Production begins next week in Adelaide on the feature film With or Without You, described as ‘an inspirational mother-daughter story of finding love and safety from tough beginnings – inspired by lived experience from SA director Kelly Schilling’.
The project is being made with principal production funding from Screen Australia and South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), and with investment from Adelaide Film Festival.
SixtyFourSixty’s Su Armstrong (Good Will Hunting, Angel of Mine) is producing alongside Adelaide-based producer Carolyn Johnson (Tanna, Life in Color). SixtyFourSixty’s Brian Rosen (Around The Block, James and the Giant Peach) is Executive Producing.
Director Schilling (MaveriX, Two Twisted) also wrote the screenplay for With or Without You, which is her feature directing debut.
Starring Marta Dusseldorp, Melina Vidler and Albert Mwangi, the film follows Chloe (Vidler), who sets out to remove her alcoholic mother Sharon (Dusseldorp) from her addiction to start new lives in an idyllic location. They find themselves on an expected road trip with a West African refugee Dalu (Mwangi). As the three embark on a trip in Chloe’s rundown wagon, misconceptions and misunderstandings lead to the realisation that facing your fears is the first step to freedom.
With all production and post-production to take place in South Australia, With or Without You will have its Australian premiere at the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival. Festival CEO and Creative Director Mat Kesting made the announcement at last night’s Closing Film event.
Schilling said: ‘It’s a dream coming true to be working on a story that connects to me in so many ways, with such an amazing cast and crew, in the place I call home.’
Kesting said: ‘The Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund has a proud history of supporting talented South Australian directors, such as Kelly Schilling, to make their first feature film andwe are thrilled to be investing in With or Without You. Kelly is an incredible new talent. We look forward to presenting her
film at next year’s Adelaide Film Festival and watching her career continue to rise.’
