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The Nightwatchman

A university security guard is haunted by a ghostly presence, and is cut off from his co-worker. He journeys across the campus to find him and in doing so, learns truths about himself, the Ghostly presence haunting him, and their intertwined fates.

  • Alexander Jack Forrest
    Director
  • Alexander Jack Forrest
    Writer
  • Charlotte Ussher
    Producer
  • McKenzie Johnson
    Producer
  • Alexander Jack Forrest
    Producer
  • Tommy Ropati
    Key Cast
    "Jack"
  • Vyoma Gupta
    Key Cast
    "Ghostly Figure"
  • Adam Maitland
    Key Cast
    "Joel"
  • Charlotte Ussher
    1st Assistant Director
  • Chloe Sale
    2nd Assistant Director
  • McKenzie Johnson
    Director of Photography
  • Matthew Bliss
    Sound Recordist
  • Hayden Payne
    Production Designer
  • Peach McCallef
    Costume Designer
  • Hayden Payne
    Continuity
  • McKenzie Johnson
    Editors
  • Alexander Jack Forrest
    Editors
  • Daniel Smith
    Lighting Techicians
  • Maxim Bailey
    Lighting Techicians
  • Liam Bailey
    Lighting Techicians
  • Liam Bailey
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Maxim Bailey
    2nd Assistant Camera
  • Tanjerine Hay
    Boom Operators
  • Cameron Muller
    Boom Operators
  • McKenzie Johnson
    Data Wrangler
  • Angelo Riggs
    Production Assistants
  • Daniel Smith
    Production Assistants
  • Maxim Bailey
    Joel Stand-in
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, Thriller, suspense
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 5, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    0 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Arri Alexa mini LF.
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - NSW Tafe Randwick
Director Biography - Alexander Jack Forrest

An young emerging filmmaker from greater Sydney, Australia, Alexander Forrest's interest in film began at a young age. To develop his skills further, Alex studied At Tafe NSW for two years completing a Certificate III, IV and Diploma of screen and media with a specialisation in Film and Video.

Alex is now currently studing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School, further developing his skills in the field of writing and directing, by making short films.

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Director Statement

The Nightwatchman is about facing your fears and confronting evils, but at its core, it’s about facing the truths within yourself. As I was writing the central character Jack wandering through the haunting hallways and gothic architecture, a parallel connection grew in my mind. Beneath the haunting night lit buildings is an open, educative, and trusted school, and to reflect that, the protagonist should be a juxtaposition of that idea, a well-mannered and unassuming person, but underneath an unknowingly haunted and wrongfully twisted individual.

I’ve always been intrigued by finding out the truth within people and oneself. I personally very much live by a rule of clear intentions within one’s actions, which heavily influenced the narrative of this story. I was originally driven to avoid stock-standard and cliché night guard story tropes but began to realise that using these classic notions would accentuate and elevate my themes on one’s true hidden identity being masked by commonness, having the way the story and tropes unfold mirror the characters journey starting off in a way what you’d assume, but then being flipped on their heads as true identities and inner intentions are revealed.

Whether the Ghostly figure is real or an imaginary excuse to justify murder, if it really did carry out a task that Jack wanted to do or not, regardless, it made him delve into the dark recesses of his mind and confront the inner truths within himself.