Hard Rubbish
Steve Mitchell (Writer/Director), Angela Lee (Producer)
Nothing comes for free.
Synopsis
Adam (Simon Mallory - Offspring, The Pacific, Rush, Last Man Standing, Neighbours) spots a TV set amidst a pile of hard rubbish, but his wife Eve (Tiffany Davis) won't let him have it. Later, he returns without her to claim it, but finds his neighbour Tom (Luke Stephens - City Homicide, Home & Away, My Brother Jack) examining it. Both men feign disinterest in the TV as they encourage each other to select one of the other items in the pile. However, they realise they both want the TV and a battle of wits commences where common sense is sacrificed on the altar of idiocy.
Director's statement
This script was selected to be funded by Open Channel and Screen Australia over sixty other competing scripts. It's a simple study of the lengths two characters will go to in order to win something they both want – a free TV. I tried to use subtext and comic reversals to engage the audience and also make the characters experience the five stages of grief as they undergo considerable change on a journey that lasts just a few minutes.
Hard Rubbish is a comedy that has something to say about our consumer society, electronic waste, racial stereotypes and men's reluctance to throw anything away.
Director's bio
Steve is a graduate of the Professional Screenwriting course at RMIT. He has written for Rove (Network 10) and childrens TV series Hotdog & Mustard. Last year his sit-com was shortlisted for Stitch (Film Victoria/ABC), and he received next-draft funding from Film Victoria for his comedy feature The Non-Believers. He recently completed a subversive documentary about UFOs called Weird Stuff.
Angela Lee, Producer
Angela has worked as Script Assessor and Line Producer for the 2009 & 2010 Raw Nerve films. She was also the script assessor for the 2010 Short and Sharp Pitching Competition(presented by Open Channel, supported by Film Victoria). Angela worked as a Development Executive at Mondayitis Productions and was a judge for the 2010 ATOM Awards. She is currently working as a Producer for TV show With Tim Ferguson (WTF) which will be aired on C31.
Produced and developed with the assistance of Screen Australia
