Filmmaker Profile : Alethea Jones
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Filmmaker Profile : Alethea Jones

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Besides being a hive of activity, she is polymathic in her approach to her career, working as a choreographer (for acts like Delta Goodrem, Operator Please and Children Collide), actor, writer, director and producer. But her first calling was acting, and she says, “The last three shorts I directed –When the Wind ChangesLemonade Stand and Dave’s Dead – were written by actors, and I think that my acting background has helped my dialogue with cast to no end.”

Jones’ breakthrough was When The Wind Changes, an absurdist comedy written by and starring Richard Davies (TV’s Offspring) as a gormless slacker who gets his comeuppance. Debuting at MIFF in 2010, it went on to take Best Short at IF Awards, Best Comedy at St Kilda Film Festival, and People’s Choice and Most Resourceful at Flickerfest – “which we love,” says Jones, “because we made this film with Rick’s own money.” Her next big success was winning Tropfest with her sweet-n-sour comedyLemonade Stand, about a grandfather/grandson team whose annual refreshment stand comes under threat from neighbourhood stiff Kevin “fanny-pants” Dawson.

Her latest comic adventure is Dave’s Dead, a dark comedy about friendship and a funeral. Flickerfest Festival Director Bronwyn Kidd says, “Both [this and When The Wind Changes] are very funny and unusual stories – not the usual 7-minute gag film with blokey humour that has at times dominated the Australian short film comedy landscape. I also think the performances and stories are incredibly strong and sophisticated.”

IN HER OWN WORDS:

Looking forward: “I just want to make things in every medium. I’m a TV junkie at home, so I want to take that passion across to directing TV. To that effect, I’ve done director’s attachments on Rush and Neighbours, so I’ve been able to see how an episode is put together from the writing stage through to the edit. Features would be heavenly to make as well. I’ve also just started with TVCs, which in themselves are little bundles of contained energy.”

Who she admires: “I love Baz Luhrmann and his ostentatious treatment of story. I love Wes Anderson, and am really moved by P.T. Anderson’s older films, like Magnolia and Punch-Drunk Love. Bit of a sucker for Woody Allen, too.”

Her tips for 2013: “Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, had such a great mix of comedy and drama. Also delightful characters; Silver Linings Playbook– Bradley Cooper has never been better; Cloud Atlas, although many people didn’t like it, was a truly inspiring cinematic moment for me. That’s a film that gave to me as an audience member. I walked out of it inspired by life. In terms of TV, I’m really, really mad for Downton Abbey and Game Of Thrones.”

On Dave’s Dead: “The film is really big in vision, but we only had a few thousand dollars to make it. We had to stretch the money and really scrap to get it made. … You use up a lot of nervous energy asking things of people and making the best of what you have.”

On surviving the scene: “The challenge is finding people that will work for free or very little money to help make a quality product. Often you’re working with inexperienced crew who are looking to log up hours and stuff for their reels. But those people who do commit are all heart, and that goes a long way.”