Private Project

Friends and Strangers

Two comfortable but directionless twenty-somethings pass in and out of view in an elliptical and wryly comedic exploration of stagnation and displacement in contemporary Australia.

Part absurdist comedy, part satire of colonial accidie, the film follows Ray and Alice as they navigate a series of increasingly awkward and comedic situations, from half-hearted romantic encounters to limp attempts at career advancement.

Afraid to think deeply about the past and unable to look forward with confidence, the film presents a culture snared by its own affluence and moral cowardice in a meaningless and interminable present.

  • James Vaughan
    Director
    You Like It, I Love It
  • James Vaughan
    Writer
  • Rebecca Lamond
    Producer
  • Lucy Rennick
    Producer
  • Emma Diaz
    Key Cast
  • Fergus Wilson
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 24 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 20, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    300,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Rotterdam International Film Festival
    Rotterdam
    Netherlands
    February 3, 2021
    World Premiere
    Tiger Competition
  • Jeonju International Film Festival
    Jeonju
    Korea, Republic of
    April 29, 2021
    Asian Premiere
    Special Jury Prize
  • New Directors/New Films
    New York
    United States
    April 28, 2021
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Bonsai Films
    Distributor
    Country: Australia
    Rights: All Rights
  • Grasshopper Films
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - James Vaughan

Vaughan wrote and directed the short film YOU LIKE IT, YOU LOVE IT (2013) which screened in competition at the Berlinale, Clermont-Ferrand International Short FF and Melbourne IFF, where he received the Swinburne Award for Emerging Australian Filmmaker and ATOM award for Best Experimental Film. Vaughan was involved in establishing the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s Contemporary Film Program in 2016, which brought together a range of critics, curators and practitioners to exhibit a free weekly program of bold, new cinematic voices. He founded Leitourgia Films in 2018. His latest film, FRIENDS AND STRANGERS (2021) was nominated for a Tiger Award at the IFF Rotterdam. It then screened at New Directors/New Films in New York and Jeonju International Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize.

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