by Dov Kornits
Can you describe the story for The Wandering Girls, and where did the inspiration for the story come from?
When I think about the story and the characters as a whole, two films come to mind. Hocus Pocus and I Know What You Did Last Summer. My cinematographer and executive producer, Nicholas Price, who was also the cinematographer for my first film, Fragmentary, called me up last year to see if I would be interested in doing a feature about a small town and a man who lives in the bush. We threw ideas at one and another and once that phone call was over, I was so excited that I sat down and wrote out the first draft in three days. After many back-and-forth conversations and rewrites between Nicholas and myself, The Wandering Girls was born.
The story revolves around a schoolyard game where two people go into the bush to make a bargain with a dead 19th century serial killer, known as the Bushman. If the bargain is successful, one is rewarded with their inner deepest desire while the other is taken as a sacrifice. When best friends, Hayley Winterford and Megan Schafer (played by Emma Norton and Byron James) play the game due to a dare, the bargain works but not in the way either of them expected. Now aware that she is on the Bushman’s hit list and that her best friend has gone missing under sinister circumstances, Hayley must solve a centuries old mystery where she discovers that she is more connected to the Bushman than she ever thought possible, while also confronting the terrifying possibility that the people closest to her may be more dangerous than she ever realised.
There seems to be a bit of a filmmaking community gathering in the Newcastle area. Can you speak to that at all?
We have such a huge theatre presence in Newcastle but whenever I asked someone about film, they would tell me that it is gaining momentum but slowly. It is something that I, personally, would love to see grow because the talent here is phenomenal and everyone is just willing to get in and do the work. Plus, many who act here also have worked behind the scenes in theatre, whether that be special effects, building props, photography – you will find that a lot of my cast are also my crew due to their skillset.
How’d you cast the film?
Michael King, a theatre Director in Newcastle jumped on as my casting director for the film. I have known Michael for nearly twenty years and he has seen countless people audition for his projects, so I put forth the descriptions of the characters and he came back with the best actors for the job for me to choose. I knew finding our three main leads – Hayley Winterford, Hayley’s best friend, Megan Schafer and Hayley’s sister, Stacey Winterford would be the challenge.
Hayley was always going to be the toughest. She is strong but she needed to have that inner vulnerability about her. If I were to describe her, she is our version of Sidney Prescott from Scream. It actually was a funny coincidence because at the time, Michael was doing Next to Normal, and when my partner and I watched the dress rehearsal, Emma Norton was playing Natalie and she was such a stand out. She just blew me away. After the show, I went straight to Michael and said “who is she and how can I get her on board?” We made the right choice because the stuff I have seen her do during filming is just fantastic.
Stacey is the black sheep of the family but has a real nurturing nature. She wants to protect Hayley from the game as she, too, had someone go missing due to it but fails in keeping her from doing so. Last year, I did Sweeney Todd and Michelle York was the assistant stage manager for that show. She had that warm and loving personality about her, and she knew I was in the process of writing The Wandering Girls, so when it came to the auditions, she was performing in a Chookas production of Ride the Cyclone. She asked to audition and I told her that I’ll come watch the show and that will be her audition. I just had to see her perform and when that show finished, I wrote to her and said, “the part is yours.” Michelle is also a very skilled photographer. Under her company name, York & Hellier, the photos you see in this article are taken by her.
The character that had the biggest rewrites in the script was Megan Schafer. She went from only having a few scenes to being a major player and the more I wrote about her, the more she became one of my favourites to write. She is cheeky, fun and speaks her mind, even in the most awkward of situations. And as soon as I locked in those traits, there was only one actress that kept coming to my mind and that was Byron James. I worked with Byron in a Chookas production of Kinky Boots, which was performed at the Civic Theatre. We both were playing drag queens known as the Angels and Byron was someone that made me constantly laugh throughout rehearsals. She just has this presence about her and I know audiences will love her, regardless of the crazy things she does in this film.
How did you finance the film?
The film has been independently financed up until now, with both myself and Nicholas Price investing our own funds into the project to bring it to life. We’re both committed to getting The Wandering Girls to the strongest place possible and are looking to build on this investment by bringing on producing partners, who can support the next stage of the journey, particularly post production.
You’ve had a bit of a rollercoaster in the world of filmmaking, was it difficult to make the decision to make another feature?
I am so proud of Fragmentary. There were certainly a lot of curveballs along the way, but as my first film as a director, it was an incredibly valuable learning experience. I gained so much from the process, and it taught me a great deal about the business that I have been able to carry forward into The Wandering Girls. I did take a few years off to do theatre and my love of performing and being in this creative industry has never gone away. Plus, when Nicholas Price comes calling and is wanting to do another feature, I was never going to say no. I was 100 percent in from the start. I just love to be on set and to see this professional cast and crew do this beautiful work and see your script come to life, it really makes you truly cherish the arts.
What are your hopes in terms of the film, finding an audience etc?
I would love for The Wandering Girls to find an audience that really connects with its story. With my previous film, Fragmentary streaming on Amazon Prime, I’ve gained a better understanding of the distribution process and getting your film screened to the right audiences. I want to build on that experience, explore more opportunities to reach more viewers, and continue to develop my career as a filmmaker. For me, personally, success is about giving The Wandering Girls the best possible chance of getting seen and appreciated, especially for my cast and crew, who have put in so much hard work.
