David Rusanow

Mother is the story of Julie a suburban housewife, who one day while cleaning her house finds

a used condom discarded under her coffee table. Shocked at first, she soon realises that it could of only come from one of

two people; her fifteen year old daughter Ashley or her workaholic husband Peter. Talking over her options with her

Psychologist Julie realises the only way she will find any answers is by confronting her husband and daughter.

Mother is a simple, yet dense dark comedy about a mother making a strange decision to keep her family together. 

Mother is adapted from the award winning short comic by Melbourne based artist Chris Gooch.

David Rusanow – Director/Cinematographer

David Rusanow has been working in the film and television industry for over fifteen years. He has directed and shot various projects from short dramas, feature films, documentaries, TVC’s and Music Videos.

He is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, holding a Bachelors Degree in Film and Televison, where he

specialised in Writing and Directing.

David has Directed over nine short films to date. David comes to directing from a solid cinematography background and has won numerous awards for his work as a cinematographer and currently holds three Gold and four Silver awards with the

Australian Cinematographers Society. In 2009 he was selected as the only student in Australia to receive a scholarship to attend the prestigious Budapest Cinematographers Masterclass in Hungary, were he was trained and lectured by world renowned cinematographer Vilmos Szigmond.

He regularly shoots music video, TVCs, corporate video and other directors’ short films. His cinematography skills are highly sort after and his directing and storytelling skills make him a valuable asset on any set.

David has a particular aesthetic vision and meticulously applies his cinematography experience and skill to creating stunning

moving pictures.

George Rubanov - Producer

George Rubanov is a Creative Producer, with close to 8 years of experience working creatively in the film industry. He has produced over 10 short films, several music videos, and is currently focusing on developing several long form narrative projects, of which one has secured development funding through Screen Australia's Hot Shots Plus program.

His passion is in nurturing talent, and working closely with writers and directors, to help share their stories with the world.

Chris Gooch – Comic Book Creator

Chris is a cartoonist based out of Melbourne, Australia. His collection of short comics Very Quiet, Very Still won the Silver Ledger in 2014. He was selected for a 2016 TRANSIT artist residency at the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) and, having published many short comics, made his graphic novel debut with Bottled SPX 2017. 

 Dana Miltins - Julie

Dana Miltins is a graduate of The Centre for the Performing Arts (Adelaide), and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting (New York). She’s a passionate associate of THE RABBLE theatre company performing in almost every production in their decade-long history – most recently as ‘Joan’ in Joan (Theatre Works, 2017; Wuzhen International Theater Festival, 2017), ‘Cain’ in Cain and Abel (Substation, 2016; Belvoir, 2014); ‘Orlando’ in Orlando (Dark Mofo, 2015; Brisbane Festival, 2014; Melbourne Festival, 2012); and ‘Jaqueline’ in The Story of O (MTC Neon, 2013). Additional theatre credits include: The Golden Dragon for MTC (2012) and Manna for STC (2009). Film and TV credits include roles in: The Secret Life of Us, McLeod’s Daughters, The Pacific, and Blue Heelers; and acclaimed short films: The Birth (Sarah Hatherley, 2017), The Knife Salesman (Michael Leonard, 2016) and Creswick (Natalie Erika James, 2016).

 Alec Gilbert - Richard

Alec Gilbert is an actor, director, producer, writer and drama coach. He has worked professionally in film, television and theatre, and trained in Advanced Acting Technique with Uta Hagen at the HB Studios in New York City.
Alec has worked extensively in Australia and London, with television credits including; Lovejoy, Calling The Shots and Boys From The Bush for the BBC and appearances on Australian television in Ex-PM, It’s A Date, City Homicide, The Secret Life of Us, Stingers, Blue Heelers, Elephant Princess, Marshall Law, Crash Burn, Neighbours and Fergus In Hell. Alec can also be
seen regularly on television in a variety of commercials.
UK theatre credits include Whose Life Is It Anyway, Commodities, The Tourists, Louder Than Words, Loves Labours Lost and G’day Teach Yourself Australian (UK national tour). In Australia, Alec has appeared in Wuthering Heights for the Australian Shakespeare Company, London Offcuts at the Bluestone Church Arts Space, Dark Summer at Chapel Off Chapel, Look Out
at La Mama and for Wax Studios; Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Fool For Love, Petrified Forest and Cabaret of Monologues. He is a company member of the Melbourne Writers’ Theatre where he performs regularly. Alec produced, co-directed and performed in an outdoor production of Measure For Measure at the Fairfield Amphitheatre, devised his own cabaret show Smart Alec for The Butterfly Club, and co-wrote and performed in a touring homage to Noel Coward entitled An Evening with Noel and Gertie.
He regularly directs for The Melbourne French Theatre and will also be co-directing for the Melbourne Writers’ Theatre later this year.

 Chris Conelly - Peter

Chris Connelly, originally from Adelaide, Has worked extensively in Stage, Television and Film. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is Chris’ second production with Winterfall Theatre, the first was Neil Labute’s In A Forest Dark and Deep His numerous MTC productions include Happy Ending, After Shocks (Green Room award for best ensemble acting), Pax Americana, The Caretaker, Never in My Lifetime, A Fortunate Life and Wait Until Dark. Other theatre credits
include Bouncers, Hotel Sorrento, David Williamson’s Face to Face and The Club (2007), Jenny Kemp’s Kitten, Red Stitch’s The Laramie Project 10 Years Later, Harvest, Barassi, and the recent Australian tour of West Side Story. Chris’ solo shows, which include The Dream of a Ridiculous Man (Playbox Theatre, Edinburgh, Covent Garden) and The Meeting (Dallas, Los
Angeles), have also been staged both nationally and internationally. His numerous television credits include Deadline Gallipoli, Bed of Roses, Stingers, Blue Heelers, Good Guys Bad Guys, Neighbours and The Adventures of Lano and Woodley. His film credits include John Doe, Michael Rymer’s Face To Face, Queen of the Damned, Angel Baby, Kill and Unfinished Business. Chris has directed and devised a number of theatre projects both in Australia and abroad. He has also collaborated with refugees and people from developing countries and was the co-founder of the Maya Shakti drama school/company in Sri Lanka.

 India Morris - Ashley

India is an enthusiastic up and coming young actress. She has worked in Paris, London, L.A, and for Disneyland.  She has over 16 years of advanced dance experience, performing overseas in 3 different countries. She has been a part of the Victorian State School Spectacular as a principle vocalist on multiple occasions. In 2016 she was cast as Éponine in the Melbourne run of Les Miserables.

We have already fronted the money to get the film shot, we just need a little more to cover the cost of post production and mastering to get the film to a polished festival ready product.

Getting a professional Colour Grade, a professional sound mix, final Digital Master of the film, cast and crew screening, marketing and festival entry fees, all this costs money. 

The money you help us raise will be used for:

                                                                                      Colour Grade: $1500

                                                                                      Sound Mix: $1200

                                                                                      DCP Master and Digital Copies of Film: $1000

                                                                                      Cast and Crew screening: $500

                                                                                      Marketing: $400

                                                                                      Festival Entry fees: $400

All this will help get the film nice and polished and ready for festival entries. Some of these deadlines are looming as close as November so we really need your help to get the film ready in time.

We have already overcome the major hurdle of getting the film shot. This took a lot of effort and time to pull off and favours where called in and credit limits where extended to get the main filming in the can.

It was a tough four day shoot but we came out the end with some solid performances and some great looking footage.

Now the next hurdle is to get the film done and polished in time for film festivals. Some of these major deadlines are looming in early November so we are hoping to get the film near competition by then. With your help we hope to be able to make that goal by getting enough money to get sessions with a professional colourist and sound mixer as well as having money for festival entries and marketing.

We need your help to get the film finished and be able to share it with an international audience.

Any pledge you can give would be greatly appreciated, and will help get a film that has come this far finished.

Thank you;

The Mother Team

P:S: This film has no affiliation with a certain film by a mister Darren Aronofsky...