'Justice has to do with proper relations with and fulfillment of obligations to others' - Airstotle

ABOUT THE PROJECT

SHOPLIFT is a gritty and emotionally charged short film that follows Maya, a 23-year-old urban convenience store employee who is held at gunpoint during a late-night robbery. 

Traumatized and consumed by a sense of injustice, Maya rejects the passive aftermath and takes matters into her own hands — setting off a relentless cycle of violence and retaliation. As the boundaries between victim and perpetrator begin to blur, SHOPLIFT examines the psychological toll of vengeance, the cost of reclaiming power, and the systemic failures that leave marginalised individuals to fend for themselves. Set against the fluorescent buzz of a city convenience store and told through a grounded, realist lens, the film offers a raw, modern portrait of survival in a fractured world. 

Images proiveded are in courtesy of Pexels ©

THE SCRIPT

DIRECTOR'S STATMENT

As an Arab woman, I wanted to tell a story of how we are not taken seriously as well as  many members of marginalized communities and the role we play in today’s society. I also wanted to share a story of how justice and vengeance accidently correlates with one another and how revenge often leads to a never ending cycle of violence.  

The film also explores the socioeconomic issue of Youth Crime in Western Sydney, the markings of a failed society. It also shows how individuals deal with trauma in an unhealthy cathartic way where the answer isn't so much to take revenge, but rather to reach out. In other words, "Crime would be less prevalent, if there were more opportunities." 

WHERE WE ARE AT WITH THE PROJECT

So far, casting is pretty much locked in, we got an incredibly talented hardworking team of highly skilled individuals; AFTRS Alumni Marcel Mai who serves as the project’s DOP, Julia Batson as the Production Designer, Michael Wray who has worked for shows like Heartbreak High and Artful Dodger as the project's Script Supervisor. Eyall Shorer as the Editor and many more! We have an onsite location for the shop already booked. We just need to raise funds to cover costs of catering, equipment rentals, location fee and of course, cast and crew salaries. 

MEET THE TEAM!

Meet the creative team behind Shoplift filled with so many talented individuals from diverse backgrounds in filmmaking and storytelling! Each person on the team is very unique and highly important to the project. Whether it'd be a producer, a DP a gaffer, or a production runner. Everyone's role is important. There are no small parts.    

SUSAN DANIEL - DIRECTOR/WRITER

Susan Daniel is a mid-level filmmaker on the Autism spectrum based in Sydney and is of Middle Eastern descent from a working class family who always had a passion for storytelling growing up. 

Graduated from Randwick TAFE with an Advanced Diploma in Screen and Media: Film and Television Susan has worked on several AFTRS Short Films including the award winning Lucky Peach Directed by Grace Tan which made it's debut at the 70th Melbourne International Film Festival. 

Susan has some accolades of her own. Her Short Film, The Dealer on Campus won a BiMonthly Award for best short film at Reale BiMonthy and screened at festivals all over the world. Her documentary short film, Eddy Robles cracked the Judges' Top 50 at the World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship 2019. 

ISABELLE NADER - MAYA

Isabelle Nader is an actress with experience in film, TV, and theatre.  Isabelle graduated from NIDA in 2021 and has since appeared in short films and advertisements. She began her career in theatre, performing with Outhouse Theatre Co in How To Defend Yourself (2022) as Diana. Following this, she performed with The Monologue Collective at KXT Bakehouse Theatre Co. These early roles helped shape her passion for theatre, paving the way for subsequent theatre projects. Isabelle’s film career began with a role in the Stan Original 'Year Of', which led to her debut in the ABC series 'House of Gods.'

JADE MICHAILIDIS - JADE

Jade Michailidis is an up and coming actress. At just eighteen-years-old, she moved to Los Angeles to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, completing a two-year conservatory program with a focus on performance and collaboration with industry professionals. With a background in dance that began at the age of two, she transitioned into acting at seventeen and has since built a growing body of work across both stage and screen. She brings a strong foundation in movement, a deep understanding of character and a committed, nuanced presence to every role.

LOUISE LEVER - FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Louise Lever is a New Zealand filmmaker who prioritises the female gaze and diversity in her work. Her short film Joey’s Heart was selected to have its World Premiere at the prestigious BFI Flare Film Festival, where it screened at Southbank Theatre in London. The film has screened at Roze FilmDagen, Amsterdam’s largest LGBTQ film festival, and has been shown in festivals internationally. The film stars well-loved NZ actors Angela Bloomfield and Jess Sayer and was shot by DP Bayley Broome-Peake.

JULIA BATSON - PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Julia is a Stylist and Production Designer who has been workin in the industry for the last 5 years. After finding her feet through her love for visual storytelling, Julia has been involved in a range of projects and productions in both wardrobe and productiond design, finessing and fine tuning her talent and love for what she does.

EYAL SHORER - EDITOR

Eyal is a passionate and skilled film editor backed by a Bachelor of Film in Post Production. Proficient in multiple editing software programs, he brings a sharp eye to storytelling through his editing. With experience across short films, documentaries, and ads, Eyal is dedicated to honing his craft with the goal of creating engaging films that leave a lasting impact on viewers.

MICHAEL WRAY - SCRIPT SUPERVISOR

“Since completing a Bachelor of Media and Film Production at Macquarie University in 2008 Michael has worked consistently as a Script Supervisor on over 40 Feature Films, 28 series including The Artful Dodger and Hearbreak High and over 160 shorts & commercials combined. 

MAREK EBENARD - COMPOSER/MUSIC SUPERVISOR 

Marek has scored a range of short films, crafting music that supports narrative with sensitivity and collaboration. 

His work blend emotional depth with cinematic storytelling, drawing from a background in both Classical and Modern Production Styles.

He is passionate about collaborating and bringing to life the exciting project Shoplift.

INDY JO - BEHIND THE SCENES

Indy specializes in behind the scenes and will be capturing moments from rehearsal to shoot to put together in a mini documentary showcasing the on set experience and the nitty gritty details of making the film.

FILM LOOKS & INSPIRATION

Your contributions will covers the salaries of our hardworking cast & crew to be paid their full worth. Location fees and equipment rentals will be covered as well as catering costs to ensure everyone on set is fed. Nobody should go hungry. 

ONSITE LOCATION - METRO PETROLEUM ST. IVES

CAST and CREW SALARIES

Making sure our hardworking talented team of Actors, ACs, ADs, Soundies, Department Heads are all paid their worth.

CATERING 

On-set catering provided by industry proffesionals enough to feed a large crew! Can't make movies on an empty stomach. 

EQUIPMENT RENTAL

Provisions cost to quality insured gear to rent from reputable camera houses.

Image proiveded  courtesy of Pexels ©

Thank you for taking the time to check out our page. We hope you enjoyed reading it. Good luck to everyone and hopefully we can get the greenlight :)