by Dov Kornits
One of Australia’s most exciting creative minds, Nik Kacevski (Skinford) has delivered a short film for the ages with Greener Pastures, adapting the visionary cult comic book by Tim McEwen and Michael Michalandos.
As we await news of a festival premiere, we asked Kacevski some questions to try to understand how so much love, passion, effort and expertise was put towards a 16 minute short film.
How was Greener Pastures funded?
“The film was independently financed. It was a passion project built through a combination of private investment and a lot of goodwill from cast and crew who believed in the material. We kept it lean, but elevated, which meant everyone stepped up creatively. It was very much a case of people rallying around the story.”
In the amazing making-of [see below], Tim McEwen mentions that this needs to be a TV series. Is that the objective?
“The short was always designed as proof of concept for something larger. The world of Greener Pastures is too expansive to live in just one short film. Whether that becomes a limited series or a feature adaptation is something we’re actively exploring. The goal now is to develop the IP and find the right partners to scale it up without losing what makes it unique.”
Are your hopes for a festival run?
“Absolutely. We’re aiming for a strong festival run. The film plays well in a room. The response at the cast and crew screening confirmed that, so we’re keen to share it with audiences properly and build momentum from there.”
Which scene in the film holds the most meaning to you?
“For me, it’s the moment Trevor returns to the farm. We had Alistair in full prosthetic makeup walking among the cows, and something unexpected happened. They welcomed him. One of them came up gently, almost as if recognising him and welcoming him home. It wasn’t scripted. It just unfolded in front of us. There was something incredibly moving about seeing this mythic creature embraced so naturally by real animals. That moment captured the heart of the story. Belonging, identity, and the idea of home.”
