A Stitch In Time, the self-financed debut film by Australian writer-director-producer Sasha Hadden, won the 2022 AACTA Award for best independent film, was acquired by Madmen Entertainment, went on to occupy a top 10 film spot on Netflix Australia for two weeks and score a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Now Hadden is taking the lessons he learned from making that film and is in Cannes to find partners for his follow-up, the comedy drama Frozen Assets.
“Tell a good story for an audience and give them more than what they want,” he says of his laser focus on the people buying tickets to films. “People pay for tickets, get dressed up, and give your film a chance. Their time is so precious, and they’re desperately looking for things to inspire or distract. Give them more than what they want.”
Co-written with China-born Australia-based Timothy Zhang, the film is inspired by true events. It is about a Chinese student in Sydney who introduces his Australian partner to his wealthy Shenzhen parents, only to meet with extreme disapproval. Marc Wooldridge’s Maslow Entertainment has already acquired Australian rights, and Screen Australia has supported development.
It will shoot in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Teochew.
Hadden is working with veteran cinematographer Don McAlpine, whom he met 25 years ago on the set of The Man Without A Face on which Madden was a camera intern in his department. They are planning to shoot in both countries, and Hong Kong production designer Siu Hong Cheung has already been location scouting with Hadden.
It will probably be the last film of McAlpine, now aged 92, but the first one on which he will use an Arri Alexa 265 camera, a decision made when there were only about 30 in the world.
“A lot of films feel small, and this 65mm camera is used to shoot IMAX films,” says Hadden. “There’s a big look to the footage. It’s an emotional experience.”
During Cannes, Hadden is participating in the Producers’ Network. “It’s speed dating,” he says of the programme. “You meet with lots of people. It’s about being strategic in order to make a genuinely great film.”
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