After a successful, extended theatrical run for the first diverse indie romantic comedy, Get a Life, Alright, led by women, Joy House Productions and Bonsai Films (distributor) are excited to announce that the film has been licensed to Channel Nine. Jonathan Page (Bonsai Films) says, “It’s been great to be working with Joy on Get a Life, Alright and delighted that Nine is keen on the film and broadcasting later this year.”
Helmed by award winning director/producer Joy Hopwood who co-wrote the film with Shamini Singhal (below right), Get a Life, Alright had its world premiere, theatrical opening at The Australian High Commission International Film Festival’s Aussie Film Festival (Singapore) & won Hong Kong’s International Indie Film Festival’s best drama feature.
“Co-writing and producing Get a Life, Alright with Joy, allowed me to relay my experiences within a creative screen space. Joy has very pure motivations to depict diverse realities and does her best to authentically create story realms and characters. She has managed to do so by rounding up talented cast and crew who are motivated by the same ideals. I’m happy to have collaborated with Joy as she understands that authentic representations are central to meaningful on-screen diversity,” says Singhal.
Get a Life, Alright is film about a struggling Indian- Australian actor, Nick Singh (Satish Kala) who falls for the leading actress, Tessa Wise (Abril Tolnay) of a music T.V. show after delivering flowers on set. Her best friend, also on the show, Sarah Chen (Aileen Huynh) sets them up for a first date at his father’s Indian restaurant, Ballu’s Bollyfood, played by Here out West’s Sukhraj Deepak. Little do they know that Nick’s jealous brother, Adarsh (Dilshan Rain) tips off journalist, Patrick Pappas (Danny Barton) to run a story about the celebrities in order to gain more publicity for their struggling restaurant. A story about jealousy all thanks to fame and the film highlights the importance of female relationships.
Starring Abril Tolnay, Satish Kala & Aileen Huynh, Dilshan Rain & Here Out West’s Sukhraj Deepak as the main cast. The film’s creative team behind the film include cinematographer & editor Linda Ung, sound recordist & mixer Lara Cross, set designer Valentina Iastrebova and four female associate producers; Shamini Singhal, Meret Hassanen, Kat Dibley & Katrina Olsen. This modern love story is a celebration of love, and the importance of female friendships and dreams – themes that everyone can relate to. It has a touch of Bollywood in the mix of pop-music culture, as the film is set around a popular music video show.
Read the interview with Joy Hopwood here
“Get a Life, Alright is different to all my other films due to the pop-music video sequences which audiences have found to be entertaining, as well as the character, Ballu Singh (played by Sukraj Deepak). This film was made with the support and collaboration of passionate, creative women in a positive, fun spirit and in celebration of independent filmmaking. Being the first diverse romantic comedy musical – due to the music videos, it’s led by a team of women who were all positive, on the same page and who were intuitively in sync with one another which was a very special experience to have all these elements combined. It’s a film for everyone, especially those who love chick flicks, romance, pop music & who appreciate indie filmmakers. I’m proud of what my team has achieved,” says Hopwood. The music was produced by Paul Wiltshire whose credits include: Back Street Boys, Human Nature, Delta Goodrem & Vanessa Amorosi and co-written by Roy Nicolson & Joy Hopwood herself.
Joy was a former Play School presenter who continues to make waves in the film industry as a champion for independent cinema and diversity. Her past films include: the first Asian Australian Rom-Com, Rhapsody of Love, The Script of Life as Writer/ Director/ Producer. She has been approached to co-write a television series and direct two episodes, which she is considering, as well as continuing with her own projects: a 6 part T.V. comedy series, “The Boganaire’s Club,” Fairy Joy & The Wong Side of Life for kids, writing another feature film and programming short films for the 9th annual Joy House Film Festival (short films of joy & diversity).
Like all of Hopwood’s projects, diversity is at the forefront.
With Get a Life, Alright, there are not only great performances by the leads but also the supporting cast: Amelia Conway, Paul Hughes, Yannick Lawry, Dilroop Khangura, Belinda Delaney, Danny Barton, Jaimee Peasley, Michael Giglio, Benjamin Hanly, Erica Long, Andrew Wang, Susan Young, Kiki Skountzos, Jay Gordon and Rog Chhabra. “To have Get a Life, Alright on a major T.V. network is a big achievement for all the cast and crew involved. I hope television audiences will be entertained and uplifted by our film like our cinema audiences have been and that there will be a demand for more films alike in order for our film industry to grow,” says Hopwood.
