Kaitlin Tinker

UPDATE: FINAL DAYS! Check out the awesome t-shirt for our OCTOPUS Reward pledgers. See below to pledge!


THE MAN WHO CAUGHT A MERMAID is a short, Australian drama film, with a sci-fi edge.  We're an independent crew of young, award-winning filmmakers who need your help to put the Mermaid into production!

It’s a darkly comic, psychosexual thriller and first in a triptych series of short films on the hidden shadow of Australian suburbia. The film explores the nature of possessiveness, the projection of ‘anima’, and the surfacing of the human shadow from the depths of the subconscious.

Herb, an inept, butter-fingered retiree, has become obsessed with the idea of catching his mermaid. Each day, he sets up camp on the local beach pier and waits by his rod for the ‘inevitable’ bite. His wife, Joan, has long since given up hope of distracting him from task. But Herb, powered by his love of the sea and resolve for the existence of mermaids, routinely awaits his mythical merrow at the end of the wharf.

Then one day, he catches her.

Herb drags the creature back to his property, locking her covertly in his backyard shed. The mermaid, more fish than woman, flounders helplessly in an inflatable pool as Herb takes the hose to her to keep the aqueous flesh saturated. Thrilled with his catch, Herb faces life with renewed rigour, and sets about caring for his new ward. 

Joan becomes suspicious of his strange behaviour and curious as to the secret contents of the shed. She sneaks to the shed and discovers Herb's horrible secret...

Without a Hollywood studio behind your back, making a film – even a short – can quickly put a real hole in the hip-pocket. Having that sort of belief in a project takes a little bit of crazy, and a little bit of courage. We think we’ve got just the right amount of both. And we’re convinced enough to put our money where our mouths are, funding a lot of this film ourselves. But we can’t do it alone. We need you to meet us halfway and prove to us there’s an audience out there hungry for this film.

Your pledge will go towards the following:

- Prosthetics and in-camera VFX 
- Location fees 
- Camera and lighting equipment hire 
- Catering for volunteer crew and cast 
- Props, costumes and set dressings 
- Stunt co-ordination and safety supervision 
- Colour grading and post-production VFX 
- Music copyright
- Festival fees
- Pozible fees

TOTAL: Over $14 700! ... so we're asking for your help to make a dent in our huge overheads!

The great news is that some of the biggest challenges have already been overcome. We’ve got a bunch of great locations locked in, and a visual effects team hard at work on our complex mermaid prosthetics. Our stunt and safety team are signed on - as are our amazingly dedicated cast and crew.

Our greatest challenge is conquering the monstrous budget. Help us make this Pozible campaign a success and PLEDGE TODAY!


Click the [PLEDGE NOW] button at the top of the page. You will be asked to select a Pledge amount and a Reward. From there, you will be taken through the Pozible checkout and payment process.

It's simple, it’s safe, and every pledge brings us that little bit closer to realising our vision. For the generous-minded among us, there are some great rewards on offer, as listed down the right-hand side of the page, however any support for the project, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated.

You can also show support through a business sponsorship! For more information, refer to contact details at bottom of page.

Don’t forget though, we do have a deadline! If our goal is not reached by the campaign's end in SEPTEMBER, your pledges will not proceed and no payments will be processed. Please help us make sure we reach our target!

THANK YOU!