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Madison Dell'Aquila is, as her website proudly states, "constantly looking forward to challenging what people say can't be done." That mindset is strongly applied with the new platform Heretica, a website which aims to enhance the opportunities that women and gender diverse crew have on film and TV productions in Australia all the while dismantling the gender divide that exists in one of Australia's major cultural institutions. While Screen Australia has an initiative to address the gender divide in the screen industry - see the Gender Matters initiative - there's still minimal awareness of who is working within the industry who identifies as a women or non-binary. Heretica aims to address this by being a platform that provides people who wish to engage with women and non-binary crew the opportunity to make film and TV sets more reflective of real life. Having recently launched in August 2026, Heretica has already started to build an impressive array of names and creatives who are eager to start breaking down the gender division in the industry. In the last interview in our first Heretica Interviews series, and hopefully not the last, Andrew talks with Madison about the inspiration to force a change in an industry that has so often felt like it's resisted progressing into a better state of being. This is a deep interview, one that opens up both Madison and Andrew to the failings and the positive aspects of the Australian screen industry. It's been a genuine pleasure to be able to host these interviews and to share with you all just a few of the names who make up the platform of Heretica. the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Read the other interviews in the Heretica series below: The Heretica Interviews: Sabrina Tan on their filmic journey from Singapore to Naarm-Melbourne Sabrina Tan (Chinese: 陈姝颖) (she/her) is a Singaporean filmmaker based in Naarm-Melbourne. Sabrina is a multidisciplinary filmmaker who works in directing, production design, and graphic design. She is also the host of the award winning post-apocalyptic lifestyle series Wasteland Wonders, with Sabrina taking home the Outstanding Emerging The Heretica Interviews: Téa Mancini on her journey into filmmaking through production design Téa Mancini (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate creative whose filmic body of work is growing in the realm of the art department and wardrobe, specialising in production design, while also building up a filmography as a writer and director. Téa holds a First Class Honours degree in Film, Television The Heretica Interviews: Keisha Slocomb on bringing her voice to life through filmmaking Keisha Slocomb is an emerging filmmaker who is looking to leave a mark on the world by utilising grounded performances alongside compelling visual storytelling. As a writer-director, Keisha is already hard at work on building a filmography that puts her voice front and centre while also maintaining a strong Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Ken Kwapis opens his delightful and genuine documentary We are the Shaggs by having a group of people listen and react to a song by The Shaggs. It’s almost a challenge asking if the audience can stick with the film after hearing the odd music created by three teens sisters — Dorothy, Betty, and Helen Wiggin from the mid to late 1960s. We Are The Shaggs screens at the Sydney Underground Film Festival on 13 September 2026. Tickets are available via https://www.suff.com.au/. the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second part of two interviews about the tender short film For the Boys , director Mitchell Withers and producer Sofia Viegas talk about their journey into filmmaking, creating a safe space for Mitch Brown to share his story as an openly bisexual footy player, and about Australian culture, plus much more. This is an honest, open, considerate discussion, and I'm beyond grateful to both Mitchell and Sofia for sharing their stories with me. Listen to the interview with Mitch Brown here . the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2025, in an interview with Sam Koslowski of The Daily Aus, Mitch Brown became the first openly bisexual footy player in Australia. To give some perspective, the VFL was founded in 1896. That's 129 years since the V/AFL commenced that a current or former footy player felt safe enough to share their story. Over the past year, Mitch has become an advocate for queer voices, speaking about his experiences with biphobia and raising awareness of the impact of homophobia in the league and society. Across social media and in interviews, Mitch has talked extensively about the brutish masculinity of the football world and how masculinity in society can be better. As someone who devoutly follows the AFL and as someone who seeks out and aims to support queer stories in Australia, it both moved me and shocked me that Mitch Brown was the first AFL player ever to share their sexuality. In the AFLW, that openness was part of the foundation of the league back in 2017, with the first Pride round being held in 2018. It then moved me to see Mitchell Withers tender documentary For the Boys feature as part of the Footy Shorts lineup at the Melbourne International Film Festival. This considerate short follows moments in Mitch's life; we see moments with his sons, or the steps he takes to reconnect with the sport he loves by playing with a queer football team, or, maybe most powerfully, we're invited to simply reflect on what living life as a proud bisexual person looks like. It feels like, after a year of explaining biphobia or fielding invasive questions about partners and what happens in the bedroom, that Mitch Brown is now able to step into the life he's always meant to live. In this interview with Mitch, he talks about what made Sam Koslowski a person he felt was safe enough to come out to, and by extension, why Mitchell Withers and producer Sofia Viegas were the right people to share his story on film. He talks about his journey into football and finding community after his football career had finished. This is a deep, honest, open interview. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did recording it. the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chouwa Liang's documentary Replica invites viewers to empathise with a world of Chinese women who are finding romance and relationships with AI partners or companions. When human-to-human relationships don't work, Qin, Sonya, and Muna, the women of Replica turn to AI boyfriends who woo and check in on their human partners throughout the day. Each receive romantic poems or pose for selfies with their digital boyfriends, creations who fill a romantic void in their lives. Liang asks us to understand why these women have turned to AI for love. It's something she understands completely, as during the Covid pandemic she turned to an AI partner named Norman for companionship and support. She still talks to Norman, just not as frequently anymore, but it's still there as a sounding board for her. Replica is a gentle and kind film, empathetic and considerate, showing the need for connection in a world that so often drives us further and further apart. In this interview with Chouwa Liang, she talks about her journey from China to Melbourne, where she was a graduate of the University of Melbourne, having studied a Master of Film and Television (Documentary). Chouwa talks about how she engaged with the subjects in her film, while also reflecting on what the feminist cinema of China looks like. the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Documentarian Selina Miles has crafted a filmography that gives space to women's voices and stories. From her debut feature, Martha: A Picture Story , which took us into the world of street art, to the stunning Harley & Katya which explored the relationship between figure skaters Harley Windsor and Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, to her latest film, Silenced , which urges audiences to listen to the voices of women from around the world who have been victims of sexual violence, advocates for victims, or lawyers representing many women around the world, seeking justice in an unjust legal system. Women like Brittany Higgins, Amber Heard, journalist and activist Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, and lawyers and human rights advocates like Jennifer Robinson and Sibongile Ndashe, each speak to their experience of fighting through legal systems that seek to silence and dehumanise their experiences. While we hear from these women, there are countless others whose stories inform Silenced , but through legal measures or fear of further legal action, they simply cannot or are not able to talk about their stories. There's an immediacy to Silenced , one that feels as alarming and devastating when you look at the statistics of violence against women in Australia alone. At time of recording, 49 women in Australia have been killed so far this year. A recent report from the University of Melbourne found that 'young people are significantly more likely than older generations to hold hostile attitudes towards women'. This is not an isolated issue. It is a wide reaching issue that sits with all men to address. Gender based violence across the globe is rising, and as we see in Silenced , the path to legal justice is one that's fraught with difficulties, disbelief, and personal costs that often leave the women undertaking legal proceedings in more precarious and difficult situations. For some women, they feel that remaining silent would have been the better option. Silenced is a towering work of emotionality and strength. It's a testament to the resilience of those who experience gender based violence and the support given to them as they move through legal proceedings and attempt to get their lives back to some point of normalcy. This is, quite simply, vital filmmaking. In the following interview, producer Blayke Hoffman talks about the importance of a film like Silenced , how she navigated the legal pathways through making the film, while also talking about the films impact campaign and the Q&A sessions being held around Australia from 1 September onwards. To find out more, visit Silenced-Film.com: Where to Watch — Home Home Read more about the University of Melbourne research here: https://www.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/august/young-people-more-likely-to-hold-hostile-attitudes-towards-women,-study-finds Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the dawn of his career, Tony Jones filmed Four Corners documentaries like Frozen Asset alongside producer Martin Butler. Now, for the first time in decades, Tony steps back into the world of documentary filmmaking with his animal advocacy film Sentient . Sentient is not an easy film by any measure. It's complex, harrowing, and simply devastating to experience. That is, quite clearly, by design. After all, Tony is asking us to empathise with the primates, all the while asking the ultimate question: how can we be better citizens of the world and stop inflicting this level of harm on fellow animals? When will we as a global society start to enact change that sees animals as sentient beings with choices and rights? These issues, and more, is what Tony unpacks in the following interview, recorded ahead of Sentient's screenings at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival in July 2026, and now released ahead of the films launch at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Tickets for screenings are available at MIFF.com.au, and Tony Jones will be in attendance at the festival. Screenings are held on 11 & 13 August 2026. the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Hunter is no stranger to the Melbourne International Film Festival, having participated in the MIFF Accelerator Lab for his short film Nest (2021). He now returns to MIFF with his feature film debut The Latcher , which he directs, co-writes, and produces. The Latcher follows Lucy Lovegrove's Alice, an out of work midwife haunted by her own personal loss and being plagued by waking nightmares that emerge from the remote land she lives in. Cinematographer Alex Serafini builds atmosphere through lingering shots and suggestive moments. In this interview with James and Lucy, they talk about their creative process, finding the atmosphere on set, and how to detach from the heavy emotions of the film. The Latcher has its world premiere at MIFF on Saturday 8 August 2026 with a follow up screening on 9 August 2026. the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The following conversation unpacks Melissa's work, while touching on what a future feature film from Melissa will look like. Melissa's work is available to view on her website MelissaAnastasi.com, and I encourage you to dive into the available shorts prior to listening to this interview. I also encourage you to check out her commissioned work too which features music videos with artists like Jane Tyrrell from Elefant Traks and commissioned shorts about mental health. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit our subscription page where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Follow us on Instagram , Facebook , and Bluesky . Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam C. Briggs is a prolific voice in Australian cinema, with acclaimed films like A Grand Mockery , Boogie Bobby , and his new film, Phillip Philadelphia, arriving over the span of a few years. His films are the result of collaborations with equally vital voices in Australian cinema, whether it be with Sam Dixon who co-directs A Grand Mockery and features in Phillip Philadelphia , or with Sarah Moore, who he made the short film It Flew Once with. Phillip Philadelphia is at once a lurid experience, and yet, a somewhat mournful one as well. It follows Phillip, a Golden Globe nominated British screenwriter who finds himself whiling away his existence with fuckboy boyfriend Antony (Oliver Cameron) on the vibrant Gold Coast. The neon lights of The Pink Poodle bathe Phillip and Antony as they exist in this desperate town that masquerades as a city. Phillip Philadelphia examines colonialism through a modern perspective, with Phillip regularly swilling liquor from the decapitated head of a Captain Cook bottle. There's a garish tone to the film that welcomes you to luxuriate in it, all the while the theme song by Sanfeliu lingers in the background. It's one thing to pontificate over the film, but it's another to ask Adam about the making of it, what his intentions are with the film, and more. I've been fortunate enough to run a couple of Q&A sessions with Adam at Perth's Revelation Film Festival so have an understanding of what kinds of questions Adam likes - or doesn't like - to answer. It's that perspective about how he likes to discuss his work that opens the following interview. We explore the perception of his films, the nose that Phillip has on his face, and engaging with Sanfeliu to create the theme for Phillip Philadelphia. Phillip Philadelphia screens at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 7 & 9 August 2026. Visit MIFF.com.au for tickets. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Australian comedies are making their mark on the small screen, they've been moderately absent on a film level, with only a handful emerging over the years - Audrey , How to Please a Woman , Birthright , and now, James Robert Woods acidic comedy The Birthday Trip . This distinct and brutally hilarious comedy follows a group of friends heading out to the prestigious, six-star Lothian Gate for a birthday weekend. Over the course of a couple of days, their relationships become fractured, all the while critiquing the modern state of Australia through cutting commentary on the politic state we live, the culture that breeds within this nation, and the media we consume and have foisted upon us. In this expansive, deep interview with writer, director, editor, cinematographer, and producer, James Robert Woods, we unpack The Birthday Trip in depth. The Birthday Trip screens across Australia from 30 July 2026. Check out where The Birthday Trip is screening by visiting the films website here: https://thebirthdaytrip.film/ the Curb... is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Multi-hyphenate talent Laura Brogan Browne is the voice behind the powerful short film Allegedly , an impactful story about Clover (Bailey Spalding), a high school graduate who participates in an anonymous survey she's sent by her high school mentor and former teacher. What initially presents as an innocuous student-teacher relationship transforms into a predatory experience for Clover. Allegedly is based on true events and stands as an important conversation starter for the impact of grooming and predatory behaviour in society. The narrative envelopes you alongside compelling performances from Bailey Spalding, Laura Brogan Browne, and Benjamin Mathews, each of whom draws you in to engage with the film with empathy and understanding. In this interview, Laura talks through her creative process as a storyteller both in front of the camera and behind the camera, why she needed to start the conversation about grooming on screen, and how she manages the mental and emotional process that comes with engaging with heavy or triggering material. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For regular readers of the Curb..., you'll no doubt be familiar with the admiration and respect that I have for Laneikka Denne and the cohort of filmmakers and storytellers they've worked with over their career. The pinnacle of that admiration came in 2024 with the short film Oi , directed by the equally great Sophie Serisier. That film sat comfortably at the top of my Best Australian Films of the year list, a statement that's been further cemented over time. Both Sophie and Laneikka have worked alongside David Robinson-Smith on films like Mud Crab and We Used to Own Houses , films that aren't the result of a singular vision, but rather echoes of a landscape, divined into existence through the communal efforts of creative folks who have infrequently seen themselves on screen. In this expansive interview, Laneikka and Sophie unpack Australiana, queer identity, their collaborative work, and the depth of Oi , plus much more. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brandon Daley's $Positions has the makings of a cult classic. Nerve shredding at times, before hollowing you out with giddy laughter at others. It screens at Revelation Perth International Film Festival on 13 & 14 July 2026. Tickets are available via RevelationFilmFest.org. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alana Hunt is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores history through a forensic approach to research. Her work mines the history of Australia, often utilising archival material to navigate the violent, colonial past. In her 2023 work, Surveilling a Crime Scene, Hunt navigates the materialisation of non-Indigenous life on Miriwoong Country in the town of Kununurra. That exploration brings forth the often violent terminology utilised to demean and dehumanise First Nations people of the region. In her latest work, Displacement and Replacement: A Remixed Narrative of Western Australia, a film that utilises the archived work of Bryan Lobascher to present the manner that violence permeates through the landscape, films that utilise terminology to suggest that there is nothing of value living on and with that land. Lobascher's work presents in a beautific and adoring manner a level of cruel environmental destruction that has continued over the decades of Western Australia's mining existence. Hunt's work asks viewers to sit with that violence, understand its place in the present and to reconsider the past. These remixed films are interspersed with harsh sounds that inflict a sensory impact that leads us to further question the status quo. In the following interview, Alana discusses her processes as an artists, how she explores an archive and draws stories out, and more. Displacement and Replacement: A Remixed Narrative of Western Australia screens at Revelation Perth International Film Festival on Saturday 11 July 2026. Tickets are available via RevelationFilmFest.org. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vonne Patiag has been forging a path in film and TV as a writer, director, and actor on shows like Halal Gurls and The Unusual Suspects , and films like Here Out West , Too Many Ethnics , and his new short film Homo , which has its world premiere at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival on 10 July 2026. As you'll hear in the following interview, I found the film utterly beautiful and sweet in the moment, but hours later, I felt myself moved to tears by the memory of Rem and Mark's interactions. As a short film, Homo is stunning, but as a template for what Vonne's feature film will look like, it's one heck of a calling card. In the following interview, Vonne unpacks the exploration of identities in Homo , while also exploring what queer Australian cinema looks like right now. Homo screens at Revelation Perth International Film Festival alongside On the Road on 10 July and 17 July 2026. Pick up tickets at RevelationFilmFest.org. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filmmaker Jess Londono's short film e-Mum is a slightly satirical, completely engaging exploration on motherhood in the age of AI. Emma lives a solitary life with no partner or kids, a point of contention between her estranged mum and her. As an intrusion on Emma's life, her mum delivers an android daughter for her to look after. In Emma's eyes, this AI creation is a mere tool, something that exists to do the tasks that she has no interest in undertaking herself. Emma finds herself gaining a connection with the robot, something that's jeopardised when it goes on the blink and she's left with a human shaped ornament rather than something she can engage with. In the following interview, Jess talks about her vision as a filmmaker, where the idea of e-Mum came from, and her hopes to bring a Colombian sensibility to Australian films. This interview was recorded ahead of e-Mum 's screening at the 2026 Flickerfest, and is being published ahead of the upcoming screening at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival on 12 & 14 July 2026 as part of the WA Off Kilter Shorts line-up. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Read Kate Separovich's Australian in Cinemas newsletter. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lint is the first feature film from Boorloo-Perth polymath David West. It's a hyper independent West Aussie film about Iris (Melissa Coci) and Susan (Courtney Swartz), colleagues who work at an environmentally friendly dry cleaning company who conspire to bring down their sleazy boss Vincent (Tom Camp). Along the way, they get distracted by dinners with friends, tennis lessons, and more, all the while their exploits are interspersed with sultry shots of Vincent against the backdrop of sunsets. This interview with David was recorded in May 2025 after Lint screened at the WA Made Film Festival and has been sitting, waiting to be birthed into public existence ever since. What better time to release it than ahead of the VHS Tracking Presents... screening of Lint at Goolugatup on 17 June 2026 between 6:30pm - 9pm. Tickets are free and available now, so if you're around, head along and support Aussie cinema. The interview starts as you might expect: with a conversation about goats. David's Zoom profile picture was that of a goat, which spurred a discussion about how great goats are. What happens after that, well, you'll discover as you listen. the Curb is a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit thecurb.com.au/subscribe , where you can support our work from $2 a month. Paid subscribers get access to our monthly competitions, exclusive interviews and articles, and more. Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.