Down by the Jetty

A lonely fisherman catches a troubled teen trying to steal from him, marking the start of an unexpected but meaningful friendship.
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On South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula (Nharangga Country), the small seaside town of Port Victoria provides a quiet existence for the few that live there. Detached from larger society, a lonely fisherman’s daily routine is disrupted when he crosses paths with a newly homeless teen trying to steal from him. In an unexpected display of forgiveness, this marks the start of an unlikely but meaningful friendship.

Down by the Jetty presents a short, mediative character piece that depicts the beginnings of a surrogate father-son relationship - capturing life in rural small-town Australia.

  • Tim Pritchard
    Key Cast
    "Guy"
  • Joseph Jeffree
    Key Cast
    "Eamon"
  • Alex Jeffree
    Director
  • Alex Jeffree
    Writer
  • Isis Fabjancic
    Producer
  • Aaron West
    Director of Photography
  • Hudson Wilkins
    Audio
  • Toby Martin
    Composer
  • Alex Jeffree
    Editor
  • Karla Humphries-Blundell
    Editor
  • Declan Campbell
    Assistant Camera
  • Karla Humphries-Blundell
    Stills Photographer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Narrative, Realism
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 44 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    600 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - The Academy of Interactive Entertainment / MAPS Film School
Distribution Information
  • The Academy of Interactive Entertainment
    Distributor
    Country: Australia
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Alex Jeffree

First time director Alex Jeffree (19) started making Lego stop motion animations at the age of six, beginning a lifelong passion for filmmaking. This would culminate in Alex studying at MAPS Film School (Academy of Interactive Entertainment), where he would direct his debut short film 'Down by the Jetty' (2024). Alex strives to tell emotionally honest stories that connect with their audience, and continue to develop his craft.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

‘Down by the Jetty’ was born after a family fishing trip to the small-town of Port Victoria, located on the coast of the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia.

After spending some time down there fishing with my Uncle Mike, I found myself amongst a community of hard-working and hard-living, yet generous and kind people. I was fascinated by the simple, quiet way of life.

I vowed to tell an authentically Australian story that faithfully depicted that environment and those people.

Inspired by films such as Breath (2017), Fast Talking (1984) and Aftersun (2022), I was motivated to tell a surrogate father-son story. Eventually, this idea evolved to a troubled teen that lacks a parental figure in his life, and the grumpy old fisherman he crosses paths with. These characters would be brought to life by my younger brother Joseph Jeffree, and the striking Tim Pritchard respectively.

Using the resources provided by MAPS/AIE film school and a small budget of just $600, our tight crew of six made the trek down to Port Victoria for a 72-hour shoot.

I hope Down by the Jetty resonates with its audience and paints an honest picture of a world that struck a chord in myself.

- Alex Jeffree, 2024