Sydney Indie Film Festival – LOL Session! Best selection of Comedy Shorts from Australia & World! + Q&A with the Filmmakers! @ The Epping Hotel!
“A Short Film About Kissing” “Arcade” “Black Rock or Bust” “Checkmate”
“Dead Duck” “Dr. Weird” “First World Problems” “I Need My Space” “It’s Not Funny” “The Last Laugh” “Nicky Martin: Country Superstar” “Uber X-Citing Day”

Sunday, 16th October 2016
Time: 2PM
Location: Screening Cinema Room @ Epping Hotel
Epping
Comedy Shorts!

Film introduced by Filmmakers Rob Fantozzi & Conor Woods (Dr Weird), Rachael Belle Myers (First World Problems), Jordy Pollock (A Short Film About Kissing), Gabriel Robinson (Checkmate),  Mark Dedaj (Dead Duck) followed by Q&A after screenings.

A Short Film About Kissing (AUSTRALIA)

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/174532336
Cast: Hebe Sayce, Jackson Turner
Synopsis: Chloé and Charlie are in love. At least, they are trying to be. The two are afraid to kiss, due to dangerous experiences of the past. A kiss, what’s the worst that could happen?

Arcade (AUSTRALIA)
Director: Megan Chambers
Cast: Pia O’Connell, Tony Cooke, Cameron Caulfield, Harrison Carr, Rebecca Bradley
Synopsis: Maggie is stuck in a dead-end job, supervising old games in a run-down arcade. She’s an avid reader of how-to books, but struggles to put theory into action. On a fateful bus trip she meets Ferdinand, a free-spirited and eccentric retiree, who teaches her that there’s no how-to book for life.

Black Rock or Bust (CANADA

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/156979275
Director: Brendan Brady
Cast: Julian Hacquebard, Daniel Taylor, Brendan Brady
Synopsis: Three friends on a road trip from Toronto to Burning Man must band together and overcome their beat-up old car.

Checkmate (AUSTRALIA)
Director: Gabriel Robinson
Cast: Keith Thomas, Oscar Morphew
Synopsis: A lonely old man has a brush with Death himself, who challenges him to a game of chess to win back his life.

Dead Duck (AUSTRALIA)

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/180405339
Director: Mark Dedaj
Cast: Ben Maclaine, Brendan Miles
Synopsis: Mike’s latest bout of hypochondria has hit him hard. Yet during a visit to see his doctor, Mike’s hopes of being soothed quickly vanish when his doctor, an old pal called Jerry, can’t stop himself from reliving the prankish times of their youth. But when Jerry goes one step too far, the remnants of their old friendship quickly begin to crumble.

Dr. Weird (AUSTRALIA)

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/185172857
Director: Robert Fantozzi
Cast: Rob Stanfield, Ashleigh Stewart, Hannah Thiesz, Tass Labra, Amy Gallagher
Synopsis: Meet Robert Reid. When he’s not a humble ‘Mild-Mannered-Media-Man’ who loves alliteration, he is the not so humble superhero: Dr. Weird. The self proclaimed ‘Greatest Superhero in Urb City’. Protecting it’s many helpless citizens from the likes of terrifying purse snatchers and eyepatch wearing super villains. But no fearsome villain has tested Dr. Weird as much as the challenge currently at his feet. An awkward as hell dinner date. It’s not weird unless you make it weird, but Dr. Weird just can’t help himself. It’s going to take more than heroics to win the heart of the charming Ellie Eddison, but has Dr. Weird gotten that message? Will the weirdness end before this date spirals into complete and utter chaos? Some challenges are too great…. even for Dr. Weird

First World Problems (AUSTRALIA)
Director: Rachael Belle Myers
Cast: Clint Facey, Joe Davidson
Synopsis: Two mates discuss the hardships of their lives over a bad cup of coffee, oblivious to the beauty and sadness surrounding them.

I Need My Space (FINLAND)
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/171295824

Director: Jesse Pohjonen
Cast: Jorma Karsltedt, Mona Kortelampi, Mait Lepik
Synopsis: Esko, an engineer tired of his cheating wife’s nagging, decides to disappear for good.

It’s Not Funny (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Director: Dennis Näversköld
Cast: Julian Grünthal, Ondřej Pšenička
Synopsis: A best man tries to calm his friend down, on the day of his wedding, by telling a joke. But it backfires and the grooms reaction is not what he thought…

The Last Laugh (UK)

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/166432153
Director: Paul Hendy
Cast: Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe, Damian Williams as Tommy Cooper, Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse
Synopsis: Three legendary comedians; one very unusual dressing room.
‘The Laugh Laugh’ sees three iconic, British comedians, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse sitting in a dressing room discussing the secret of comedy.
We witness the lightening wit and quick-fire quips which made these comedians great. But as the film scratches a little deeper, we catch a glimpse of their insecurities: the niggling doubt of whether a joke is funny enough and how the fear of ‘dying’ on stage drives them on a never-ending quest for that next big laugh.
Warm, funny, affectionate and moving, ‘The Last Laugh’ explores what it means to be funny and what happens when the laughter stops…

Nicky Martin: Country Superstar (USA)
Director: Andrew Elliott
Cast: Mike Bissonette, Kevin Vaughan, Jenn Daugherty, Skinner Myers, Kristen Levy, Alex Canty
Synopsis: Nicky wants to be a country music star, but doesn’t know how to sing or play guitar. He wants to be a cowboy, but he’s afraid of all four-legged animals. After hearing about a singing contest at the County Fair, Nicky gathers his cohorts and prepares for what he believes is the chance of a lifetime.

Uber X-Citing Day (AUSTRALIA)
Director: Michael Jones, Jackson Tozer
Cast: Jackson Tozer, Dave O’Neil, Aunty Donna, Kevin Dee, Andy Rhodes, Sacha Joseph, Fiona Norman, Robin Brown, Whitney Duff
Synopsis: Ben drives his Uber as a way to pay rent, meet interesting people and shamelessly promote himself as a comedian. Circling Melbourne city in hopes to pick up likeminded people, he is shortchanged for the uncomfortably eccentric.

Film introduced by Filmmakers Rob Fantozzi & Conor Woods (Dr Weird), Rachael Belle Myers (First World Problems), Jordy Pollock (A Short Film About Kissing), Gabriel Robinson (Checkmate),  Mark Dedaj (Dead Duck) followed by Q&A after screenings