Cloudy River, a modern romantic drama about a couple, one of them pansexual, whose open relationship is put to the test when they move in together, will premiere at the Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival on February 19 before launching on SBS On Demand on February 20.
This visually sumptuous, bold film is of the moment, but differs from other films and series about open relationships because it focuses on young adults on the cusp of deciding who they are. Co-written and co-directed by acclaimed author Sophie Hardcastle (Breathing Under Water, Running Like China) and her former romantic partner and enduring creative collaborator, ARIA Award nominated filmmaker Charlie Ford, it is inspired by their own real-life experience of an open relationship, giving the show searing authenticity.
The film stars an upcoming cast including Rebecca Robertson and Rowan Davie (That’s Not Me) and was produced by Belinda Dean. Belinda produced the multi-award winning Create NSW & SBS funded short film Joy Boy, which had its international premiere at Palm Springs Shortfest and was shortlisted for the prestigious Iris Prize. She conceived and produced the documentary The Funny Ones for ABC ME celebrating aspiring young female comedians.
Charlie Ford has enjoyed success across his short films, commercial work and narrative-based music videos for acclaimed artists Courtney Barnett, Vance Joy and Dan Sultan among others. His videos have been viewed over 25 million times on YouTube. Charlie’s short films have been played on SBS, screened at various film festivals including The Melbourne International Film Festival and various music video festivals.
Sophie Hardcastle is an author, artist, screenwriter and scholar. In 2018, she was one of the first two Australians to be awarded a Provost’s Scholarship in English literature by Worcester College at the University of Oxford. Sophie’s forthcoming novel, Below Deck will be published in March in Australia and NZ, with the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and The Netherlands to follow.
“Cloudy River celebrates love in all forms and we made it because we wanted to show that love can be more diverse than what we were told growing up. This show defies traditional conceptions of what it means to love and be loved. Our protagonists are simply abandoning old ideals in search of a love that is multifaceted, dynamic and unapologetically honest,” Charlie and Sophie said.
Cloudy River’s soundtrack features independent artists from the UK, France, Mexico and Australia, and also features original music by co-creator Charlie Ford’s band PLANTS and indie songstress Indigo Sparke.
The film received principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Queer Screen and will be distributed internationally by Escapade Media.
