Private Project

Present Day

A young artist's anxieties rise to the surface as he searches for a gift for his father. A day of rest turns into one of panic when JAY forgets to buy his father a birthday present. Enlisting the help of his best friend BEANS they must skate around Footscray in search of the perfect gift. A coming-of-age dramedy about family, culture and masculinity, PRESENT DAY is a heart-warming tale guaranteed to make you smile.

  • Justin Macawili
    Director
    Once Upon A Time In Chinatown (2020)
  • Justin Macawili
    Writer
  • Justin Macawili
    Producer
  • Vanessa Alexandra Valenzuela
    Producer
  • Jeffrey Jordan Villar
    Key Cast
    "Joseph "Jay" Villar"
  • Yaw Dadzie
    Key Cast
    "Kobe "Beans" Mensah"
  • Alfred Nicado
    Key Cast
    "Jobert Villar (Dad)"
    Schapelle, Tomorrow When the War Began
  • Mayen Estanero
    Key Cast
    "Leticia Villar (Mum)"
    Death & Wildflowers, The Halt, Open
  • Vanessa Alexandra Valenzuela
    Director of Photography
  • Alex Nesic
    1st Assistant Director
  • Madison Murphy
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Isabella Smith
    2nd Assistant Camera
  • Acaua Doherty
    Gaffer
  • Matthew Baumann
    Best Boy
  • Rizky Pratama
    Sound Recordist
  • Ruby Aitkin
    Production Designer
  • Stephanie Crowe
    Production Design Assistant
  • Bronwyn Morrison
    Hair and Makeup
  • Shanae Piekarek
    Hair and Makeup
  • Jordan Morrison
    Stylist
  • Sarah Cabanilla
    Script Supervisor
  • Zac Robertson
    Music by
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 27 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Justin Macawili

Justin Macawili is a film director from Naarm/Melbourne. Born and raised by Filipino parents in Australia in the 90s, Justin has experienced a struggle with his own cultural identity. Too brown for Australia and too foreign for the Philippines.

Justin started off in the camera department, working as a director of photography for multiple short films and music videos before transitioning into a writer director.

Stepping outside of his usual genre heavy films, Present Day is an introspection of his experience as a "third culture kid", as well as a love letter to the Western suburbs of Melbourne.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Present Day stemmed from a conversation between myself and a friend of mine about our relationship with our fathers, that it's easier to talk about how we are feeling to each other than we do speaking to them.

We realise even though we come from different backgrounds (I'm Filipino and he is Sudanese) there is a shared experience going here. Everyone has had an experience similar to this with their parents or guardians, which is why I think Present Day will resonate with a lot of people. Although my characters are from specific cultures, it is undeniably and unapologetically Australian.

As soon as I moved to the west of Melbourne, I was in love. It's important to show the culture that resides in the west, particularly in Footscray. It's such a melting pot of cultures coexisting together in a beautiful harmony. This is the Australia I see everyday, which unfortunately is not the Australia reflected on our screens.

Lastly, It was important to me that the push for diversity on screen was apparent behind the camera as well. I am proud to announce that we were successful in that at least 50 percent of our crew were from diverse backgrounds and at least 50 percent of our crew were female. Shout out to our all female camera team!