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Anchor

A depressed teenage boy is admitted into a psychiatric unit where he struggles to come to terms with his illness and stop ignoring the fact that he needs help.

  • Emma Wright
    Director
  • Emma Wright
    Writer
  • Ainsley Pettitt
    Producer
  • Elijah Wellsmore
    Key Cast
  • Josh Keiser
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 13, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Queensland Australian Cinematographers Society Awards
    Queensland
    November 22, 2015
    Bronze Award for Cinematography
Director Biography - Emma Wright

Emma Wright is in her fifth semester of her bachelor degree in film and television at Bond University. After completing a foundation program at Bond College at the age of fifteen, she gained early entry into her degree which she will have completed at age eighteen. During her time at Bond she has worked on many short productions, allowing her to experience a variety of crew roles, and has found herself most comfortable in the directing chair. She has directed short films ‘Gone Cold’ and ‘Transcendence’, produced graduation film ‘Odyssey’, and was 1st AD on a film noir titled ‘Wings of Violet’. She has averaged a distinction across her classes and topped Audio Production 1, Producing 1, Producing 2, and Directing Actors as well as being placed on the Vice-Chancellor’s List of Academic Excellence. Emma’s background is in acting, an area of the industry she has been involved in for many years, allowing her to develop insider knowledge into how actors work. She has been trained in both Meisner and Chubbuck and is confident in applying this techniques when work-shopping actors. Her acting has allowed her to work on numerous sets including television shows ‘Mako Mermaids’ and ‘Camp’, furthering her understanding of how sets operate.

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Director Statement

Anchor has been a budding story at the back if my mind since 2011, after being withdrawn from school and admitted into a rehabilitation program for anorexia nervosa and depression. It began as a deeply personal tale, but soon blossomed into something more universal, while remaining a story with a message that I connect with and am passionate about telling. Depression has affected most members of my family, and I wanted to write a film that not just presented an issue but has the ability to touch people and leave a lasting impression. With this film I want to address the stigma of mental health issues in young people and illustrate the diffuculties faced when seeking help. Mental Illness presents itself differently in different people, and the symptoms can often be misinterpreted, so I wanted to create characters that demonstrated how people fight their demons in their own ways. The story can be simplified as a journey of acceptance, and understanding that sometimes the people that save us really need saving themselves.