We have been working together creatively for over 13 years. In 2008, we began writing and directing as a duo, writing numerous scripts and producing self-funded, no-budget short films.
In 2009 we received “Link” funding from FTI and ScreenWest, which allowed us to make our first film with an actual production crew. The result was It’s Just Gary. While the film probably should have been cut down by a third, it gave us the opportunity to gain vital experience and skills.
While in pre-production on It’s Just Gary, we attempted to make another short film entirely on our own: one of us held the camera, the other stood in front of it, and then we cut it together. The result was This is Perth, which we completed on a budget of around $4.
This is Perth “went viral” – the first WA-made film to do so. It was featured in The West Australian newspaper, on local radio and on TV news and current affairs programmes, contributing to the then current “Dullsville” debate. It also won both Best Film and the People’s Choice awards at the WA Screen Awards.
After a year screening at national and international festivals, It’s Just Gary was nominated for Best Direction at the 2011 WA Screen Awards.
At the same time, we were at work on George Jones and the Giant Squid. We were lucky enough to again secure funding from ScreenWest and FTI under their highly competitive Hyperlink program, and this project proved another step forward in our progression as filmmakers.
George Jones and the Giant Squid from Vimeo.
In 2012, George Jones was officially selected for Flickerfest, Palm Springs International Film Festival and New York City International Film Festival, as well as being nominated for Best International Film at the 66th Edinburgh International Film Festival. In 2013, the film was nominated for Best Screenplay at the WA Screen Awards, and won Best Film at the HP Lovecraft Film Festival in LA.
While working on George Jones, we also cut our teeth as TV writers on the ABC3 sitcom Mal.com. We have spent the last few years doing freelance screenwriting while continuing to develop our own long-form projects for film and television.
PERRELLA & OSBORN 