Sanjay De Silva

'SMALL TALK ON THE CORNER FEATURING THREE STORIES: OTHA' FISH, FIRST TIME & UNDERAGE RAGE WITH AN INTERMISSION BY RAW HUMPS' 

’SMALL TALK ON THE CORNER...’ IS A SNAPSHOT OF LIFE IN A MULTICULTURAL NEIGHBOURHOOD. SET IN THE LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE, THE HANGOUT FOR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD KIDS, IT’S A FILM ABOUT GROWING UP AS AN ETHNIC TEEN IN A DIVERSE NEIGHBOURHOOD. AN AUSTRALIAN STORY OF YOUTH WITHOUT THE WHITEWASH.

‘SMALL TALK IN THE CORNER...’ FEATURES THREE STORIES ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF ADOLESCENT LOVE, THE PRESSURES OF TEEN ANGST AND THE EVER PRESENT ISSUE OF RACISM. WE TELL THESE THREE STORIES THROUGH ONE CONTINUOUS, 20 MINUTE SHOT.

IN AUSTRALIA WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT BEING A MULTICULTURAL NATION BUT OUR SCREENS SUGGEST SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT. TYPICALLY, AN AUSTRALIAN FILM ABOUT YOUTH WOULD SHOW A BUNCH OF CAUCASIAN KIDS WITH A TOKEN ETHNIC THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE.  GO TO ANY STREET CORNER, TRAIN STATION, BASKETBALL COURT OR LOCAL HANGOUT IN ANY NUMBER OF MELBOURNE’S SUBURBS AND LOOK AT THE YOUNG TEENS HANGING OUT THERE. YOU CAN BE DAMN SURE IT’S NOT JUST A BUNCH OF WHITE KIDS! THERE IS A RICH MIX OF ETHNICITIES FROM ALL CULTURES AND COUNTRIES. IT’S ABOUT TIME OUR SCREENS MIRRORED WHAT AUSTRALIAN LIFE IS REALLY LIKE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MANY ETHNIC TEENS GROWING UP HERE. 

'SMALL TALK ON TEH CORNER...' IS A FILM ABOUT HOW YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOUR GROW AND DEAL WITH THIS COUNTRIES RACE PROBLEMS. IT’S AN IN YOUR FACE LOOK INTO WHAT REAL AUSTRALIAN LIFE IS TO SO MANY OF IT’S YOUNG CITIZENS. 

CREW

WRITER / DIRECTOR

SANJAY DE SILVA

PREVIOUS WORKS 

'LIONS & TIGERS' (2017 COMPLETED) WRITER/DIRECTOR- SCREEN AUSTRALIA FUNDED SHORT FILM.

'MAALU' (2014)  WRITER/DIRECTOR - OFFICIAL SELECTION MELBOURNE INT FILM FESTIVAL, PALM SPRINGS INT 

SHORTFEST, BUSAN INTL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, MIAMI INT FILM FESTIVAL... 

https://vimeo.com/173569712

PRODUCER

BLAKE CURTIS

PREVIOUS WORKS

'THE INVISIBLES' (2017 COMPLETED) DIRECTOR. 

'FRANKY FINGERS AND THE APARTMENT UPSTAIRS' (2014) - OFFICIAL SELECTION FANTASTIC PLANET SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL.

'NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT' - OFFICIAL SELECTION PARADISE CINEMA FESTIVAL, SOUTH HAMPTON INT FILM FESTIVAL.

'BETWEEN US' (2013) WRITER/DIRECTOR - OFFICIAL SELECTION RHODE ISLAND INT FILM FESTIVAL, ROME INTL FILM FESTIVAL, FLICEKRFEST. 

DOP

BARUN CHATTERJEE

PREVIOUS WORKS 

'LIONS & TIGERS' (2017 COMPLETED) DP- SCREEN AUSTRALIA FUNDED SHORT FILM.

'WILD BEASTS' (2017) DP.

'COOL GATE' (2016) DP.

'MAALU' (2014) CO-WRITER/DP - OFFICIAL SELECTION MELBOURNE INT FILM FESTIVAL, PALM SPRINGS INT SHORTFEST, BUSAN INTL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, MIAMI INT FILM FESTIVAL...

YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS WILL BE USED TO HELP COMPLETE POST PRODUCTION, ENTRY INTO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS AND MARKETING THE FILM. 

20 MINUTES, 13 CHARACTERS, ONE SHOT 

 THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND ALSO AN IMPORTANT FEATURE TO THIS FILM WAS THE DECISION TO SHOOT IT IN ONE SHOT.  THE AUDIENCE  NEEDS TO FEEL LIKE THEY’RE WITNESSING THIS STORY FIRST-HAND. I WANT THEM TO BE IMMERSED IN THE WORLD OF THESE KIDS; A FLY ON THE WALL LOOK INTO THE LIVES OF ETHNIC, AUSTRALIAN TEENS AND THE ISSUES THEY DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS. SHOOTING IT ENTIRELY IN ONE SHOT, WEAVING BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT STORIES MAKES US FEEL AS THOUGH WE’RE IN THE STORE WITH THEM, IN THEIR HOOD, RELIVING THE SIMILAR SITUATIONS OF OUR OWN YOUTH.