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

ABOUT THE PROJECT

"Shoplift" is a 16 minute Short Film that deals with the morally grey area that crosses over between justice and revenge. The film follows Maya a student from overseas who is studying in Sydney due to the war in the Middle East. One day, while worrking at her uncle's shop, Maya becomes a victim in a violent robbery, leaving her heavily traumatized.

With authorities refusing to take the case seriously, Maya becomes enraged, taking matters into her own hands. Using her Uncle's Remington 870 Mechanical Pump Action that he had shipped over from a Black Market in America, Maya successfully fends off the armed robber. 

Sadly, victory was short for Maya, when the armed robber makes an astonishing return to get his revenge leading Maya to take her anger and frustrations out on Jade, a troubled sixteen-year-old who regulary shoplifts at her Uncle's store where  the two become caught in a firery situation with the armed robber.  

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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.

We plan on filming from Jul 16th - July 20th. 

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 an emerging 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. Having worked with Claudia Karvan on the BUMP Christmas Movie as well as Series 1 of AUSTIN alongside Darren Ashton, Susan has taken the industy by storm. 

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 film 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 movie at the Reale BiMonthy Film Awards in Italy as well as her documentary short Eddy Robles which cracked the Judges' Top 50 at World Nomads Travel Film Scholarship. Her most recent Short Film The Audition has been submitted to the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. She has two feature films currently in development.

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 and 160  shorts & commercials

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. 

We aim to get the film into festivals, that will eventually lead to a distribution deal towards SBS on Demand and MUBI. 

There's nothing wrong with dreaming big. You're contribution will not only make my dreams come true, but the dreams of many others. 

We thank you for your contributions :) 

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