Ascendant
In a bleak industrial future, a lone man wanders a recently abandoned greyhound track, chasing former glory, only to be confronted by what he finds.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Josh Zammit
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
In 2013 I had just finished post-production on a feature film I wrote and produced called ‘Observance’. After that I felt ready to start developing something I could direct myself. I knew I wanted it to be very cinematic, shot in black and white with an atmospheric mood to it.
Development on Ascendant began later that year with my long time collaborator, Sam Loveridge (who also produced). We were working on a feature script and decided to explore one of the character’s backstories. We then found ourselves thinking about this character who explores an abandoned greyhound racing track and we realized it would be a great opportunity to do a short film that encapsulated the larger film’s mood. Making Ascendant at times felt like an impossible feat, but after four years and two crowdfunding campaigns, we are exceptionally excited by the results. The hurdles along the way let us know it was worth fight for.
One of the other reasons I made this film was to have the chance to work with some of my talented and dear friends, such as lead actor Harry Greenwood, Cinematographer Carl Robertson ACS and editor Charles Ivory who have all helped me enormously throughout the process.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The objective of Ascendant was to make something purely cinematic that would stand apart from other shorts. I think the scale of the thing will impress audiences, as well as the unique world we created around the story.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I wouldn’t like to prescribe any specific themes to the film. I am incredibly interested in letting other people read into the film on their own, but if I was forced to say something, I think many will take away this sense of nostalgia and the value of solitude. I am interested in these themes personally.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When we were writing the script, Sam was working at Panavision in Lane Cove. At the end of the working day, we would write up in the abandoned lunchroom. It had this wonderful abandoned, industrial feel, which certainly helped with the script. During that time we’d also visit local greyhound tracks for research and discovered a strange and intriguing world in the industry.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We have had an overwhelmingly positive response so far. The film seems to conjure a lot of discussion and different interpretations, which was exactly the goal.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I've been surprised by the feedback, yes. I thought it would divide opinions a little bit more, because there is no dialogue in the film and its uncommercial style, but people are really responding to it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are looking to get the film in front of festival directors and producers to discuss future projects that are in the same vein as Ascendant.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Festivals are our main objective right now as we need this film to be seen on the big screen, so much work went into making this short a cinematic experience. So at the moment we are pushing hard to get Ascendant out there on the festival circuit.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Like I mentioned earlier, hearing the audience’s interpretation is very exciting. I would love for the film to resonate in all different kinds of ways.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think there could be many things, but the most obvious one is the controversy surrounding the greyhound industry. Just before we began shooting Ascendant, the NSW government banned greyhound racing after an incident involving live bating. This delayed Ascendant’s filming significantly, although it wasn’t our intention to make a film about this.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Sam and I are currently developing a few feature scripts. One has a direct link to Ascendant, it’s set in the same world and explores similar themes but on a grander scale. We hope to have the finished script before Ascendant hits the festival circuit. I’m also in development on a feature film script called ‘Cry of The Hunters’ working with producer Kristian Moliere (The Babadook) through eOne Seville.
Interview: December 2018
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Ascendant
In a bleak industrial future, a lone man wanders a recently abandoned greyhound track, chasing former glory, only to be confronted by what he finds.
Length: 20:00
Director: Josh Zammit
Producer: Josh Zammit & Samuel Loveridge
Writer: Josh Zammit & Samuel Loveridge
About the writer, director, producer:
JOSH ZAMMIT was born in Sydney, Australia. After leaving high school at age 16 to study film, he went on to work for numerous directors on projects varying from films to television commercials. In 2012, Zammit joined Sterling Cinema where he formed a creative collaboration with director Joseph Sims-Dennett. Together they wrote and produced their first collaborative feature Observance, which premiered at the 2015 Fantasia Film Festival and screened out of competition at the 59th BFI London Film Festival. Zammit and Joseph Sims-Dennett are currently co-writing another feature, Cry of the Hunters, working with producer Kristian Moliere (The Babadook) through eOne Seville. Zammit has continued to work as a writer, developing several feature films in collaboration with long time friend and writing partner, Samuel Loveridge. Zammit has recently moved into directing, with his first film 'Ascendant'.
Key cast: Harry Greenwood
Looking for: Film Festival Directors, Producers, Journalists
Facebook: Ascendant film
Instagram: @ascendantfilm
Funders: Crowd funded/self finance
Made in association with: Seeder Films
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? The film is available as private screener for peers and friends but will hopefully be seen by the general public in film festivals in the coming months.