More feature films driven by female creatives are likely to emerge from Australia following the launch of private investment firm Storyd Group.
The outfit has been established by entrepreneur Deanne Weir and Olivia Humphrey, founder of streaming platform Kanopy, to support female storytellers by investing in internationally targeted feature films from Australian female creatives and content-related technology start-ups.
Initial investments include horror thriller Run Rabbit Rabbit, which marks the feature directorial debut of Daina Reid, and Seriously Red, a drama from documentary filmmaker Gracie Otto.
Weir, whose is also chair of the Sydney Film Festival, told Screendaily that Storyd has the capacity to annually invest in five or more features aimed at international audiences but was not interested in “just writing a cheque”. Her knowledge of capital and Humphrey’s expertise in engaging with audiences and contacts in worldwide distribution would be part of the company’s additional contribution.
Weir said she and Humphrey are also interested in being a conduit between the film industry and other investors. “We need to work out the best and most efficient method,” she said. “It might be through a fund, investor clubs, matchmaking private wealth advisers and producers.”
Weir, a former board member of Screen Australia and chair of screen-related advocacy organisation For Film’s Sake, added that she believes that the world is going through a big “intergenerational wealth transfer” and there are significant numbers of new investors motivated by the potential for positive social change as well as financial returns.
She added that the Australian industry is “so very lucky” to have a government-backed funding model, but its existence has led to an ad hoc rather than entrepreneurial approach to working closely with private entities.
First features
Production began in January on Run Rabbit Run, starring Australian actress and Succession star Sarah Snook as a fertility doctor whose young daughter begins to exhibit increasingly strange behaviour.
Filmmaker Reid, who was Emmy nominated for Hulu drama series The Handmaid’s Tale, directs from a script by novelist Hannah Kent. Melbourne-based Carver Films produces and XYZ Films is handling international sales. The local distributors are Umbrella and Maslow Entertainment.
Nearly completed is Seriously Red, which will world premiere at SXSW next month and stars Krew Boylan as a realtor who becomes a Dolly Parton impersonator. Boylan also wrote the script for the drama, which has a cast that includes Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale.
Director Otto is perhaps best known for documentaries such as The Last Impresario, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2013. Produced by Byrne and Boylan’s own Dollhouse Pictures, Arclight Films has international sales rights and Roadshow is the local distributor.
In development
Weir and Humphrey separately put money into writer-director Renée Webster’s comedy How to Please A Woman, which Madman is releasing in cinemas on May 26. Beta Cinema has international rights.
About a dozen other films are being considered or are in active development, including two book adaptations. Jessie is based on Courtney Collins’ novel The Burial, inspired by the story of early 1900s bushranger Jessie Hickman, and optioned by Jasmin Tarasin, who will direct. Storyd has also taken a first option on psychological thriller The Silent Listener, written by Lyn Yeowart, one of Weir’s most inspiring teachers during high school.
“There is no shortage of amazing projects out there and incredibly exciting women we would be so excited to work with,” added Weir.
To a lesser extent Storyd will also invest in content-related technology start-ups and has already done so with Viewie, an app for television and movie fans, as well as Omelia, a storytelling tool for writers and gamers.
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