VCA School of Film and Television

Arguably Russia’s most famous folk song, Dark Eyes has captured hearts around the world for the past 100 years. This portrait explores the song’s somewhat controversial history, its musical versatility and its cultural relevance. Performances by Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Liberace, a 13-piece orchestra and a Russian folk group make it clear why Dark Eyes has stood the test of time.

Amira, an avid gardener living in a company town controlled by the powerful EdenCorp, is shattered by the sudden and mysterious death of her husband. EdenCorp’s Acquisition Manager, Alex, arrives at her front doorstep demanding that she vacate her cherished home, accompanied by unassuming employee, Jordan, hinting at foul play by the company. Pushed to her breaking point, Amira is determined not to lose the one place that still holds the memory of her husband, and she hatches a meticulous plan for revenge.

A man trying to propose to his girlfriend is blindsided by the telepathic accusations of a childhood teddy bear.

After eight seasons of poor off-screen behaviour, sitcom character Martin Dreggs has been killed off. Will the actor who plays him get a second chance at fame when the show broadcasts live? Drawing from sitcom inspirations absorbed throughout an entire childhood, writer/director Samuel Bortolazzo stages a complex family dilemma within the vessel of a television sitcom.

Emerson Hayes is a 60-year-old sculptor who lives in a caravan and works from an old shed in the back corner of her daughter’s coastal egg farm. When she is informed that her most acclaimed and last remaining work on public display is being replaced, she seeks a new home for it with family friend Lena, who curates a prestigious contemporary gallery. Lena, however, demands that Em present a fresh new work if she is to be considered for exhibition. As Em struggles to break out of her artistic rut, she is forced to reckon not only with her place in the art world, but with her entire identity.

Two strangers meet whilst both working a shift at a dodgy restaurant in Melbourne's CBD.

A girl stands on a lonely road looking into the distance and into her future.

The once celebrated graphic designer Paul Andrews has fallen from grace. Battling against the demands of vacuous clients, deprived of his voice, he descends into an obsessive and distorted search for creative expression.

Frankie and Charlie have moved to a tiny house. They regret it. It’s Christmas Eve. Frankie is miserable. Charlie’s organised a festive family lunch. Then Charlie finds a disoriented cockatiel by the river. She tucks him into a box and brings him inside. Little do they know – this bird has its own agenda. Nobody seems to notice something strange has started falling from the sky.

Pitch Black takes us inside the claustrophobic worlds of three young men immersed in the online black-pill subculture, as they struggle to reckon with their actions.

It's Tom's first day on the job. He's already having doubts about his career. Jimmy's not making life any easier.

Follows a group of young Australians who stutter as they take part in a 10-week performing arts program to create a unique theatre piece, which they’ll perform for family and friends.

Film student Patrick Atallah has a problem on his hands: his graduation documentary was cancelled at the last moment, so he has just one day in a studio to make an entire, fully realised film. What’s the film going to be about now? He doesn’t know, but he’s hoping to find it along the way. To do this, he invites five of his closest friends to the studio to help him come up with some interesting ideas.

Set in remote China, 'The Corn is Flowering' is a meditative story about how a family deals with a dying grandfather, as seen through the eyes of the six year old granddaughter.

Martin was born with just 2,000 words to use in his lifetime, and once he's spoken them all, he will fall irreversibly silent. Fearful of a voiceless future, Martin decides to save his words for the perfect moment. But in being so cautious, he risks not being heard at all.

A 17 minute portrait documentary film that explores one woman’s lived experiences as a survivor of domestic violence and homelessness, told with humour and heart.

Follows Yo, Siyuan and Mia, three young women who, using the mobile application Replika, have formed romantic relationships with virtual partners. This short documentary captures the richness of these bonds, from philosophical questions to intimate moments to the real sense of security and companionship afforded by these artificially intelligent lovers.

Packing away at his late father’s apartment, a stoic man finds himself grappling with grief and anger. Unable to cope yet refusing to open up, he retreats from cold, harsh reality into a warm, fuzzy forest, where he is left alone and there’s no more emotion, no more pain, no more struggle.

Want to be a big game hunter but hate the big game price tag that comes with it? Don’t go to Africa to kill animals – have a fun day out with your family at The Drive Zoo! Witness fantastic creatures in their natural habitat, then shoot them all from the comfort of your car. Experience the thrill of hunting with less death, less guilt, less blood and more glory!

In a used-car yard lives Tony, a wacky, waving inflatable-tube man, who dreams of being more than just an advertising gimmick. Spending his days flapping in the wind and peeking in the office window, Tony is mesmerised by a commercial for an all-new, shiny red convertible. Whisked away by his imagination, he dreams of a world beyond his own and a life behind the wheel. As time moves on, Tony becomes as tired and worn as the used-car yard. But when the car he’s longed for finally arrives in the dealership, Tony is forced to break his limits to protect his dream from a group of thieves.