“I think there’s always doubt in the back of your mind whenever you take a risk, so yeah, I guess I was a little bit concerned but it was also exciting,” says first-time film maker Kane Guglielmi.
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The 29-year-old director, who previously worked on Home and Away, sold his million-dollar Blue Mountains home to fund his first major feature film, Cooped Up.
Twelve months later, the now Kiama resident is getting ready for the world premier at Sydney’s George Street cinema on November 11.
“[My wife and I] had to make a lot of sacrifices, but it’s definitely exciting, a great feeling to have finished it,” he said.
Charles Cottier stars as a professional wrestler who’s contracted a potentially fatal virus and is forced to isolate himself in his childhood home for 21 days.
The quirky romantic comedy also sees cameo’s from Stephen Peacocke and Tim Ross, and took six months to make.
Guglielmi said the entire process from idea inception to red carpet was around 18 months, a much faster turnaround than a production with a major film studio and monster budget.
“It very rarely happens,” he said. “As an artist, I have full control and had no business people or marketing people in my ear telling me what I should do.
“In today’s world it’s very difficult for artists to be able to express themselves how they want without having outside influences from clients or investors ... it’s a liberating feeling to be able to have full control.”
However, the movie will not run at the box office.
Instead Guglielmi decided to make it more accessible to people via video on demand – such as iTunes or other platforms for streaming or download.
He admits every film-maker wants to see their masterpiece on the big screen, but opting for the small-screen was the “best business decision”.
Regardless of how Cooped Up will be recieved, the young director is working on other future projects already.
Guglielmi said the script is complete for another comedy with the same team while he’s also in the early stages of development of an inspirational true story of someone “in the public eye”.
Cooped Up will be released on November 11 via video on demand.