Private Project

LudoVic

A story about a boy, a hat and the end of the world.

Logline:

Amid catastrophic loss and a broken world, a young survivor struggles to cope, until a chance encounter with a familiar face reignites her will to go on.

  • Nick Bolton
    Director
  • Vic Barbeler
    Writer
  • Nick Bolton
    Producer
  • Jess Milne
    Producer
  • Vic Barbeler
    Producer
  • Sebastian Tang
    Key Cast
    "Ludo"
  • Tobie Webster
    Key Cast
    "Dash"
  • Makayla McDonald
    Key Cast
    "Nurse"
  • Antonio Barea
    Key Cast
    "Doctor"
  • Juliet Scrine
    Key Cast
    "Crazy Lady"
  • Jack Jessop
    Key Cast
    "Street Urchin #1"
  • Louis Jessop
    Key Cast
    "Street Urchin #2"
  • Jess Milne
    Director of Photography
  • Vicki Sugars
    1AD
  • Maika Shiine James
    3AD
  • Stephanie Furdek
    1AC
  • Stephanie Furdek
    Steadicam
  • Cooper Dennis
    2AC
  • Clifford McBride
    Sound Operator
  • David Do
    Sound Operator
  • Peter Kaloudis
    Sound Operator
  • Tom Brian
    Gaffer
  • Matt Bonnici
    Production Designer
  • Daniel Smith
    Production Designer Assistant
  • Vic Barbeler
    Costume
  • Nick Bolton
    Locations Manager
  • Angela Brookes
    Hair and Make Up Artist
  • Maika Shiine James
    Runner
  • Wai Mun Tang
    Catering
  • Susan Webster
    Catering
  • Troy Webster
    Catering
  • Vic Barbeler
    Catering
  • Coreen Larocca
    Script Supervisor / Continuity
  • Kayla Powell
    Script Supervisor / Continuity
  • Christopher Daw
    Script Supervisor / Continuity
  • Lexi Markovic
    Photographer
  • Billie Acosta
    Photographer
  • Honi Perrin de Graaf
    Photographer
  • Adrian Powers
    Editor
  • Russell Webster
    Composer
  • Sebastian Tang
    Composer
  • Antonio Cenzonze
    Colourist
  • John Hresc
    Sound design and mastering
  • Jess Milne
    Designer
  • Nick Bolton
    Marketing and Distribution
  • Jess Milne
    Marketing and Distribution
  • Cody Munro Moore
    Music engineer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 29 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    75,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nick Bolton

Nick is drawn to emotional stories with impact, that stir the soul, that shake the heart, that rattle the brain. Stories that highlight the human condition. Stories with the power to change.

Usually set in the present day, Nick aims to present humanity in its rawest purest form and is fascinated by our emotions and what drives them.

He has worked on projects that cover mental health, domestic violence, image based abuse, toxic masculinity, the death penalty, and worked on many projects in the disability sector.

Nick has a particular strength in dealing with sensitive issues and difficult emotional topics with lightness and grace, able to draw out performance through connection and understanding.

Nick Bolton and Jess Milne are founders of TEN ALPHAS.
The film Mate was the first Australian film to win Clermont Ferrand (2023) and was longlisted for the 2024 Oscars.
They were Executive Producer's on Fran Braithwaites film Finding Addison that won the Best Short Film at the Australian Film Institute's AACTA Awards 2024.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Whilst writing this statement, I was actually recovering from a nasty dose of Covid. Being quarantined in our spare room for nearly two weeks made me appreciate the care I needed from my wife. I craved for human interaction. As a freelancer, the revenue hit hurt. My life was on hold. In limbo.



Getting doctors appointments and medical attention was time consuming and laborious, albeit free, and how grateful I am to live in Australia. But still, there is a feeling of being governed. Of being a number not a name. Of being dependent on a system. 

Another interesting reflection of being quarantined was the effect it had on my brain. Covid gave me brain fog but moreso, the lack of interaction definitely played with my brain. I wasn’t delirious but I can imagine people going delirious and crazy in a world that is starved of community and communion. 



It's this alienation and isolation that we examine in LudoVic. Five year after the virus wipes out 90% of the population, we meet Ludo and Dash.

At 18 years old, still children really, alone in a delirious crazy world, Ludo and Dash have no choice but to be street smart and hustle to survive. In their encounters in this dystopian, dreary, bleached, ugly, battered run down world, we see them come up against an assorted range of characters all odd in their own way. 


Like all good short films, there is a twist. Infact there are two.



We see them navigate this world though risky schemes, through being monitored and via of security cameras and drones, and through their risk of going through the no-go zone. They return to the caravan, their home and metaphorically is a warm embrace, a giant hug, a comfort blanket. 

My heartfelt thanks to Vic for writing such a tender script.

To the crew, who I hope enjoyed filming at the disused colliery as much as I did, and the post team for working their magic.

To the cast, thank you and in particular Sebastian and Tobie. You were a joy to direct.

I hope the film makes you think about ourselves, our world, our relationships and our survival.