The short film Oi, produced by a crew of AFTRS students, recent graduates, and alumni, has been selected to screen at the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival, where it will have its world premiere.
Oi joins AFTRS productions Bőr and Withered Blossoms, alongside AFTRS alum Grace Tan’s short film, A Daydream with Fini, in a program screening two AFTRS productions and ten AFTRS alumni films. Oi looks at a hyper-sexualised Australian teenage experience. Its chaotic, turbulent central character uses violence, persuasion, sexual provocation, and indelible bravado to rule the school.
Directed by Sophie Serisier, produced by Monique Placko and written by Laneikka Denne, the production joins AFTRS students, alumni, and long-time creative collaborators. Behind the film is the production company CIMP Entertainment, co-founded by AFTRS Masters of Producing Alumni Caleb Irwin and Monique Placko in 2023. The partnership began during their time at AFTRS and is already expanding connections and opportunities for creative collaboration with current students and recent graduates.
Producer Monique Placko, currently a Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production Year 3 student and one of the Mons from our Open Day TikTok videos from last year, highlights the importance of creative partnerships and how the connections build while studying at AFTRS expand well beyond their cohort:
“In my experience, the most important part of the producing process is bringing the right people together for a project. There’s nothing I love more than seeing my crews continue to collaborate on other projects, after meeting on one of mine.
When it comes to AFTRS people – we always end up finding each other. Oi is the product of 9 generations of AFTRS alumni and current students (from different cohorts, graduating years, and degrees) coming together to offer their unique skillsets, and creating something that we’re all incredibly proud of.”
AFTRS BAS 2021 grad and director Sophie Serisier, who has worked as Second Assistant Director on AFTRS production Mud Crab and as Second Unit and as an Assistant Director on AFTRS alumni feature Birdeater, spoke about the importance of the AFTRS network in bringing Oi to life:
“I met Laneikka on Mud Crab (dir. David Robinson-Smith) and we both bonded over a love for the same sorts of stories; I remember talking about the weirdness of Miranda July and the feral-ness of Justine Kurland. A few years ago Laneikka approached me with a script and the ambition of making this short film together, and the script resonated with me deeply – this angry teenage girl who isn’t afraid to take up space, but who is also deeply vulnerable and holding all of this pain and mess inside her and has nowhere idea where to put it.
Oi wouldn’t have been possible without the vast network of people I met in my time studying at AFTRS, some of whom have been close friends for years now. This project wouldn’t be what it is without their time, generosity, feedback and creative insight, and to have that kind of support is honestly surreal. Being surrounded by their support on set – especially telling a story like this one, which at times required immense care and consideration from the cast and crew – was so important. I also have to thank the phenomenal Trish Speers, our intimacy coordinator, for making sure we always approached those scenes with the safety and well-being of everyone involved as a top-line priority.”
Laneikka Denne, the writer of Oi and a frequent collaborator in AFTRS productions, such as Mud Crab and Bottleneck as the leading actor, emphasises the strength of the AFTRS creative network:
“I met Sophie when we were filming Mud Crab, and we bonded immensely over our favourite cinema and rants over the complexity of women’s sexuality and queerness in film. During the second COVID lockdown, I was reflecting on my time in high school – graduating only a couple years prior and some of the chats Sophie and I had. I sent her the first draft and we began to chatter away and find a way to tell a nuanced story about what’s behind violence and bravado between young teenage girls in high school.
Although I haven’t gone to AFTRS, I’ve been really lucky to work as an actor and writer with so many incredible AFTRS creatives. Without being involved in AFTRS films I wouldn’t know half of the incredible creatives I do. I’d say around 70 percent of our crew were from AFTRS – it’s where you make life long creative friends and colleagues.”
Like-minded creatives will always find their own. AFTRS is proud to facilitate and nurture an industry-partnered environment for exploration and networking, which is fundamental to successful creative careers in the screen and audio sectors.
Because in the end, everyone wants to do the same thing – create compelling stories!
Read more about the AFTRS alumni line up at MIFF here.
Oi
Writer – Laneikka Denne
Producer – Monique Placko (2024 Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production)
Director – Sophie Serisier (2021 Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production)
Cinematographer – Julius Koivistoinen
Production Designer – Annika Kumar (2022 Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production)
Editor – Jarrod Young (2021 Master of Arts Screen)
Composer – James Mountain (2020 Master of Arts Screen)
