Hello, and welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. My name is Matthew Eeles. In this episode, I’m joined by Danielle Stamoulos, the writer and lead actor of the impressive new short film, Gorgo. Regular listeners will notice that this Podcast episode is shorter than usual as it was originally recorded for my radio show on 2RRR. Danielle is an AACTA-winning Greek-Australian filmmaker, actor, and writer working across film, TV, and theatre. Her short film GORGO, which she created, wrote, and starred in, won the 2025 AACTA Award for Best Australian Short Film. It also screened at major festivals, including Santa Barbara, Flickerfest (winning Best Original Music), St Kilda, Newport Beach, and Rhode Island. Danielle also won Best Performance at the recent 2025 Stellar Film Festival. Inspired by Greek ‘promised brides’ & Ovid’s Medusa myth, Gorgo is a dramatic short film that tells the story of a Greek bride’s cross-continental journey to marry a man she has never met. Matchmade by her best friend Athina, with promises of a new future in a distant land, Medousa finds herself arriving in Australia to a strange home—and a cold welcome. Thrust into her new marriage, she soon discovers a monstrous secret that threatens to tear apart the best friends’ vow of sisterhood. I really hope you get to see the incredibly moving short film at some stage. Keep an eye on cinemaaustralia.com.au and we will try to keep you as up to date as possible. Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to this very different episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. So, what’s so different about this episode? Well, it’s the first-ever Cinema Australia Podcast recording with a live audience. This episode was recorded during the recent WA Made Film Festival, where we invited friend-of-the-fest Zak Hilditch to join me and other punters for an interview about his career and his new film, We Bury the Dead. We Bury the Dead was filmed in Western Australia and follows Ava Newman (Daisy Ridley), a desperate woman searching for her husband in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment. Hoping to find him alive, Ava joins a "body retrieval unit," but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses she's burying start showing signs of life. We Bury the Dead will celebrate its official world premiere at SXSW from March 9 to March 13. As the film isn’t officially out yet, and I missed it at the Adelaide Film Festival, most of this episode focuses on Zak’s career as a whole—which is hard not to admire. Following Zak’s Backyard Trilogy, a series of low-budget films he made in the early stages of his career, the filmmaker went on to make the cult classic These Final Hours here in Perth, followed by the Stephen King adaptation 1922 and his horror thriller Rattlesnake, both made for Netflix. Thank you to everyone who attended this session during the WA Made Film Festival. We hope to bring similar sessions to future festivals. Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. In this episode I’m joined by Charles Williams to discuss Inside, a prison drama starring Guy Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis, Tammy MacIntosh and newcomer, Vincent Miller whose name you should make note of because you’re going to hear a lot more from this impressive young actor. Here’s the synopsis: After being transferred from juvenile to adult prison, Mel (Vincent Miller) is taken under the wing of both Mark (Cosmo Jarvis), Australia’s most despised criminal, and Warren (Guy Pearce), a soon-to-be-paroled inmate. As a paternal triangle grows between them, we see that even the worst of men have a little bit of good inside that will be their undoing. Charles Williams is an acclaimed Australian film director whose short film All These Creatures won the Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Palme d'Or as well as an AACTA award here at home. Charles grew up in a remote country town in northern Victoria. Since then, his films have gone on to screen at more than 200 of the world’s most prestigious festivals. He has also been selected as part of TIFF’s Filmmaker Lab, The Golden Globes Filmmaker Residency and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Inside is Charles’ debut feature film. It has a discomforting psychological depth to it reminiscent of the films of Justin Kurzel like Nitram and Snowtown, and Thomas M. Wright’s The Stranger. There’s nothing familiar about Charles Williams’ filmmaking style though. Inside feels completely unique both visually and narratively. Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Under Streetlights writer, director and co-producer Danielle Loy to discuss this incredibly moving musical drama. This film is the exact reason why you shouldn’t sleep on independently-made Australian films. Quite often, they’re far better than a lot of the mainstream Australian films being made. Under Streetlights deserves all the attention it gets. Inspired by true events, Under Streetlights follows two young artists, Izak (played by Jacob Harvey) and Ella (played by Madison Hull) from vastly different worlds who collide through their shared passion for music, forging an unexpected bond that defies cultural barriers and fuels their fight to rise above their struggles. Danielle Loy is an award-winning filmmaker and lawyer from Alice Springs. Her documentary film Bush Law was awarded best documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival by screen critic veteran Margaret Pomeranz. Danielle has spent her working life dedicated to bridging chasms of misunderstanding between indigenous and non-indigenous legal systems, and working in a plethora of roles in films and tv shows made in Central Australia. I can’t thank Danielle enough for sharing her personal stories that led to and inspired the making of Under Streetlights. This was an interview that I won’t forget anytime soon. Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Luke J.S. and Luke Wijayasinha-Gray to discuss Your Love is Mine, a moody and atmospheric relationship drama with a touch of horror. Your Love is Mine explores the depths of love and desperation and tells the story of a couple whose relationship is put to the ultimate test when a sudden tragedy strikes. As one partner goes to unimaginable lengths to preserve their union, the film delves into the emotional extremes that love can drive us to. Your Love is Mine stars Senie Priti, Lester Ellis Jr, and Maurial Spearim. It’s always a thrill to speak with independent filmmakers who are starting out in their career. I really can’t wait to see what these two do next. Your Love is Mine is available to stream now via Bounty Films. Anyway… enjoy.

In this episode I’m joined by Eliza Cox, a filmmaker who has dedicated years of her life to making this exceptional new documentary. Shot over eight years, Queens of Concrete chronicles the journey from childhood to adulthood and the moments that define us. It’s 2016 and Hayley (14), Ava (13) and Charlotte (9) are following their dreams to qualify for the first ever Australian Olympic skateboarding team for the 2020 games. The three girls are strong contenders, but they face crushing life lessons as they navigate heartbreak, betrayal, a global pandemic, and pressure beyond their years. In this interview, Eliza gives us a generous insight in the making of Queens of Concrete discussing the early beginnings of the film, when she first met Hayley, Ava and Charlotte, and the challenges she faced dedicating so many years of her life to this one single documentary. As a viewer, I can assure you it was worth it. Queens of Concrete is already one of my favourite films of the year. Queens of Concrete will release via Madman this year. Keep an eye on cinemaaustralia.com.au for updates on that. Anyway… enjoy.

In this episode I’m joined by The Demon Disorder director, writer, producer and special effects artist, Steve Boyle. The Demon Disorder follows brothers Jake (played by Dirk Hunter) and Graham (played by Christian Willis). When their youngest brother is believed to be demonically possessed, the estranged brothers reunite to confront a dreadful family secret. Charles Cottier, John Noble and Tobie Webster co-star. In my opinion, The Demon Disorder features some of the best practical effects you’ll see in a modern horror film. Working with some of the biggest names in film and television, Steve Boyle has built a reputation for world-class standards in Special FX Production within the industry. With over 30 years experience in Special FX, Steve’s credits as a designer include; Fear Below, The Portable Door, Love and Monsters, Daybreakers, BAIT 3D, Mental, Predestination and Jungle to name a few. In this interview, Steve gives us a great insight into the making of The Demon Disorder while sharing stories from his long career in the industry including his friendship and creative partnership with Michael and Peter Spierig, his time working on Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, and his upcoming work on Kiah Roache Turner’s highly anticipated shark horror, Beast of War. Anyway… Enjoy.

In this episode I’m joined by The Blind Sea writer, director and editor Daniel Fenech, and the film’s main man, Matt Formston. The Blind Sea follows Matt on his quest for sporting greatness to new heights, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest wave surfed by a vision impaired male. Matt is a four time para surfing World Champion, former Paralympic Cyclist and World Champion. At the age of five, Matt was diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy, a rare eye condition that left him two life-changing things: 3% vision, and a desire ever since to do what everyone else says can’t be done. Daniel Fenech is an award-winning director with over 15 years production experience in commercials, music videos and documentary style content. Daniel’s most recent film prior to this was Christmess which he co-produced with the film’s writer and director, Heath Davis. The Blind Sea is one of the most compassionate, moving and visually breathtaking documentaries I’ve seen in years. Matt’s journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring and he’s also very personable which makes The Blind Sea an even more enjoyable film to watch. Before we jump into it, I need to let you know I did have some recording issues at the very beginning of this episode and I missed out on the introduction, so if it feels like we jump strait into it, that’s when the recording began. Anyway… enjoy.

Welcome to the Cinema Australia Podcast. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed recording this episode with Flathead writer and director, Jaydon Martin. Originally, this was meant to be a written interview, but as soon as I began chatting with Jaydon, my instincts told me that he was about to share some insights into the making of Flathead that I really needed to capture audibly. And I’m so glad I did. Simply put, Jaydon’s Flathead is a masterpiece - and it’s already one of my very favourite films of the year. It’s classified as docufiction, a new genre of cinema that even Jaydon believes is a newly coined term. It’s hard to explain what that means, but once you listen to Jaydon’s stories, you’ll understand exactly what docufiction is. Flathead follows Cass, played by actor Cass Cumerford. Late in life, Cass is drawn to his long-forsaken childhood home of Bundaberg, where he finds himself on a spiritual search for redemption. Anyway… enjoy.

I’m very excited to present this very special interview with Travis Jeffery, one of my favourite Australian actors whose work I have admired for many years. Travis is best known for his roles in Gallipoli, Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Danger Close, The Preacher, Frayed, Last King of the Cross, Heart Break High, and more recently Before Dawn and Planet of the Apes. Three of my favourite films that Travis has started in are Spin Out, Top End Wedding and Bloody Hell. Travis will also star in a stack of upcoming films including Zoe Pepper’s Birthright, Myles Pollard’s short film, Inheritance, and Adam Morris’ Frederickstown. As well as those films I’ve just mentioned, Travis is also here to discuss his new short film, Dusty. An intensely emotional, moving, and often gut-wrenching film which follows the lead character Dustin, played by Travis. Unable to accept the death of his best friend, Ashely, Dustin goes into voluntary self isolation with a million beers and several bags of cocaine. Amidst the chaos of his grief-induced bender for one, he accidentally mixes his best friends ashes with a very generous line of cocaine, and to his complete and utter confusion, Ashleigh appears. Dusty is also written by Travis, and is direct Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, the veteran Australian actor’s directing debut. Throughout this interview, Travis gives us a highly educational insight into the mechanics of being of actor, detailing his journey from growing up on a farm, to starring in major Hollywood productions.

My guest on this episode is Bill Bennett, the writer, director, and co-producer of The Way, My Way - a charming true story of Bill himself, and one of his many walks on the 800-kilometer-long Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route through Spain. The film is based on Bill’s best-selling memoir of the same name. Bill is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected filmmakers, having made a ton of feature films and numerous documentaries over a forty-year period. Bill has received Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Film and Best Director; he’s had two films in the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, four films in Toronto, and had three major international retrospectives. As usual with this podcast, we go much deeper than just a filmmaker’s most recent film. Here, Bill takes us all the way back to the beginning of his career and his almost-immediate success with early films like A Street to Die and Backlash. Bill also shares some incredible stories about making films like Spider & Rose, Kiss or Kill, Two if by Sea with Sandra Bullock, and The Nugget, which he filmed with a very ill Belinda Emmett while 9/11 was happening at the same time. Regular listeners will know how much I love doing these retrospective-style interviews, so this one was a real treat. Anyway… enjoy.