Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival 2024
Network Round Shorts
Monday 2nd December - Sunday 8th December
1. The M Word
Director/Writer: Shane Poss Crosland
Producers: Agustina Maruca, Kimberley Kimberley Vecsei
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: A nihilistic bartender cynically leads the viewer through his atypical lifestyle.
2. Soap Syren
Directors/Writers: Beatrice Rose Robinson, Angelica Phanekham
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: A young woman discovers an entrancing escape from her dank, dingy, apartment beneath the surface of her evening bath. She discovers, to her detriment, that the ‘person’ waiting below
may not be all she seems…
3. THE CURSE EFFECT
Director/Writer/Producer: Gregg Jaden
Writer: jason Satterlund
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: Dive deep into the heart of Indonesia's Borneo jungle with 'THE CURSE EFFECT.' This riveting mini-documentary delivers never-before-seen footage of one of the most feared tribes on earth, Suku Dayak. Enter a world of the tribe's private way of life known for its voodoo traditions, daily rituals, and historical enemy headhunting. Defying the odds as a foreign outsider, filmmaker Gregg Jaden miraculously earned the tribe's trust, gaining access to film them like never before... at the tribe's land. Uncovering the mystery of a voodoo curse and their fight against a deadly, unseen evil.
4. Capgras
Director: Brynjolf Damgaard Hasse
Writer: Albert Scott
Producer: Frida Simonsen Klüver, Per Ankjær
Country of Origin: Denmark
Synopsis: Capgras is a psychological horror, that follows the patriarch Abraham as he takes his introverted teenage son, Isak, on a hunting trip. Abraham hopes to turn Isak into a 'real man'; unfortunately, Isak proves to be a terrible hunter.
5. Horsepower
Director/Writer/Producer: Jessica London
Writer: Gonca Karasu
Producer: Mahmudul Raz
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: Ian, a young farrier haunted by lifelong battles with his mental health, discovers a profound sanctuary in the gentle presence of his horses, embarking on a transformative journey of self-discovery and healing.
6. The Mould on the Wall
Director/Writer/Producer: Joseph Michael
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: A small mould growth begins to have mind-altering effects on the tenants of a Sydney share-house.
7. Last Seen
Directors: Taylah Clements, Nicola Harkin
Writer: Amy Coomer
Producers: Amy Coomer, Nicola Harkin, Taylah Clements
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: After meeting what appears to be her future best friends at a bus stop, a little girl's life is changed forever.
8. YAKKA
Director/Writer: Jack Shepherd
Producers: Matthew Toon, Lena Buchanan
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: On a secluded Australian estuary, as two young brothers grapple for their neglectful father’s approval, their usual pastime of exploring empty holiday houses goes awry, and a violent mistake will shatter their fragile bond forever.
YAKKA is a resonant coming-of-age film that explores the complexities of brotherhood, unavoidable loss of innocence, the familial cycles of violence and finding the courage to stand up for what you believe is right.
9. "Ultimatum"
Director/Writer: Timothy Nguyen
Producer: Alan Wang, Sergio Sanchez,John Tran, Katie Vo
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: Two siblings get caught in a brutal fight in buying a home, an accurate portrayal of the excruciating home buying experience in California. em>
10. Kollektor -'One Strange Day'
Director/Writer/Producer: Jesse Dallas Frazer
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: Music Video, singer goes to sleep next to his girlfiend and wakes up having been abducted to a medical test lab. after being injected and tested he escapes and a chase ensues. Filmed on the Central Coast of NSW.
11. flick
Director: Justin Bones
Writer: Jonathan Newland
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: A lighter is purchased, then takes a trip around the block, adding the spark needed for those to make a change. The flame it brings pulls some together, but pushes others apart. No matter where you are, life can change with one FLICK.
12. The Last of the Hand Weavers
Director/Producer: Simon Barr
Country of Origin: Ireland
Synopsis: This short documentary focuses on Eddie Doherty - a modest and humble man who, at the age of 84, still carries on the tradition of hand weaving the Donegal Tweed fabrics at his small shop in Ardara, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
13. Deviate
Director/Writer/Producer: Robert Charles Webb
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: Official music video for "Deviate" by Disconnectica. "It's a train wreck, it's a car crash, don't stop to look." Examine your deepest crises and you may get sucked down the rabbit hole, questioning everything. Fight back to return to oblivion!
14. SMILEY
Director, Writer: Beverley Marcusson
Producer: Janneke Williamson
Country of Origin: Australia
15. TDML
Director: Nick Bolton
Writer: Shayan Murray
Producers: Essi Haukkamaa-Judge, Nick Bolton
Country of Origin: Australia
Synopsis: Joey remembers and reflects on his memory of New Years Eve seven years ago as he returns to Lake Illawarra to keep a promise he made to a special friend.
16. Crazy Love
Director, Writer: Thomas Stewardson
Producers: Rona Aitken, Thomas Stewardson
Country of Origin: New Zealand
Synopsis: As a major life decision approaches, Theo finds himself yearning for what he doesn’t have in this romantic drama about the conflict between happiness and self-destruction.