PRESS RELEASE: BRISBANE WOMAN PRODUCES AN ENTIRE FEATURE LENGTH MOVIE FOR ZERO DOLLARS
Sally Elliot, producer/director/screenwriter has produced a full-length feature film, Hero, for virtually no cost, bar buying a bit of nosh for the crew and actors. Sally has been campaigning to have her scripts turned into the real thing for many years but has suffered rejection after rejection from film funding authorities. Sally is not the lone ranger there.
‘I understand how tough it is to get finance,’ Sally said, ‘I have been trying for years and keep running up against brick walls, and at 71 I’m not getting any younger. It has been my life’s dream to write, produce and direct my own movies.’
With a career that started in Columbia Studios in Hollywood, Sally has spent over 40 years orchestrating her dream. ‘I felt if I didn’t do something I would feel like all the work I’d done had been wasted. I have spent a lot of time talking to crew members and actors. The movie, Hero, was not a complicated production, so I began appealing to like-minded people who wanted a bit of recognition.
‘Actors, camera crew, assistants … there are so many people wanting to carve out a career in the film industry but are finding it tough to get a break. With these talented people climbing on board I was able to produce 95 minutes of romantic drama for no cost. In many ways, it was a small miracle.’
And it wasn’t just the crew and actors that Sally had approached to help with her no-cost film. Sally managed to pull together all locations at no cost to her company, Fandango Productions.
The movie, Hero, is a romantic drama set in South East Queensland. It depicts Dr. Ted Norton, played by Andrew Foley, who, stricken by the death of a child cancer patient, turns to drugs. He finds comfort in the arms of another woman, Michelle, portrayed by Kath McBride-Hellewell. His wife, Susan, played by Natalie Galvin, is not supportive of Ted as he struggles to regain respect from his peers and patients. Ted must confront his inner demons and battle against the grip of drug dependence that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear.
‘There are many people I need to thank for their great and selfless effort,’ Sally commented. ‘My cameraman, Harrison Howard, my co-director, Peter Lovely, my editor, Erik Van Der Neuf, Mark Egan for the music, all of the wonderful actors and of course everyone who lent a hand.
Screening will take place at Five Star Cinemas in New Farm on Monday, November 6 at 7 pm. Please email Sally at [email protected] if you would like to attend.
