Call the Paperboys

When three paperboys are faced with redundancy, George must choose to either fight for their trade or be left behind by his friends.

The year is 2008 and paperboys are in steady decline
amidst the rise of news website giants such as Yahoo!
News and The Australian. Best friends since childhood,
George, Theo, and Richie face an unexpected twoway street: to fight for their much-loved profession
as paperboys or to pedal towards the soul-crushing
adventure of growing up. When Theo and Richie find
themselves choosing the latter, George is given his first
taste of betrayal. The story follows all the absurd and
theatrical events that unfold during their final days as
paperboys with George, who hopes to save this nostalgic
slice of Australian suburbia, as as our protagonist.

  • Julienne Pancho
    Director
  • Matt Stitt
    Writer
  • Taylah Cate
    Producer
  • Dominique Lizzo
    Producer
  • Chaydon Seaman
    Key Cast
    "George"
  • Jimi Ranke
    Key Cast
    "Theo"
  • Dehan Pretorius
    Key Cast
    "Richie"
  • Danny Donaldson
    Key Cast
    "Vinnie"
  • Izzy Smith
    Associate Producer
    Shake You Off, Perfect Match, Hidden Angels
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 21 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    9,500 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Shooting Format:
    4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Julienne Pancho

Julienne is a Brisbane-based creative of Filipino descent making her directorial debut for a short film with Call the Paperboys. More often than not, Julienne works in the post-production department either as an Editor or a Colourist. With a love for art, history, and literature, she suspected that filmmaking would satisfy her heart's desire best. As a woman and person of colour, Julienne is adamant that for her voice to be heard, she must follow what deeply makes her tick.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The story behind Call the Paperboys finds its way back to seven years ago.

I was once in a close-knit group of friends who were, at that stage, all I had ever known about friendship and companionship. Everything was perfect and high school felt tolerable. There were four of us at first, but then there were three.

To be left behind or feeling as though you are being left behind is a ubiquitous theme everyone understands - perhaps all too well even. Whether that's in the context of friendships, relationships, school, or deep into your career, it's a feeling we all know and have experienced. Through thick and thin, although change can be difficult, it's the people that you go through it with that counts.

My mother once told me that the only thing permanent in life is change. She was right. This film is a project based around the ideas of friendship, brotherhood, and what it means to grow up. This is a love letter to old and absent friends.