The Retained - Short Film

Hi everyone!

My name is Robbie and I’m an award-winning writer/director based in Melbourne Australia. My most recent short film Shallow Breath had a very successful run at major international festivals, won Best International Short Film at the Oscar Qualifying Foyle Film Festival, was submitted for Academy Award consideration in 2022 and is currently being developed as a feature film.

Shallow Breath Short Film

As that was some years ago now, it’s time to make another short film!

My latest short film project is called The Retained and is a tense psychological thriller that explores the complexities of privilege, culture, class and power within an idyllic Australian setting.

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SYNOPSIS:

After a car accident puts a powerful business magnate in a coma, his two daughters, Angeline (25) and Millie (16) are humiliated to learn there was a foreign teenage sex worker Amara (16) in the car with him. Amara survived the accident relatively unscathed, although is temporarily blinded with hyphema from the crash. Horrified by their father’s awful secret, the sisters reluctantly decide to smuggle Amara out of the hospital and away from the public eye to plan how to save their father’s reputation.

Angeline and Millie take Amara to a secluded holiday home, to plan how they will cover up their father’s unforgivable actions and avoid a public scandal. While they await the arrival of a NDA agreement for Amara to sign, Millie becomes a de facto nurse to the blind captive and the two eventually confide in each other and from an unlikely friendship.

When the father wakes from his coma, Angeline is required to visit him in hospital leaving Millie and Amara alone at the retreat. Millie is soon forced into a crossroad between the loyalty to her family and her own moral compass when she realises that her father should be held accountable for his actions. With time running out before her father regains his memory of the accident, Millie must plan an escape for her and the captive before Amara loses her life and Millie loses her soul.

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CREATIVE STATEMENT

The plot is engineered for economic production and maximum tension and I envision the film to be “Succession meets Parasite” with an eye for social commentary around finding the line between right and wrong in a world of entitlement and exploitation.

THE IMPACT

The funds will guarantee the film is produced to a professional standard by allowing the production to secure premium locations, talent and cover travel and accommodation costs for a remote shoot. It will also cover post-production costs and festival entry fees.

All contributors will be thanked in the credits and script, pitch deck or any other materials for information about the film can be supplied on request.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP

We understand that not everyone can contribute financially, and non- financial support is vital to help our campaign reach its goals. Please share our campaign with your friends, family, and social media networks. The more people who know about The Retained the better chance we have to bring this story to life.

THANK YOU

Massive thanks to anyone who contributes to this passion project, as filmmaking at any level is painfully expensive, arduous and cannot happen without the goodwill of co-conspirators. As the quote goes, 'the only thing harder than making a film, is not making a film' so we must always find a way, and with your help we can :)