal resonance in it for you?
“It came from travelling around rural Australia while working on commercial shoots. You’d find these little towns with just one or two places to stay, and the motel managers always had these strong, sometimes strange personalities. Kind of stuck between isolation and hospitality.
“Anyone who’s grown up in Australia knows the outback can feel eerie. Beautiful, but unsettling. That atmosphere really stuck with me. After those trips, I started researching true crime stories and was struck by how many unsolved cases there were. That blend of character, place, and mystery was the seed for Granite Highway.”
How did you secure such a great cast?
“I sent the script to Tori Webb, who really connected with the story. She happened to know Joel Drabble, and when we all met to talk it through, it just felt right. No auditions, just a shared sense of what the film was about.
“With Roy Billing, I’ve always felt his voice was incredibly powerful and underrated in some ways. I sent the script to his agent expecting not to hear back, but to my surprise, Roy loved it. Because we never see his character, we needed someone who could command presence with just their voice, and Roy brought that effortlessly. We recorded his lines over Zoom, and he’s been so supportive since.”
You have Tristan Barr [enterprising actor/director/producer of Watch the Sunset and Subject) as an EP, what did he contribute towards the making of the film?
“Tristan’s been an amazing springboard, especially in post production. His creative feedback really sharpened the tone and clarity of the edit. He’s also now overseeing development on the Granite Highway feature. The short was always intended as a kind of proof of concept.
“He’s helping support our festival run and has been initiating conversations with potential international collaborators for when the feature moves forward. It’s been great having someone on board who understands both the creative and strategic sides.”
Can you discuss the biggest challenges in making the film?
“The period setting changed everything. Every detail, props, costume, hair and makeup, even the way people speak, needed to feel authentic to the time. It was a huge challenge. Finding a motel that would let us take over for a few days wasn’t easy either. We probably contacted 30 different places before locking three in. And of course, making the film independently came with its own hurdles. We crowdfunded some of the budget, but most of it was self-funded, so we had to be smart with how we used our resources. That said, I’m really proud of what we managed to achieve with what we had.”
What’s next?
“We’re in development on the Granite Highway feature. There’s an exciting cult element we’re bringing in that really expands the world and heightens the tension. I’m also working on a new mini web series with Mieka Thorogood, my co-writer on other projects. It taps into similar themes, but in a more contemporary setting. We’re aiming to begin production soon, and I’m really excited to bring that one to life too.”
Granite Highway screens at CinefestOZ
