By FilmInk staff
The 2024 Antipodean Film Festival took place in the south of France this October, with French and international audiences flocking to see the best of this year’s Antipodean short and feature films.
Among this year’s festival’s big winners, the Audience Award for Best Picture went to Just a Farmer. The Best Actress award went to Tioreole Ngatai Melbourne for The Convert. The Best Actor award went to Hugo Weaving for Rooster. The Grand Jury Prize went to “The Rooster,” and the Best Short Film Award went to Nicole Fantle for “Love Lockdown.”
Nicole Fantle’s directorial debut was perhaps the film festival’s breakout star. Written, directed, and starring Fantle, and co-produced with his production company Luve Pictures, this quirky, fresh dark comedy made packed movie theaters laugh, even though comedy often doesn’t translate well. I let it happen.
Love Lockdown is the story of two lonely people trying desperately to find love in a disconnected world. Nicole Fantle plays the free-spirited Susan Woods, giving an unpredictable yet heartfelt performance alongside Rian Johnson, who brings an endearing and hilarious performance to the screen as Bob. The film was praised for its unflinching and original depiction of a woman’s complex struggle to meet society’s expectations and her own desires against a backdrop of mounting external pressures. This entertaining short explores themes that are deeply relevant to the heart, and stands out for its impressive direction, gorgeous production design, striking visuals, and spot-on acting. The film was well received by audiences and judges alike, winning Nicole Fantle the prestigious Nicolas Bourdon Award for Best Short Film.
This clever and funny short is also a proof of concept for a series in development, cementing the multi-talented and multilingual Nicole Fantle as an up-and-coming filmmaker to watch in Australia and around the world. I am assuming that.
