Perth's iconic spots feature in indie film

Perth Now

6 hours ago

A Perth-based filmmaker is set to premiere his indie-punk thriller film 'Skeleton Girls. A Kidnapped Society' at the Perth Revelation International Film Festival in July.
PRIFF is an 11-day event that showcases more than 200 international films and is a 'fierce advocate for adventurous independent cinema and Australian screen culture'.
It includes Skeleton Girls, follows Anna Kaiser who is on the run after a fatal incident and pursed by 24-hour TV.
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As events unfold Anna finds herself drawn into the dark underbelly of a world populated by girl gangs and louts.
It is directed and written by Bedford local Richard Eames, who co-created it with wife Helena who juggled multiple roles behind the scenes.
'She's also produced it, but also was kind of the art director, the production designer, and set designer — and a lot of other things as well,' Eames said. The gang marching through a set called 'Rats Nest'. Credit: Supplied
'I'm very much into experimental film, indie movies and cult films, films that just have a strong voice and aesthetic and try to do things differently.
'That's what inspired me to make something like the kind of work I like to watch.
'The film is very much about where the world is and is heading … it explores a lot of issues of polarisation, and this feeling of the world being pushed into conflicts.' Alla Malakhitova, who plays Anna Kaiser, with director Richard Eames and cinematographer Meredith Lindsay. Credit: skel
The feature was filmed over nine months and was finished off with a lengthy post-production period which involved adding animation and VFX.
The 107-minute film is entirely shot in WA and features many of Perth's most recognisable backdrops, from West Leederville's semi-industrial streets and Oxford Street Reserve to grungy inner-city laneways such as Wolf Lane.
The team even managed to get permission from Perth Concert Hall to use a secret tunnel underneath St Georges Terrace.
'It was 100 per cent self-financed. Just years of hard work, sacrifice and living very frugally to save the funds,' Eames said.
'Even when I thought I had enough money, we blew through the budget, so I had to go back to work to fund the next bit of filming.
'We had a lot of people involved who were just really passionate about it and contributed their time either for free or at reduced rates.'
According to the Revelation festival, Skeleton Girls plays 'like the mutant off-spring of Run Lola Run, Suburbia, Subway, Repo Man and Green Room, all shot through with a bold, luminescent palette, and driven by a punk and post punk score'.
'Our film really feels at home in that festival, and it just so happens to be a local festival as well, and they've been just really supportive of the film and what we were trying to do, and just really understand the vibe and the voice of the film, so we're really excited to be a part of the festival this year,' Eames said. Anna Kaiser digs deeper. Credit: Supplied
The film will be shown on Thursday, July 10, at 8.10pm and Saturday, July 12, at 9.10pm at the Luna Cinema in Leederville.
Tickets can be purchased via movietkts.