IN January, a local cast and crew will gather in Gloucester to film Critical Juncture, a short drama produced by Anne’s local production company, Treechange Films.
It follows 18-year-old Sara who, raised in a close-knit religious community, loses her closest friend and finds herself caught between the only family she has ever known and a secret she promised to keep.
It is a story Anne knows well. Karamea House is set primarily in Gloucester, with scenes in Taree and Forster, and is on the School Library Association of NSW (SLANSW) recommended reading list for Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) students.
“The story is reflective of what it can be like growing up in a small town,” Anne says. “While it’s set in Gloucester, it’s not about Gloucester in particular, it’s more of a social commentary on what it can be like growing up in a vacuum.”
For Anne, the short film is a first step. It is a proof of concept for a Karamea House feature film or series, and she hopes to see the full story filmed on the Barrington Coast.
“I want the people of Gloucester to see their town on screen and to feel this film belongs to them,” she says. “If this goes further, I’d love to make it here, with the people who live here.”
Sara is played by Elyssa Keen, whose start came on school stages: she took the lead in both her school musicals, as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! at Gloucester High School and as Scaramouche in We Will Rock You at Great Lakes College.
Playing opposite her as John is Forster actor Mace Murray, who was Buddy in that Great Lakes College production and has since gone on to lead the feature film Misgivings, filmed around Blueys Beach and Pacific Palms.
Dave Keen, a familiar face on stage with Arts Gloucester and the GACCI Players, plays Mr Edwards.
Everyone in front of the camera is a volunteer, and the production is calling on local volunteers and extras to help bring the film to life over two to three days of shooting in Gloucester.
Funds are being raised through the Australian Cultural Fund, run by Creative Australia, to cover the things goodwill can’t, including equipment, insurance, post-production and original music. Donations over $2 are tax deductible, and every dollar goes directly to the film. The campaign runs until Friday, January 22.
Once finished, Critical Juncture heads to festivals in Australia and overseas, and then home to Gloucester for a community screening for everyone who helped make it.
A former journalist at the Gloucester Advocate, Anne spent many years telling the stories of this community.
She now owns Treechange Films, the local production company behind documentaries including Nanna Power: The Story of the Gloucester Knitting Nannas.
“It has given me an insight into how people think and behave in different situations,” she said. “And while some of my inspiration is from Gloucester, Karamea House is strictly a fiction story.”
To find out more or donate, visit https://annekeen.square.site/critical-juncture
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