Private Project

SLANT

In Australia 1999, a rogue journalist unearths the sordid secrets of an infamous socialite family for the scoop of a lifetime whilst unwittingly dredging up family trauma of his own.

SLANT is the debut feature from award-winning director James Vinson, starring a bold ensemble cast of Australian screen legends including the iconic Sigrid Thornton (The Man from Snow River), Kate Lister (Clickbait), Pia Miranda (Looking For Alibrandi), Michael Nikou (Fisk), Ra Chapman (Wentworth), Shannon Berry (The Wilds), and Elle Mandalis (Head On). This is no kitchen sink drama. SLANT is a larger-than-life black comedy thriller with a sizzling build to a wild finale; full of 90s nostalgia, irreverent humour, relatable family drama, and shocking twists you won’t see coming.

  • James Vinson
    Director
    Passage of Flick
  • Michael Anthony Nikou
    Writer
    Fisk
  • Monique Fisher
    Producer
    Tim Winton's The Turning
  • Michael Anthony Nikou
    Producer
    Woof!
  • James Vinson
    Producer
    Wentworth
  • Sigrid Thornton
    Key Cast
    "Vivianne Verity"
    The Man from Snowy River
  • Elle Mandalis
    Key Cast
    "Kaye Kopoulos"
    Head On
  • Kate Lister
    Key Cast
    "Una"
    Clickbait
  • Pia Miranda
    Key Cast
    "Maggie Kopoulos"
    Looking for Alibrandi
  • Ryan A. Murphy
    Key Cast
    "Billy Verity"
    Air Girl
  • Michael Anthony Nikou
    Key Cast
    "Derek Verity"
    Fisk
  • Ra Chapman
    Key Cast
    "Olyvia"
    Wentworth
  • Shannon Berry
    Key Cast
    "Samantha"
    The Wilds
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    thriller, comedy, drama
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 52 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 4, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    900,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English, Modern Greek (1453-)
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Monster Fest
    Melbourne
    Australia
    December 4, 2022
    World Premiere
    Best Australian Feature
Distribution Information
  • Motion Picture Exchange
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
  • Monster Pictures
    Distributor
    Country: Australia
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Theatrical, Video / Disc, Free TV, Paid TV, Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - James Vinson

James is a Naarm/Melbourne based writer, director, and producer whose recent television credits include Wentworth (Fremantle/Foxtel) and Glitch (Matchbox/ABC/Netflix).

He has also written several episodes of the highly-rated Audible thriller series, Wentworth: The Fall Girl (2021), and directed the critically-acclaimed stage production of Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero (Around the Moon Productions, 2019).

In previous years, his short films have screened at Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Cannes Short Film Corner, and FOXTEL’s Comedy Channel as the winner of Australia’s Funniest Shorts. His most recent short, Passage of Flick, received Best Film at the Lionshead Film Festival, Best Foreign Short at Joy House Film Festival, and Official Selection at the Burbank International Film Festival.

James is currently developing his second feature film in addition to a series of narrative orchestra concerts.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

It is an inescapable tragedy that we all have a family. For some, this word refers to those related by blood. For others, it is chosen by way of friendship, faith, pastime, profession, or ancestral roots. No matter the distinction, family is something we each define for ourselves and, in turn, something that defines who we’re fated to become.

Families have the power to cast us as the ‘annoying one’, the ‘golden child’, or the ‘dark horse’.We are utterly vulnerable to whatever narrative they impose upon us. It is no wonder then that family dysfunction is so often the basis for Greek Tragedy. This was my starting point with Michael (writer, and close friend) as we began making SLANT: a movie as wild, raving, and nightmarish as a real-life dysfunctional family.

In the world of SLANT, family is depicted as a truly twisted phenomenon that can be at once beautiful, chaotic, mysterious, and hilariously macabre. And just as families refuse to be defined by any singular convention, so too is this true of our film - a Greek Tragedy disguised as a thriller, writ large with 1990s pulp and satirical cheek.

This canvas provided boundless creative freedom to examine the power of dysfunctional narratives, ranging from fake news, to cancel culture, to the extent that mass perception can shape the fabric of fate itself. But most importantly, given the state of the world, we wanted to ensure this movie was f***king FUN! So let SLANT take you on a vicious ride, kick your ass, and dust you off again. There’s always round two, and always – always - more than meets the eye.