By Goya Dmytryshchak
A ghoul’s search for a man in suburbia has helped Sunshine filmmakers and spouses Andrew Robb and Jessica Gerger scoop the fifth annual Altona Beach Film Festival.
My Ghoul won both the Best in Festival and People’s Choice awards.
This year’s festival theme was ‘journey’ and Robb explains that his wife, playing the central role of the ghoul, hops on a bus in Sunshine to go find a man.
“It’s about a lonely ghoul who lives in a big deserted mansion and she has decided to go looking for a man so she steps out into suburbia on that quest,” he said.
“Each year, my wife and I make a film for the Sunshine Short Film Festival … we made
My Ghoul set in Sunshine – there were Sunshine landmarks peppered throughout the film – for that festival.
“We always make a short film for that festival and that then goes on to have another life after that.
“In My Ghoul’s case, it had quite a successful life. It’s been to many different festivals all around Victoria and Australia and the world, including London.
“It’s playing at Atlanta in Georgia in the US in a few weeks.”
Part of the film was shot along Kororoit Creek at Sunshine, which Gerger is familiar with as president of Friends of Kororoit Creek.
This year’s judging panel included noted documentary maker Wain Fimeri from Altona and past winner Aaron Ellis from Altona Meadows.
Festival president Annette Stephens said My Ghoul had been a real crowd-pleaser among a high calibre of entries.
“The interpretation of ‘journey’ was amazing … we had horror, comedy, animation, drama; we had everything,” she said.
