Pickpockets. Photo by Rhiannon Hopley

Pickpockets, a romantic comedy by Damaged Goods Productions has wrapped principal photography in Sydney. The project sees the creative team of Lucy Green & D.C. Fairhurst reuniting to produce and adapt their Flickerfest award-winning short This Town Aint Big Enough For The Both Of Us into a feature caper.

Directed by Fairhurst, the story follows Jesse, a lone-wolf pickpocket, as he becomes entangled in a turf war against a charming rookie, Robin.

The cast includes Tim Minchin (Upright), Zoe Terakes (Marvel’s Ironheart), Darren Gilshenan (No Activity), Mia Morrisey (Deadloch), Danny Kim (Sting), Alfie Gledhill (Birdeater), Matt Levett (Payback), Jason Perini (The Office) and Marcus Johnson (Talk To Me). With Green and Fairhurst reprising their roles from the short.

Goldie Soetianto (1 for All), who shot Fairhurst’s debut feature Reaching Distance, also returns as DOP. Crafting a unique, hybrid black & white and colour aesthetic alongside Production Designer, Calum Wilson Austin (Sushi Noh).

ADVERTISEMENT Click to watch now!

“The short ends on an emotional switcheroo” details the writing team, “at both festivals and online, the overwhelming response from audiences was a demand to see more, to find out if the feud between Jesse and Robin could possibly turn romantic. So, it’s been one of the great pleasures of our careers to bring their spiky, combative partnership to the screen”.

Green describes the project as “a love letter to Sydney”, noting “with so much of the film taking place on the streets of Haymarket and Ultimo, we wanted to showcase a side of the city that isn’t often shown in tourism commercials. There’s so much gorgeous architecture and liveliness in that area, and it was a joy to capture that”.

Fairhurst says “While Pickpockets owes a lot to the screwball romances of the 30’s and crime films of the 70’s, it has a lot to say about modern Australia. And we hope the story of these two scrappy outcasts connects with a younger audience who also feel they’re trying to get ahead in a game that’s been rigged against them”.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with such a ridiculously talented cast and a dedicated crew that put everything they had into telling this story. We’re beyond excited to get stuck into post-production”.

If you enjoy Cinema Australia as much as I loved publishing it, please consider supporting Cinema Australia’s commitment to the Australian screen industry via a donation below.

I strive to shine a light on Australian movies, giving voice to emerging talent and established artists.

This important work is made possible through the support of Cinema Australia readers. Without corporate interests or paywalls, Cinema Australia is committed to remaining free to read, watch and listen to, always.

If you can, please consider making a contribution. It takes less than a minute, and your support will make a significant impact in sustaining Cinema Australia as the much-loved publication that it is.

Thank you.

Matthew Eeles
Founder and Editor.

Make a donation here.