Cinemas roll out the red carpet for locally produced film

Palace Regent Cinemas will tomorrow night host the local premiere of Melodies of the Abyss, a short movie that was filmed in Ballarat last year.

The 29-minute production, described as a “psycho–thriller”, will be the centrepiece of a red carpet industry showcase and networking event involving creatives, industry professionals and collaborators.

It will be open to everyone and entry will be free, but it is recommended that people reserve a place by going to the Eventbrite website and searching under the film title with Ballarat as the location.

The event is being hosted by Hotshot Films, founded by industry identity Max WeiHaiHan whose career spans over two decades across film, television and advertising.

It will also introduce 38Hot Film, an initiative of WeiHaiHan and Sam Iwata – the writer and director of the movie.

38Hot Film is an international boutique studio that focuses on creating work that “crosses borders, carries voices, and speaks to the human spirit”.

Melodies of the Abyss was inspired by the death of Kurt Cobain, reimagining his final hours as a surreal confrontation with a shadowed figure.

According to the film’s publicity material, what begins as a familiar tragedy slips into something stranger, more intimate, and far more unsettling.

It stars Kym Jackson, Andrew Steel, Finnian James and Teagan Skye.

Industry creatives and some special guests will attend the event, which will get started with red carpet arrivals at 6pm.

Melodies of the Abyss will be screened at 7pm with a Q&A session to follow at 7.30pm.

The night will be opened up to networking opportunities from 8pm.

“If you’re passionate about storytelling and want to connect with a growing creative community, we’d love to see you there,” an event spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the night would mark a new chapter for regional filmmaking, as did the choice of Ballarat as a filming location.

“The project brought together diverse creative worlds to create meaningful pathways for greater access to the screen industry, while showcasing the value of regional settings and infrastructure,” they said.

“The screening helps to set the tone for an event centred around connection, creativity and shared vision.”

The movie’s website is at melodiesoftheabyss.com