Playground
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Eve Spence
PRODUCER: Liam Branagan
20 minute short film. 35mm. Financed by Screen Australia.
Making friends can be a dangerous venture.
Two young brothers trespassing on a building site are chased and cornered by a guard dog. Rescued by the dog’s unlikely master, Floyd, the boys enter his worldly ‘playground,’ where a fragile friendship is formed and tested.
PRODUCTION NOTES:
Playground was a huge creative and logistic challenge. Start with children and animals, then add stunts, and a very difficult location – a large active building site.
But we did eventually discover philanthropist builders, three fabulous boys, and a well-trained dog . . . and then we prayed for eight consecutive days of sunshine and a safe shoot.
KEY CREDITS:
DOP: David Burr
Production Designer: Felicity Abbott
Composer: Tom Rice
Editor: Tania Trochoulias
Milton: Sam Gorman
Byron: Isaac Gorman
Floyd: Tom Walters
WORLD PREMIERE:
Berlin Film Festival, In Competition – Generation
AWARDS:
Best Fiction, WOW Film Festival, Australia
Best Director & Best Screenplay, Fulmarxx Shortsfest, India
Best Short – Open Category, Newtown Flicks, Australia
Best Short – Children’s Jury, Reggio Film Festival, Italy
Special Mention, Busho – Budapest, Hungary
Shortlisted, National Competition, Canberra Short Film Festival
SCREENING HIGHLIGHTS:
Krakow Film Festival, Poland (AA)
Sydney Film Festival, Australia
Odense International Film Festival, Denmark
LA Short Film Festival, USA (AA)
Shhh Children’s Film Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
Cinemagic Film Festival for Children & Youth, Northern Ireland, UK
Athens Int. Film Festival, Ohio, USA (AA)
St. Kilda Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia
Auburn Int. Film Festival for Children and Young People, Australia
FULL SCREENING HISTORY:
Berlin Film Festival, In Competition – Generation (AA)
Best Fiction: WOW Film Festival, Sydney, Australia
Shortlisted: National Competition, Canberra Short Film Festival, Australia
Krakow Film Festival, Poland (AA)
Sydney Film Festival, Australia
Taipei Film Festival, Taiwan
Divercine, International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Montevideo, Uruguay
Lola Kenya Screen, Kenya
Odense International Film Festival, Denmark
LA Short Film Festival, USA (AA)
Shhh Children’s Film Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
Cinemagic Film Festival for Children & Youth, Northern Ireland, UK
Best Short, Children’s Jury: Reggio Film Festival, Italy
Special Mention: Busho – Budapest International Short Film Festival, Hungary
Best Director & Best Screenplay: Fulmarxx Shortfest
Best Short – Open Category: Newtown Flicks, Sydney, Australia
Mumbai International Film Festival, India
Victoria Film Festival, Victoria, Canada
Tiburon Int. Film Festival, Tiburon, USA
Sguardi Altrove Festival, Milan, Italy
AFIA Film Festival, Aarhus, Denmark
KAN Film Festival, Wroclaw, Poland
GLIMMER, Hull Int. Short Film Festival, UK
Athens Int. Film Festival, Ohio, USA (AA)
B-Est International Film Festival, Romania
St. Kilda Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia
Festival der Nationenen, Austria
Independent Producers Film Festival, Romania
Auburn Int. Film Festival for Children and Young People, Australia
Carrousel, International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada.
Sefton International FF, Liverpool, UK.
Victoria Independent Int. Film Festival, Vic, Australia.
Kathmandu Int. Film Festival, Nepal.
Seen & Heard FF, Sydney Australia
International Children’s FF, Bangladesh
WOW Winners National Tour – Sydney, Bourke, Adelaide, Deniliquin, Dubbo, Innisfail, Lake Macquarie, Broome, Nambucca Heads, Yamba, Melbourne, Fremantle, Byron Bay, Cairns, Hobart, Western Sydney, Darwin, Kempsey – AUSTRALIA.