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Beach Cops

When German police officer Martin Schmidt signs up with the special forces unit in Austria, he is ready for the big adventure. Unfortunately for Schmidt, the adventure leads him to Australia, and right into its easy-breezy beach culture.
With his new partner Michael Toba, a happy-go-lucky guy who is on probation for accidentally shooting the Police Commissioner during firearms training, Schmidt’s nightmare seems complete.
Yet when Schmidt and Toba stumble over crime, the situation takes a turn and they get the chance to prove worthy of their police badges - and of their partnership.

  • Laura Flakowski
    Director
  • Laura Flakowski
    Writer
  • Laura Flakowski
    Producer
  • Brittany Fossey
    Producer
  • Christian Heath
    Key Cast
    "Martin Schmidt"
  • Ramsey Smith
    Key Cast
    "Michael Toba"
  • Frank Poulos
    Key Cast
    "Police Commissioner"
  • Stephen Belekas
    Key Cast
    "Phantom"
  • Ash Ang
    Key Cast
    "Constable Brown"
  • Lucy Ross
    Key Cast
    "Constable Taylor"
  • Malina Kelderman
    Key Cast
    "Woman on the Beach"
  • Pamela Ang
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
  • Isabella Yao
    Key Cast
    "Niece"
  • Michael Frost
    Key Cast
    "Father"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student, Television, Web / New Media
  • Genres:
    comedy, action, student, short, pilot, tv
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 4 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 10, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English, German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Sydney Film School
Director Biography - Laura Flakowski

Laura Flakowski is a filmmaker based in Sydney, who grew up at the northern beaches of Germany.

After completing her Bachelor of Arts at the Utrecht University (NL) and her Master of Human Rights Law and Policy at the University of New South Wales (AUS), Laura decided to turn to filmmaking.

She completed a documentary filmmaking course at Sydney University, and holds a Diploma of Screen and Media at Sydney Film School (SFS). Her short film ‘Beach Cops’ premiered at the SFS Festival in 2020.

Laura has worked on a multitude of short films and commercial works, and is looking to expand her directorial horizons onto long form films and tv production.

Laura is also an illustrator, graphic designer, and photographer, and is hoping to combine diverse forms of art in her films to support the stories she will tell.

Next to her native language German, Laura speaks English, Danish, Dutch, and French.

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Director Statement

Schmidt – a name that says it all. German. Punctual. Efficient. No-nonsense. Ironed shirt. - Who doesn’t need a Schmidt?

Looking at my own personal experience as a German in Australia, I thought it was time to introduce this character in a concept pilot episode of a TV series. And what better way to do so than to contrast him with an Australian character who is the very opposite of Schmidt – Toba?
Cultural differences offer themselves so beautifully to a light-hearted comedy, and here is one with a bit of action. A melange of 21 Jump Street, Hot Fuzz, Rush Hour, and Brooklyn 99, it was important to me to keep the tone of this film light and colourful, like the Sydney beaches it is located at.

Character-driven, the almost comic-like style of this film supports notions of personal conflict and friendship through pacing, motivated camera angles and movements. The challenge I see in comedy is to choose the right amount of the right kind of comedy for the story in order for the characters to develop and the story to unfold. I am hoping that this piece achieved just that.
I see this film as an opportunity to film in Sydney’s beautiful beach side locations, and to cast specific comedic actors that will fit stereotypes and storyline.

I also see potential for this project to be a proof of concept film that will add to a pitch bible for a proposed continuous or short TV series of ten episodes of 30-45 minutes each. Targeted at young adults, male and female, the multicultural background of the characters opens up to a varied audience. Episode-specific subplots also give the option to introduce a multitude of additional characters and topics.

Most importantly, I hope that Beach Cops hits the right spot for a diverse audience.