Stephen Curry and Jackson Tozer have been cast in a black comedy short to be shot in Riddells Creek during March.
Described as Weekend at Bernies meets Reservoir Dogs, Hatchback centres on Vince (Curry) as he attempts to clean up a dead body for the mob, but when he enlists the help of his dim-witted brother-in-law Ted (Tozer), things don’t go to plan.
Gisborne filmmaker Chloe Graham said securing Curry (The Castle) and Tozer (Mr Inbetween) for the lead roles was a highlight together with shooting a large portion of the film in the Macedon Ranges.
“When Stephen first saw the script he said it had great potential and he found it amusing. It was very flattering to have a comedian of his calibre tell me that my material was funny,” she said.
“We had Stephen and Jackson do a read-through together and the bounce-off between those two was absolutely fantastic.”
The 26-year-old said spying a small car on the side of the freeway while listening to a crime podcast during her commute sparked the creative process.
Graham co-wrote the film with director Riley Sugars, from Mornington Peninsula, and the pair are also producers for the project alongside the LA-based John Grosland and Charlotte De Pedro.
Based in Melbourne, Graham has been working as an editor since 2015 with credits like executive editor for Rabbits (2019) to her name and many other short films.
She has since expanded into other roles within film and television production, including production on Australian Ninja Warrior (2020) and advertising for Brazen Hussies (2020).
Graham feels she has found her forte in dark comedy and is eager to see Hatchback enter the film festival circuit.
Presently, the small team behind the project is self-funded and is seeking support.
A GoFundMe page has launched with the goal to raise $10,000 to assist with costs of production, camera/lighting equipment, locations, production design and paying the cast and crew.
“The funds are integral to making this film the best quality possible to bring this story to the screen,” Graham said.
Anyone wishing to support the film by donation or sharing the page can visit: gofundme.com/f/hatchback-film-starring-stephen-curry
