Queer Screen has brought the Mardi Gras Film Festival back for 2024, with a huge slate of films showcasing the "diversity of queer creativity through film and video".
As part of it's Bi+ Shorts program, on Wednesday 28 February at 8:30pm at the Randwick Ritz, FASS graduate film The Trip will be screened as part of this year's competition.
Written and Directed by India Goss Maher and Produced by Emma Sophia Pittman, both UTS Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts and Production) graduates, The Trip follows couple Georgia and Jake "at the pointy end of a situationship and sexuality crisis" when they are "stuck on the side of the road with an overstepping hitchhiker on a trip that will either make or break them - or both."
Produced as part of their final year subject Media Arts Project, India and Emma were both kind enough to speak about their experience making the film, the excitement of its premiere, and what's coming next.
Can you tell me about the inspiration behind The Trip?
India Goss Maher
The story for The Trip evolved really organically. I started writing a road trip story, and in searching for the point of conflict in Jake and Georgia’s relationship, I was drawn to explore tensions that I have personally experienced around the idea of coming out and feeling ‘out enough’ or ‘queer enough’, especially in a straight presenting relationship.
What's the Director/Producer relationship like? Do you think you'll guys work together again?
Emma Sophia Pittman
The relationship between India and I was very open, collaborative, and filled with laughs. We worked very closely together throughout the production process as we were both very passionate about the project, cared a lot about the story, and wanted to make a really fantastic film. We met the semester before in the cinematography module. We didn’t know each other but during the break we found ourselves sitting together, connecting on the fact that both of us felt really out of depth with all the technical jargon thrown around in the module. In that class, we created our first short together The Perfect Date. Once the semester ended, India approached me to produce and be 1st Assistant Director on her capstone. The answer was immediately a yes. Not only did I want to work with India again, but the script captured me instantly. It was such a unique story, and one that I felt deeply connected to.
We have since gone on to direct/produce a short called ‘Looking for Haberfield’. There we worked with a team of UTS alumni and industry professionals. That film was a whirlwind experience, having signed on and completed the film within a month, before we had even finished the semester at UTS. We were known as the power duo on set, and had so much fun working together. We absolutely will be working together again. India has already floated her next film idea to me, and even without having anything written on paper, I’ve already signed on.
India
Working with Emma as a producer has been amazing, from sending her the initial concept right through to now, organising festival submissions, she’s been with the project the whole way and in all honestly the film wouldn’t have been made without her!
What does it mean to have your film showing in MGFF?
India
Having the film selected in MGFF is a bit surreal! I’m really proud of the whole cast and crew as it’s such an amazing, diverse festival to have a queer film premiere at. I’m really excited for it to be shown amongst other amazing films to a majority queer audience too.
Can you tell me what you enjoyed about the MAP course and the Capstone subject?
India
The capstone subject was definitely the highlight of MAP for me. I loved how collaborative it was, how open the scope of the project could be, and how it encouraged us to work on productions in a way that reflected industry standards.
Emma
What I enjoyed about the MAP course was that I was able to explore different crew roles and discover which roles I fit into and which I didn’t. Throughout the course, I dipped my toes in editing, cinematography, writing, and directing, only to truly discover my passion in producing. Nothing ever felt right, until I was able to explore producing. The capstone project was a really great opportunity for me to come out of my shell and connect with other students to create films. I worked with Georgia Brogan on her film, Period Party. That film was not only an incredibly special project to be part of, but it also allowed me to connect with other filmmakers on her set and make lifelong connections. The capstone subject was also great to be able to see the talent within the cohort and connect with other talented students to make films with in the future. Seeing others potential fuelled a passion within me to keep connecting and creating.
What's next for you?
Emma
Since The Trip, I have gone on to produce two films that are currently in post-production (Looking for Haberfield, The Odyssey of a Fatherless Son). I approached both projects through Crew Call Outs on Facebook. Both of these films were incredible to work on. I was able to meet incredibly talented filmmakers on the sets, and create truly special films. In both roles I was the lead producer and it was so fulfilling watching the films come to life after so much hard work. Stay tuned for those films coming soon!
Since then, I have been approached to producer 3 new projects - 2 short films, 1 music video - which I am very excited for. I am also currently working on my own screenplay which I hope to direct and produce sometime next year - it’s an incredibly nerve-racking process but I do hope to make something great.
I am really excited to do more producing in the future. The dream is to work in a production studio like Causeway Films, that specialises in indie films. I can’t wait to see what’s next for me!
India
The future is honestly pretty open for me at the moment! I’ve definitely found my passions in writing, directing and producing and am looking forward to working as crew on some upcoming projects as well as developing some projects of my own that are in early stages. I have a lot of creative momentum at the moment and am sharing that with some other really talented people that I’ve met through uni and beyond, so this year is looking pretty exciting!
The Trip screens at the Mardi Gras Film Festival during the Bi+ Shorts program on Wednesday 28 February.