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The Bookshop

A desperate writer tries to woo a publisher into taking on his manuscript. But has his arrogance, and stupidity, got in the way of something more real than a book deal?

  • Ashley Pollard
    Director
  • Ashley Pollard
    Writer
  • Ashley Pollard
    Producer
  • Alastair Osment
    Key Cast
    "Donald"
  • Emily Gruhl
    Key Cast
    "Abbey"
  • Benjamin Powell
    Cinematography
  • Gail Pearce
    Production Designer
  • Ashley Pollard
    Editor
  • Murray Clapham
    Sound
  • Katie Bradley
    Sound
  • Elise Cociuban
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Romance, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 12, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Arri
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Noosa International Film Festival
    Noosa QLD
    Australia
    October 27, 2018
    Australian
    Winner: Best Comedy, Nominated: Best Director, Best Youth Filmmaker (under 30)
  • Down Under Berlin Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    September 21, 2018
    International
    Official Selection
  • Canberra Short Film Festival
    Canberra
    Australia
    September 15, 2018
    Australian
    Winner: Highly Commended
  • Sydney Indie Film Festival
    Sydney
    Australia
    October 28, 2018
    Winner: Best Romantic Comedy
  • Flickerfest International Short Film Festival
    Sydney
    Australia
    January 18, 2019
    Official Selection
  • South Australian Screen Awards
    Adelaide
    Australia
    April 18, 2019
    Nominated: Best Comedy
Director Biography - Ashley Pollard

Ashley Pollard is a multi-talented filmmaker with experience in directing, writing and editing.

Ashley completed a Bachelor of Media Arts at the University of South Australia and shortly after relocated to Sydney to study at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. There Ashley received a Postgraduate Certificate in Screenwriting and a Postgraduate Certificate in Directing.

Ashley’s experience ranges across a vast number of mediums including Television, Film, TVC’s, Music Videos and Event/Corporate Videography. He has won multiple awards and nominations for his films including ‘Best Editing’ at the Sydney Indie Film Festival for his film O Brother, ‘Best Web Series’ at the South Australian Screen Awards for Almost Midnight, ‘Audience Choice’ and ‘Best of the Festival’ at the OzAsia Film Festival for The Making of Wasabi and ‘Best Film’ at the Magill @ Twilight Festival for My Pet Zombie.

Most recently Ashley was awarded ’Best Comedy’ at the 2018 Noosa International Film Festival for his film The Bookshop, by an esteemed judging panel including Academy-Award winning cinematographer John Seale (The English Patient, Mad Max: Fury Road), where he also received a nomination for Best Director and Best Young Filmmaker.

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Director Statement

The Bookshop is a sweet and quirky romantic-comedy which explores the premise of the professional verse the personal. How in relentless pursuit of professional success, personal and true happiness is sacrificed. A struggle I know too well. At what lengths will I go to achieve my dream?

With the character of Donald, I’m allowing myself to explore that level of desperation and selfishness I fear and to remind myself that materialistic success is not the key to happiness.

I've always loved films that use comedy and a sense of heightened realism to portray sincere personal experiences. I was influenced by films like Annie Hall, Sideways, Tootsie, High Fidelity. Almost Famous and 500 Days Of Summer to create the style and tone of The Bookshop.

The Bookshop was my final grad film, and as such we had restrictions to work within; 1 location (studio), 2 actors and one day to film. In just 8 hours my cast and crew were able to wrap production on 9 pages of script and 29 set ups. I can't thank them enough.

Fantastic Production Design by Gail Pearce and exceptional Lighting and Photography from Benjamin Powell turned a blank, dark studio space into a living breathing second hand bookshop with the sun blasting through the window.

My two actors, Alastair Osment and Emily Gruhl, had such great chemistry on and off screen - a relationship that turned romantic in real life and continues to this day.

Thank you for taking the time to checkout our little film. We hope you like it.