Interview: Zoe Pepper

UPDATE: This interview was originally published on June 11, 2025. Birthright will screen at The Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival 2026 on Thursday, 2 July. Details here.  If you’re a younger Australian currently wading through this country’s nightmarish property market, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Birthright for a documentary. Of course, that’s a stretch—but only…

Interview: Kate Blackmore

When actress Maria Schneider spoke out about her traumatic experience filming an unscripted sex scene with Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris, it shocked the film world and sparked global conversations about consent in cinema. Her story has now inspired Australian filmmaker Kate Blackmore’s debut feature documentary, Make It Look Real. Blending documentary and…

Interview: Yaara Bou Melhem

Having been born in the 1980s and lived my entire life in Western Australia, the devastating legacy of the Wittenoom asbestos mines has always loomed large. This environmental and human tragedy, where more than three million tonnes of deadly mineral waste were dumped over 60 years ago, remains the largest contaminated site in the Southern…

Interview: Justin Rosniak

From amateur porno filmmaker Gary in Mr. Inbetween, to Leslie ‘Squizzy’ Taylor in the original Underbelly series, to Neck in Broke, Ditch in Down Under, and Warney in Packed to the Rafters, Australian character actor Justin Rosniak has been bringing depth, authenticity, and relatability to both the big and small screen for decades. In his…

Interview: Lorcan Finnegan

The obvious question most people will ask about The Surfer is: “Is it an Australian film?” It’s written by Thomas Martin and directed by Lorcan Finnegan – two Irish lads – shot by a Polish cinematographer, produced by Australian Robert Connolly, and stars American actor Nicolas Cage in the lead role. While the film is…

Cinema Australia Podcast #122 | Jacob Richardson

In this episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast I’m joined by The Aegean writer, director and co-producer Jacob Richardson to discuss his sweeping and ambitious new film.  The Aegean follows Hector (Costas Mandylor), a widowed Greek fisherman who feels the weight of his age in a world that has started to forget him. Everything changes…

Interview: Josh Hale

Filmmaker Josh Hale is no stranger to shifting gears, but with his latest feature Blue Horizon, the American-born, Gold Coast-based writer, director, and producer has taken a massive leap into deeply personal territory. Known for his indie horror House of Inequity and the comedy Digital Athletes: The Road to Seat League, Hale’s new film is…

Interview: Hannah Smith

It’s hard to describe just how outlandish My Tai is. The debut feature film of director Hannah Smith and the brainchild of writer Jake Ashton, My Tai is a genuinely hilarious, truly bonkers, and completely batshit crazy comedy that sits comfortably alongside another gutsy, offbeat and irreverent Australian film – Welcome to Woop Woop. Like…

Interview: Tsu Shan Chambers

Tsu Shan Chambers is a storyteller who wears many hats including actor, writer, producer, and optometrist. She’s also someone who uses her voice to shine a light on important social issues through film. Her latest project, My Eyes, is a heartfelt family drama inspired by true events that explores love, resilience, and living with visual…