Horror Thriller “After She Died” Set For A Global Release

“Utterly nerve-shredding… Grips you from the very first frame.” Dead Northern

This Friday, the 13th, descend into terror with AFTER SHE DIED – a new award-winning Australian horror movie. Follow the story of Jen, a grieving teenager who’s horrified to discover that her father’s new girlfriend looks identical to her dead mother.
After its successful VOD release in North America, the film will be expanding globally on January 13th. To celebrate the global release date, a new trailer is now online and available for sharing:

The film is available for pre-order, including 45 minutes of bonus content and an audio commentary from writer/director/producer Jack Dignan. More information about the release can be found at www.aftershedied.com
A screener is available for review upon request.
The film won Best Australian Feature and Best Australian Feature Performance (Vanessa Madrid) at 2022’s A Night of Horror International Film Festival.

Knowing the Score: a biopic of Australian conductor Simone Young to hit cinemas on February 16

Sharmill Films, in partnership with Bonsai Films, has today announced the release date for KNOWING THE SCORE, a biopic documentary following the career of Simone Young, an inspiring, brilliant woman who made it to the top in a man’s world, wielding her wit, determination, sense of humour and baton.

Set to open in select Australian cinemas from February 16Knowing the Score will have its world premiere at Randwick Ritz on Sunday 5 February followed by a Q&A with Young.

New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Simone Young has conquered them all in the most male dominated of professions, a Conductor of Opera and Classical Music. The girl from Manly beach, now a woman with so many firsts to her name, she’s tired of the whole “woman” title that follows her around. Knowing the Score captures the career of a great conductor, its challenges and triumphs, past, present and into the future.

Knowing the Score is directed by Janine Hosking, with Serendipity Productions’ Margie Bryant producing alongside Cate Blanchett as executive producer.

KNOWING THE SCORE WILL BE RELEASED IN CINEMAS ON 16 FEBRUARY 2023

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Nixco

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Hits $1 Billion At The Global Box Office

The latest James Cameron blockbuster “Avatar: The Way of Water” has amazingly gone past the $1 billion mark in global ticket sales in just a mere 14 days. According to a report from Variety, it has become the fastest movie this year to hit the box office milestone.

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is the fastest movie to hit $1 billion at the box office since Spider-Man: No Way Home, which needed 12 days in total to get there. Variety further confirms that only three films released in 2022 passed the billion-dollar mark. It took 31 days for “Top Gun: Maverick” to clear $1 billion at the box office; meanwhile, it took more than four months for “Jurassic World Dominion” to join the elite club.

Variety further confirms that the film has generated $317.1 million in North America and $712.7 million overseas, resulting in a global tally of $1.025 billion, which moved past “Jurassic World Dominion” as the second highest-grossing movie of the year, and the third highest of the pandemic era.

“Avatar” stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver, and it follows the Sully family as they head underwater to battle the elements and keep the Na’vi safe from humans. Other cast members include Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Edie Falco, and Jemaine Clement.

Cameras Set To Wrap On “The New Boy” In South Australia

Award-winning First Nations filmmaker Warwick Thornton’s spiritual drama The New Boy wraps this week in regional South Australia, with major production funding from Screen Australia’s First Nations Department alongside Fremantle and Gretel Packer’s Longbridge Nominees, who join producers Kath Shelper for Scarlett Pictures; and Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton, Georgie Pym and Coco Francini for Dirty Films.

Newcomer Aswan Reid has been cast in the titular role, alongside Blanchett, Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair. An ensemble of new faces, including Shane Brady, Tyrique Brady, Laiken Woolmington, Kailem Miller, Kyle Miller, Tyzailin Roderick and Tyler Spencer, round out the cast.

Set in 1940s Australia, The New Boy is the story of a nine-year-old Aboriginal orphan boy (Reid) who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery, run by a renegade nun (Blanchett), where his presence disturbs the delicately balanced world in this story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival.

Screen Australia’s First Nations Department provides major production investment in association with Screen NSW and the South Australian Film Corporation. Roadshow Films is handling distribution in Australia and New Zealand.

The First Nations Department first backed the project in development over a number of years.

Screen Australia’s Head of First Nations, Angela Bates, said: “We are proud to support the masterful Warwick Thornton together with an experienced creative team and talented cast on this film. With a subtle yet powerful script, The New Boy is a genre defying film that explores spirituality, culture and colonisation in a way we haven’t seen on screen before. I have no doubt it will resonate with audiences around the world.”

The film is produced by Shelper for Scarlett Pictures, Blanchett, Upton and co-producer Pym for Dirty Films, and De Maio (of De Maio Entertainment), with Francini serving as executive producer for Dirty Films alongside Packer for Longbridge Nominees.

Christian Vesper, President of Global Drama, Fremantle, commented, “The New Boy is a powerful story from the cinematic genius of Warwick Thornton, and we are honoured to collaborate with an outstanding group of actors and exceptional creatives to tell this compelling story. We all take this responsibility seriously and acknowledge that the power and success of The New Boy lies in the reclamation of Indigenous narratives and perspectives, where audiences from around the world can reflect and have meaningful conversations about the struggles for survival.”

Lorenzo De Maio, De Maio Entertainment added, “It’s an incredible joy to partner with Dirty Films, Scarlett Pictures, Longbridge Nominees, Screen Australia and Fremantle, to bring this extraordinary film to audiences worldwide and to support First Nations storytelling. Warwick Thornton has crafted a film with unique beauty and power, anchored by the incomparable Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair, alongside a cast of truly talented and inspiring young actors.”

Gretel Packer commented, “I am thrilled to be part of this magical project. It is both a heartbreaking and heart-warming story, being brought to the screen by such a brilliant team of passionate and talented artists. It is a privilege.”

Thornton is one of Australia’s most celebrated filmmakers, most notably for his critically acclaimed Sweet Country, for which he won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017; and Samson And Delilah, for which he won the Caméra d’Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Both films won the AACTA Award for Best Film. His authentic lens highlights him as one of cinema’s most treasured voices.

CAA Media Finance and UTA are handling sales for North America and The Veterans are on board to manage sales for the remainder of the globe.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A #@%! Trailer Just Dropped

Based on the Global Bestselling Self-Help Phenomenon, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A #@%! is a cinematic documentary designed to help us become less awful people. The author himself, Mark Manson, cuts through the crap to offer his not-giving-a-#@%! philosophy: a dose of raw, refreshing, honesty that shows us how to live more contented, grounded lives. With over 15 million copies sold, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A #@%! struck a chord with readers all over the world and now, its no-bullshit, life-changing advice comes to the screen. Backed by both academic research and scatological jokes, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A #@%! shows us that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade but on learning to stomach lemons. Whether you couldn’t be #@%!ed to read the book, or you want a helpful refresher, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A #@%! reveals a counterintuitive approach to living a good life, designed to make us laugh, think, and grow. Filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humour, this movie is a much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk to remind us that there are only so many things we can give a #@%! about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter.

Check out the trailer below:

AACTA Awards 2022: Here Are All The Winners From Last Night’s Ceremony

The Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) is proud to announce the full list of AACTA Award winners, including the public-voted Audience Choice Award winners and AACTA Trailblazer Recipient. Sonia Kruger, Mark Coles Smith, and the cast of Heartbreak High were among the stars to walk the carpet at the star-studded ceremony as the industry came together to honour Australia’s best and brightest screen talent.

Elvis and Mystery Road: Origin led the winners at the 2022 AACTA Awards Ceremony presented by Foxtel Group. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was the biggest winner of the night, taking home four additional Awards, including the coveted award for Best Film, Best Direction in Film presented by Filmology Finance (Baz Luhrmann), Best Lead Actor (Austin Butler), and Best Supporting Actress in Film (Olivia DeJonge). Elvis dominated the AACTA Industry Awards on Monday with 7 wins, bringing the total AACTA Award count to 11.

In television, Mystery Road: Origin received an additional 3 AACTA Awards, including Best Drama Series, as well as Best Lead Actor (Mark Coles Smith) and Actress (Tuuli Narkle) in a Drama presented by Foxtel. After receiving 4 AACTA Awards during Monday’s Industry Awards, Mystery Road: Origin leads the TV Award categories with a total of 7 AACTA Awards.

Another big winner of the evening was internet-sensation Heartbreak High. The teen drama swept all 3 of their eligible public-voted Audience Choice Award categories, including Best TV Show, Best Actor (Bryn Chapman), and Best Actress (Chloe Hayden). The Audience Choice Awards continued with Kat Clark crowned Best Digital Creator and Abbie Chatfield given the title of Australia’s Best TV Personality.

Chris Hemsworth was last night’s recipient of the Trailblazer Award. The AACTA Trailblazer Award highlights the achievements, abilities, and success of an Australian screen practitioner who inspires others in the industry. Hemsworth was honoured for his outstanding career and contribution to the Australian screen industry as one of the most famous residents of the NSW North Coast; Hemsworth has used his position and status to attract global productions to Australia, creating jobs and opportunities for hundreds of local screen practitioners and championing the Australian film industry.

Check out the full list of 2022 AACTA Award Winners below:

TELEVISION

  • AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Charlie Aspinwall, Sam Moor, Daley Pearson – Ludo Studio (ABC)
  • AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Tyson Perkins
  • AACTA Award for Best Comedy Performer: Tom Gleeson – Hard Quiz
  • AACTA Award for Best Comedy Program: Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell – Peter Beck, Beth Hart, Shaun Micallef – ITV Studios Australia (ABC)
  • AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: Heartbreak High (Episode 1) – Rita Carmody
  • AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Dylan River
  • AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: You Can’t Ask That (Episode 1) – Kirk Docker
  • AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: Miriam Margolyes Australia Unmasked – Laurie Critchley, Bethan Arwel-Lewis – Southern Pictures (ABC)
  • AACTA Award for Best Drama Series: Mystery Road: Origin – Greer Simpkin, David Jowsey – Bunya Productions (ABC)
  • AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Nicholas Holmes
  • AACTA Award for Best Entertainment Program: LEGO® Masters Australia – David McDonald, Di Yang, AJ Johnson – Endemol Shine Australia (Nine Network)
  • AACTA Award for Best Factual Entertainment Program: Old People’s Home for Teenagers – Debbie Cuell, Tony De La Pena, Paulo Vivan, Brooke Hulsman – Endemol Shine Australia (ABC)
  • AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Presented by Foxtel: Mark Coles Smith – Mystery Road: Origin
  • AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Presented by Foxtel: Tuuli Narkle – Mystery Road: Origin
  • AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program: Gardening Australia – Gill Lomas – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
  • AACTA Award for Best Miniseries: The Twelve – Hamish Lewis, Ian Collie, Ally Henville, Rob Gibson, Michael Brooks – Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia and Easy Tiger Productions (Binge, Foxtel)
  • AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: Savage River (Episode 1) – Bryony Marks
  • AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: The Tourist (Episode 1) – Scott Bird
  • AACTA Award for Best Reality Program: MasterChef Australia – David Forster, Eoin Maher, Simon Child – Endemol Shine Australia (Network 10)
  • AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television: Heartbreak High (Episode 1) – Hannah Carroll Chapman
  • AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Luke Mynott, Wes Chew, Trevor Hope, Dylan Barfield
  • AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special: Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy – Ronny Chieng – All Things Comedy and Netflix (Netflix)
  • AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama: Thomas Weatherall – Heartbreak High
  • AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama: Brooke Satchwell – The Twelve

FILM

  • AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: Elvis – Mandy Walker
  • AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: Elvis – Catherine Martin
  • AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film presented by Filmology Finance: Elvis – Baz Luhrmann
  • AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Elvis – Matt Villa, Jonathan Redmond
  • AACTA Award for Best Film: Elvis – Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss – Bazmark
  • AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: A Stitch In Time – Sasha Hadden (Dir.) – Hadden Motion Pictures
  • AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in Film: Austin Butler – Elvis
  • AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film: Leah Purcell – The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson
  • AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: Falling For Figaro – Cezary Skubiszewski
  • AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: Elvis – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn
  • AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film: The Stranger – Thomas M. Wright
  • AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Elvis – David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, Michael Keller
  • AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film: Sean Harris – The Stranger
  • AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film: Olivia DeJonge – Elvis

SHORT FILM

  • AACTA Award for Best Short Film: Finding Jedda – Tanith Glynn-Maloney – Since1788 Productions, Unless Pictures, Orange Entertainment Co

DOCUMENTARY

  • AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: Facing Monsters – Rick Rifici
  • AACTA Award for Best Documentary: River – Jennifer Peedom (Dir.), Joseph Nizeti, Jo-anne McGowan, John Smithson – Stranger Than Fiction Films
  • AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary: We Were Once Kids – Shannon Swan
  • AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: River – Richard Tognetti, William Barton, Piers Burbrook de Vere
  • AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Facing Monsters – Jeremy Ashton, Ric Curtin, Xoe Baird

DIGITAL

  • AACTA Award for Best Digital Series or Channel: A Beginner’s Guide to Grief – Anna Lindner, Renee Mao, Linda Ujuk, Kate Butler, Julie Byrne
  • AACTA Award for Best Digital Short Video: Daddy Long Legs – Dr. Karl

OTHER

  • AACTA Award for Best Casting Presented by Casting Networks: The Twelve – Kirsty McGregor
  • AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Elvis – Shane Thomas, Louise Coulston, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird
  • AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Elvis – Tom Wood, Fiona Crawford, Julian Hutchens, Joshua Simmonds, Adam Hammond –  Warner Bros. Pictures

INDIVIDUAL

  • 2022 AACTA Trailblazer Award Recipient: Chris Hemsworth
  • 2022 AACTA Longford Lyell Award Recipient: Catherine Martin
  • 2022 AACTA Reg Grundy Award Recipient: Jayden James & George Harrington (Mr. Wolf), Rachel Kayrooz (Facing the Fear)

AACTA AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Film: Elvis
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best TV Series: Heartbreak High
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Actor: Bryn Chapman (Heartbreak High)
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Actress: Chloe Hayden (Heartbreak High)
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best TV Personality: Abbie Chatfield
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Digital Creator: Kat Clark
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Sports Program: Women’s Footy (Nine)
  • AACTA Audience Choice Award for Best Sports Commentary Team: 2022 AFL Grand Final (Seven)

Actor Spotlight: One On One With Demitra Sealy Of Malibu Crush

Demitra Sealy is an award-winning, multi-lingual actress, singer, comedian, and competitive martial artist from Sydney, Australia, now based in LA. Some of her recent credits include The Debt Collector 2 (Netflix Top 5), five seasons as host of MERAKI TV (Murdoch Media and Foxtel Australia), Co-writer/ lead of popular tongue-in-cheek skit comedy duo ‘Demi and Frenchy,’ which has over 3 million captive followers across various platforms, and the short film Euphoria, which she starred in, produced, directed, and edited to the success of being nominated for the Horizon Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Demitra thrives in the comedy space as a stand-up and comedy writer on several projects. This year, she was selected for the Los Angeles MENASA Showcase. She was also a top 15 finalist in the Warner Brother TV-Actors In Training 2020 Worldwide Talent Search out of “many thousands of worldwide auditions.” She has a BA from the Australian Institute of Music and further training from the world-famous Actors Studio NYC, The Bell Shakespeare Company, Playwriting Australia, and the Upright Citizens Brigade. She has an extensive theatre resume, having worked with some of Australia’s most prestigious theatre companies like ATYP, The Q Theatre, The Hayes Theatre, Bell Shakespeare, KXT, Downstairs Belvoir play reads/developments, and numerous independent theatre companies and Off-Broadway productions in NYC. She also has a US Green card, a Canadian working visa, and citizenship in the EU,
Australia and New Zealand.

FilmCentral magazine recently caught up with Demitra, and here’s what went down:

What do you like most about acting?

I like so many parts of acting. I really couldn’t name just one! I love thinking and looking at the world’s character differently and through a different lens, thinking in ways I normally wouldn’t. Acting forces me to do that. I’m a much better human being because of acting and having to put myself in others’ shoes. I love improvisation and the collaboration with other actors that come with that. There’s a magic that comes with acting when you find your character, a feeling of ease that is just so addictive. I love this industry, and I love my job.

How different is it to act in a movie and to act in a TV series? And which one do you prefer?

Both are great! Malibu Crush was such a fun experience- working in comedy and with improvisation is definitely my favourite thing to do. However, I really do love working on TV. You get to stay with a character for a more extended period of time, and as an actor, that is really appealing to me. Deepening your understanding of who this character is is fascinating. I am learning, thinking like, making discoveries, and growing with them in different ways. That is so exciting to do, and I hope I get to do much more of it.

What are your strong points as an actor?

I recently opened a self-tape studio in Hollywood called Stella Self Tape Studio. I have years of experience coaching and reading for self-tape auditions. Even though my entire focus is on the actor auditioning, I’ve made a lot of self-discoveries while doing this work. As an actor, my focus is very much on my scene partner. Seeing what they are giving me and reacting off that. Actively listening to them. I’m not afraid to give offers and try things, to see what works and what doesn’t. All those skills came from reading opposite other actor’s auditions and trying to get the most honest performance out of someone else.

What have you learned from the directors that you have worked with throughout your career?

I have learned so many little tidbits about acting, life, and the industry from not just directors, but all kinds of people I’ve worked with. I always leave a set having learned something new. I am constantly changing, adapting, and improving. One of the most notable lessons I learned, and I try and live my life by, is “Hold on tightly, let go lightly.” One of the first directors I worked with in drama school taught me that. I interpreted that as; really fight and work for what you want but if it’s not working out, let it go without regret and try something else. It’s made me kinda bouncy in this industry. I get right back up.

What do you do when you’re not filming?

I love expanding my wworldviewand trying new things. I live in LA so there’s no shortage of great places to go and things to try here.

I stay active, training in Muay Thai and doing things like hiking, dancing, and rock climbing. I love food too, and LA has hella good food.

Matt Nable’s “Transfusion”, Starring Sam Worthington Wins The Covted Red Poppy Award At The Veterans Film Festival

VFF Chair Warwick Young, juror Jenni Baird, winners Michael Schwarz and Matt Nable I Photo sent by Carolyn Grant of Avviso

Jury Chair Bruce Beresford announced Transfusion as the winner of the prestigious *Howard Frank Van Norton Award for Best Film among a cluster of Red Poppy Awards, including Sam Worthington for Best Actor and Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress for Causeway at the annual international Veterans Film Festival during a gala Closing Night on Sunday at the Entertainment Quarter in Sydney.

The coveted Red Poppy Awards, titled after the war poem ‘In Flanders Field’, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, saw films from 14 countries in competition across the 4 -day festival.

Writer, director, and actor Matt Nable and producers Michael Schwarz and John Schwarz collected the $10,000 prize for the Best Film Award. The film’s star, Sam Worthington, was awarded Best Actor. Causeway, which opened the festival, also won the Sgt Joseph Cecil Thompson Award (named in memory of the cornet player of the 9th Battalion Band that landed at Gallipoli in 1915) for Best Music by Alex Somers, as well as Lawrence’s Best Actress gong.

Other Red Poppy Awards presented:

• The Spectrum Films Award for Best Short Film went to US film Soldier by Justin Zimmerman. The prize includes $4000 cash and $2500 in post-production support from Spectrum Films.
• The Award for Best Student Film was won by The Search by veteran Thomas Brouns.
• The Best Music Video went to Better Off – a song by Johnny Reveille, directed by Casey Andrew, both veterans.
• The Harry Julius Award for Best Animation went to the Iranian film The Sprayer by Farnoosh Abedi.
• The Beyond Blue Award for the Best Film Reflecting Hope and Resilience went to The Healing by Nick Barkla.

Winners were selected by the Jury panel of Bruce Beresford, Lisa Hoppe, Jenni Baird, Alan Dukes, Julie Kalceff, Cameron Patrick, Petra Salsjo, and Gus O’Brien-Cavanough.

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Carolyn Grant | avviso.com.au

The Awards have been presented annually, except for a COVID break, since 2015. The last time the Awards were held in 2020, the Best Feature was won by Ukrainian drama U311 Cherkasy, and Best Short was awarded to Australian entry Trust Frank.

*Private Howard Frank Van Norton was a veteran of the US Army in WW2 and is the late father of the Veterans Film Festival leading patron Kay Van Norton Poche.

Private Howard Frank Van Norton was born in 1925 and passed in 2012. He landed in France on 8 June 1944, two days after the main D-Day landings. During the Allied advance through France, the enemy shot him in the back while repairing communication lines. Wounded, he continued to repair the wiring until communication was restored to his Unit. He was awarded a silver star and the Purple Heart for that action. After the war, Howard continued serving others in the community all his life.

About Veterans Film Festival

The Veterans Film Festival aims to be Australia’s premier international film festival devoted to screening films about, for, and by veterans, with sidebar events such as masterclasses, Q&As, workshops, art exhibitions, and performances.

The Veterans Film Festival will provide skills training, placement opportunities, scholarships, and project development within the screen industry through the new Screen Warriors program. This means it will broaden the diversity and inclusiveness of the Australian screen industry whilst simultaneously supporting and improving the lives of veterans and their families.

Their Excellencies General, the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Mrs. Linda Hurley are VFF Patrons.

In Pictures: FilmCentral Magazine’s Editor-in-chief Yolandi Franken At The 2022 SmartFone Flick Fest

SmartFone Flick Fest is Australia’s international smartphone film festival for filmmakers of all ages. They are a worldwide festival open to anyone with a smartphone or tablet and a great idea for a short film.

SF3 provides a platform for budding, emerging, and professional filmmakers to bring their ideas to life and have their films seen by a global audience without needing lots of fancy equipment or a big budget.

FilmCentral Magazine’s editor-in-chief was recently invited as a judge at SmartFone Flick Fest and here are some of the pics from the event:

Meet The Rising Star Behind The November 2022 Issue Of FilmCentral Magazine: Vanessa Madrid

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Vanessa Madrid is an actor and stuntwoman with a Bachelor of International Development Studies from the Australian Catholic University. She’s recently wrapped in multiple feature films, including the lead role in the psychological thriller ‘Mercy of Others,’ a supporting role in ‘Lickerish,’ and dual roles in the horror film ‘After She Died,’ where she showcased what a chameleon she can be. In 2021, Vanessa appeared in the second season of the Stan original series Bump,’ and the short film Wrath,’ which is a finalist in many festivals worldwide. She has appeared in several TVCs as both an actor and stunt double, and she recently wrote/directed/starred in her own short film ‘Survival of the Fittest.’ Vanessa has had the pleasure of working on two different docu-series, ‘Deadly Women’ and ‘The Invisibles,’ and is currently working on the Australian TV series ‘Pervert’ in a lead role. Later this year, Vanessa will be playing a lead role in an action drama feature film ‘Syndicate. ‘ Just recently, Vanessa played dual roles in After She Died – she played Isabel and Florence. This role earned her the “Best Australian Feature Performance” at the A Night of Horror International Film Festival.

We sat down and talked movies with Vanessa, and here’s what he had to say:

What do you like most about acting?

I love acting because of your connection with others on set and with the audience. When I’m acting, it’s truly a spiritual experience for me because I cannot be more present. I can work for hours on end, and it feels like a click of a finger for me. When I’m on set, I do not act, I become that character, and I get to feel those feelings and emotions that my character goes through during her journey, which is my ultimate spiritual experience and connection.

Can you tell us about your role in After She Died?

Yes, so I actually played dual roles in After She Died. I play Isabel, whose in her 40s and is a mother. She is close to her daughter, very nurturing, and a good wife; however, she’s gotten to a point in her marriage where it has gotten complicated, but they still love each other and know no different. Unfortunately, Isabel suddenly passes away, and soon after, Florence appears, who I play as well, and she’s basically been brought back to life from Isobel’s body. Florence has some faint recollections from her previous life, but she’s really learning everything from scratch again.

What sort of person is going to relate this character?

I think all the mothers out there and all the people that want to be parents will connect with Isabel. However, I think people will have a lot harder time connecting with Florence. Florence is a very complex individual because of what happened to her.

How is this character like you? Different?

Isabel is similar in the way that she’s very loving, nurturing, and protective. She is also quite the firecracker like me. I guess it’s the Hispanic in both of us (laughs). She’s different because she’s much older than I am and has a child.

It was a little harder to connect with Florence, but we share the same curiosity. When I’m more in my child self, and I’m more playful then I guess I find similarities. Florence is very different to me because she lacks empathy and is quite still. I’m extremely empathetic to the point that I even get sympathy pains!

Besides yourself, what celebrity would you like to see tackle this character?

I would love to see Toni Collette’s tackle these roles as she’s one of my favourite Australian actresses, and it would be really interesting to see her take it.

Besides yourself, which actor/s in this film is going to blow people away?

Well, this is a bit unfair because obviously everyone is amazing, but I think the audience will love Jen, played by Liliana De La Rose, and John, played by Paul Talbot.

What’s the biggest challenge to taking on this role?

The biggest challenge was trying to get into the mindset of Florence and trying not to react to Jen and my husband, who are freaking out and heartbroken. However, once I found Florence, it was easy to go into that character and her mindset.

If you could play any other character in this film, who would it be?

Maybe the sheep man because it would be so fun to dress up and freak people out (laughs)!

What has been the most memorable experience of your career so far?

The most memorable would have to be the After She Died premier because that was my first film premiere as a lead in a feature film. It was very exciting as well as taking home the award for best performance on the night of the horror international film festival.

Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?

Everyone is interesting in their own way, but I have to say I definitely had a Fan girl moment when I got to meet Claudia Karvan on the Stan show Bump. She is one of my favourite Australian actresses up there was Toni Collette. It was nothing but a dream to be working on her show and then going to the Bump premier and her saying, “oh my god, you came,” with a big hug. That really took me back because I just love and respect her so much.

How active are you on social media?

This answer would’ve been very different a year ago as I took a two or three-year break from social media. I just wanted to focus on myself and protect my privacy. After countless chats from family and friends telling me that I had to “get back out there” and that social media is the way, I finally came back on, and I’ve been pretty active. You can find me on VanessaAMadrid on Instagram. I’m trying to be more active and share my experiences with my friends.

I have also made a Tiktok which has a couple of silly videos, there is nothing too serious on there, but it’s just a bit of fun! If you message me on Facebook, I probably won’t see it for three months because I don’t really look at it very often, so I’m sorry if I have ignored anyone out there.

What are your future plans? Inside your career or out of it.

Future plans… hmmm, lots of travelling and hopefully lots of working on set. My partner and I are trying to figure out if we should move overseas or move to Queensland or stay in Sydney, so to be honest, I’m not 100% sure where I will end up, but I know that we will be travelling. I’ve also signed up with a new agent, so I hope to level up in my career and get more work.