A short film set in Wauchope High School and starring local students has beaten 78 other hopefuls to be crowned the winner of the Optus one80project.
The winning pilot Wauchope, written and directed by former resident Reuben Field, is about a class of high school students facing an uncertain future and the smart-arsed teacher who tries to jolt them out of their apathy.
The pilot was chosen from 10 other finalists by a panel of judges including actors Teresa Palmer, Sibylla Budd and Marcus Graham at an event that attracted 1200 people to Surry Hills.
Actress Teresa Palmer said the judges’ decision was unanimous.
“I thought all of them were really special in their own way, but Wauchope really stood out to me because it was shot incredibly beautiful and it has such soul and heart,” Palmer said.
“I got goosebumps watching it, and it was the only one of the top 10 that I really felt connected to.”
Writer and director Rueben Field said it was a great reward for the hard work that went into the process.
“It’s fantastic to win and we couldn’t have done it without the help of the Wauchope locals,” he said.
“The high school, actors involved and Michelle Gorton who really got stuck into the process have helped make a great short.
“We’re really looking forward to heading back and hopefully shooting the one hour TV film.”
In true Australian fashion the Starchild team celebrated the win at the pub and are already looking to turning the trailer into a one-hour drama which will be screened on MTV.
Field said the idea for the confronting trailer came from his experiences growing up in
Wauchope seeing the good and bad sides of the different facets of life in the country
“It’s not something that you see often on screen,” he said.
“I think it shows the real life struggles of regional teens and the important role of teaching in both an academic sense and the broader influence on students.
“The actors, particularly leads Emily and Joe were fantastic and we can’t wait to head back there.”
