SPARE TIME
Spare time. "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" Oscar Wilde. A documentary about community ten-pin bowlers.
When a local Ten Pin Bowling Alley in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, puts on a Pro Amateur competition with the biggest cash prize in the country, the local league players try their luck. This is more than a documentary about winning and losing; it's about community, friendship, and having a ball.
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Maria AngelicoDirectorStrife, The Newsreader, Sisters, Movement
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Rhys MitchellDirectorMax Gimblett: Original Mind, We Keep On Dancing, Shark Lords, Upper Middle Bogan
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Zoe ColdhamCinematographerJourney to the West, The Art of Incineration, Now Sound
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Zachary BradtkeEditor / ProducerNow Sound, Milargo, Welcome To Hell
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Maria AngelicoProducer
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Zachary BradtkeProducer
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Project Type:Documentary, Feature
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Genres:Documentary
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Runtime:1 hour 10 minutes
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Production Budget:50,000 AUD
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Country of Origin:Australia
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Country of Filming:Australia
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Co-Directors, Maria Angelico and Rhys Mitchell are multidisciplinary artists with extensive experience across acting, writing, and filmmaking.
Maria has built a versatile career both in front of and behind the camera. She stars as Christine in the Binge Original series Strife and recently led the cast of Madman’s upcoming feature film Birthright (dir. Zoe Pepper). She is widely recognised for her roles as Cheryl in ABC’s The Newsreader, Julia in Netflix’s Sisters, and Angie Sanford in Stateless, alongside Cate Blanchett. Her voice work as the Winter Queen in World of Warcraft has also gained a devoted following. Transitioning into directing, Maria was a Director's Attachment on Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, mentored by Lucia Aniello (Hacks), and created the web series Movement, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in the inaugural digital creators program. Her one-woman show, The Disappearing Act, earned her a Golden Gibbo nomination at MICF.
Rhys Mitchell is an actor, filmmaker, and musician working between Australia and the USA. He recently starred in the David Lynch-produced feature The Happy Worker and is known for his performances in Upper Middle Bogan, Barracuda, The Newsreader, and CAKE: Shark Lords. He also played the beloved Paul in Strife, reuniting with longtime collaborator Maria Angelico. As a filmmaker, his feature documentary Max Gimblett: Original Mind is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and his short films have received acclaim on the international festival circuit. Rhys is currently developing an international TV series and a feature film, while continuing his work in comedy and music as part of the folk duo Mouth Tooth.
Together, Maria and Rhys bring an iconic creative partnership to their latest documentary, blending their storytelling expertise, sharp visual sensibilities, and passion for compelling, character-driven narratives.
Oscar Wilde once said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." In SPARE TIME, we discovered those stars in the most unexpected place: a community bowling league in Preston.
Our directorial style was inspired by Errol Morris, our film emerged from a fascination with underdog stories and our local heroes battling for Australia's largest bowling cash prize. We wanted to roll into the lives of these disparate characters, exploring the bowling milieu. We found a bizarre family of characters—gamers, real estate agents, gothic tattoo artists—united by bowling, the last truly blue-collar leisure sport. The lanes became the road for exploring human connection.
Bowling is beautifully democratic. It is both low key and highly competitive. You can drink a beer, roll a ball, and instantly belong. It's a "third place" where strangers become a chosen family. Our film celebrates this unique social alchemy—how a simple recreational activity can forge deep connections across diverse backgrounds in the Preston community.
We believe our audience will be as eclectic as our subjects: anyone who understands the joy of unexpected community. SPARE TIME isn't just about bowling. It's about striking gold even if you don't win. Friendship is the prize.