Synopsis

19 year old Cain commits a fatal error amidst a drunken hookup with Anna. When he gets visited by his future twins, Felix and Marge, Cain must relive the events leading up to his lie and come to terms with the consequences of his actions.

Director's Statement

Relationships and consent can be difficult terrain and everyone has slightly different feelings when these conversations come up. In making Catalyst, I want to look at an alternate perspective to the typical consent story while still keeping a focus on the hurt and pain that comes afterwards. In following the character that would typically be the villain in this story, I want the audience to experience the complexity of the situation and the emotion of the characters from both sides. 

Engaging with the conversation of consent is challenging and I don’t want to shy away from that with Catalyst. The idea that a perfect moral and lesson can be taken and applied to every situation didn’t sit right with me, so I want to make the film as uncomfortable as it is funny and heartbreaking. My aim with this film is to take a story that has been told many times before and present it in a different way that can reach new audiences and maybe make old audiences consider something new

Cast

Tyler Redman | Cain

Tyler is an actor and artist based in Perth, Western Australia. Growing up in London, he developed his passion for the creative arts at an early age. He has studied both the Diploma of Acting and the three-year Bachelor of Arts (Acting) at WAAPA, where he honed his craft as a performer and storyteller. He is dedicated to telling compelling stories that resonate with audiences, and is committed to continuing to develop his skills in the world of creative arts.

Lauren McNaught | Anna

Lauren is an actor, comedian and writer from Sydney. She has been studying a Bachelor of Arts (Acting) at WAAPA for the past three years with roles in several productions such as Goneril in King Lear, and #13 in The Wolves. Prior to moving to Perth, Lauren performed as part of the sketch comedy duo the Noodle Girls who’ve performed their shows ‘Wigging Out’, ‘Shmood’, ‘Shmood: Full Throttle’ and ‘Ham-Handed Hag Hour’ at the Sydney Comedy Festival, Sydney Fringe Comedy Festival, Secret Garden Festival and Two Queers Comedy Festival.

Lucinda Smith | Marge

Lucinda is an actor and voice artist currently based in Perth Western Australia, completing her final year of WAAPA. Born and raised in Tasmania by a family of creatives, her passion for art extends to music, nature, movement, and the Eurovision Song Contest. Lucinda is extremely grateful and excited to be working with the company of “Catalyst”.

Joseph Baldwin | Felix

Joseph is an actor born and raised in Bendigo, Victoria. He began his actor training at the Melbourne Actor’s Lab before making the move to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). In addition to WAAPA, Joseph has trained with highly acclaimed acting coaches Les Chantery, Holly Gagnier, and Jeff Seymour. With his strong foundation and diverse training, Joseph is poised to captivate audiences both on stage and screen.

Crew

Brodie Leuba | Writer

Brodie Leuba is a passionate and driven writer and producer with ambitious dreams of high concept CGI blockbusters. For now Brodie likes to tell stories of pseudo-real fantasies like grand larceny in the end of days, alien hunting grandpas and marriage counseling from beyond the grave. Brodie uses his stories to remind people of the grand adventures there are to be had in the small memories we create each day and that there is no reason those memories can’t involve monsters.

Stephanie Beckham | Director

Stephanie is an artist and creator from Perth who started her Masters in Screen Studies this year after studying a Bachelor of Creative Media at Murdoch University and Diploma of Acting at WAAPA in previous years. Stephanie loves being able to tell new stories  giving voices to a range of different characters and people and is looking forward to bringing her experiences in other art forms to directing and editing at WASA.

Nic Hooker | Producer

Nicholas graduated from North Metro TAFE in 2022 and has entered the WA Screen Academy realm with great passion for multiple avenues of filmmaking, including producing, directing, and writing. He's excited to lead this talented team, and set the table for these creative forces to connect with an audience and tell a unique and interesting story.

Christila Ayom | Cinematographer

Christila is an upcoming cinematographer who has a passion for film. She is fascinated by the process of bringing ideas to life. She's particularly drawn to the work involved in pre-production and principal photography. Seeing a film come to life is a thrilling experience for her, and she enjoys the journey.

Bryan Liew | Editor

Bryan is a passionate editor from Malaysia. He developed his love for filmmaking at a young age, especially after watching Jurassic Park. He went to study at SAE, graduating with a Bachelor of Film. To pursue his dream and expand his knowledge, Bryan joined the Masters’ program at the Screen Academy in hopes to develop his skills to create engaging stories that will captivate audiences. 

Your funds go towards covering some of the vital costs of making this film. The more you donate, the more we'll be able to do to make this film bigger and better.

Location - $1000

Help us secure an awesome location, as well as set up and prepare the site to make it suitable for filming

Actors, Props and Costume - $500

Props and costume are needed to bring this nightmarish party to life

Additional Gear - $250

Film Festival Admissions - $250

CATALYST is produced by WA Screen Academy (WASA) students, featuring third year actors from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).  By donating to this page you are donating to the students involved in this project. No funds will be received by Edith Cowan University, WASA or WAAPA.