MEDIA KIT

Synopsis

Cast List

Crew List

Production Notes

Principal Cast Information

Principal Crew Information

Production Company

Catherine Waterford (Anna Lise Phillips) is the winner she always wanted to be – until she returns to Australia after years abroad only to be confronted by her wilful mother - a ghost with attitude, and a wardrobe to match.

Her mother, Katya (Anne Looby) was an extroverted, glamorous woman who loved champagne, life and men – in that order. Considering Katya’s mothering somewhat cavalier, Catherine left home at 18 to live anywhere but with Katya.

Catherine finally returns home to see her estranged mother. However Katya beats her to it, dying a mere two days prior to her arrival.

Katya comes back as a woman scarcely older than Catherine - with all her infuriating vices intact. Suddenly Catherine is forced to deal with a restless spirit only she can see and whom firmly believes, "Mother knows best!"

– – –

CREW

– – –

PRODUCTION NOTES

WillFull is Rebel Penfold-Russell’s first feature film as Director but not as a first time filmmaker, having been involved in the industry for almost all her working life. "My driving force was to fulfil an ambition to direct. I think there comes a point where the pain of not doing what you really want to do, overrides the fear of actually doing it. I had reached that point," she says.

In a desire to make a film which would light up the screen, Rebel engaged the writing talents of screenwriter Harry Cripps with whom she had worked on PAWS, "I wanted to see something that was glamorous and fun and life affirming but that still had a real heart, style and content" says Rebel. " I had the desire to work with people I’ve always wanted to work with and to do a story that is character based instead of action driven" she continues.

A firm believer in the development process, Rebel took the script through many drafts over the four-year period, and included numerous read-throughs. Says writer Harry Cripps: "A script needs time to grow and get better. At draft five we asked actors to do a read through – to make sure the dialogue was working and the characters had a good journey – and then there were about four more drafts and read-throughs after that."

During production Rebel was surrounded by some of the most highly talented and equally respected people in the industry. "By choosing a generous crew they returned the passion that I felt for the film," she says. The most enjoyable aspect of the making of the film for Rebel has been "Working with real talent on both sides of the camera."

"It is humbling the amount of work you have to do as Director, the process of putting paper to screen, the daily decisions you have to make – which lens, colours, actors, costumes, wardrobe – I found it to be a really overwhelming experience" she continues.

The film was written with many of the cast in mind, for instance Anne Looby as Katya; Bud Tingwell was always Martin; Jennifer Claire was Ginny and John Gaden – Bill. However the key roles of Catherine and Nat were cast closer to the shoot.

Associate Producer Stephan Elliott assisted with the Los Angeles casting of "Nat Wolff" - actually going above and beyond the call of duty by acting out all the other roles in the video screen test. At the time, CT Howell was sporting long hair and a very shaggy beard for a role he was preparing for, and following the screen test he literally threw the script in the bin thinking – "they’ll never pick me!"

Says Producer Vicki Watson "Despite his outrageous look, CT was Nat. He had this sense of being – a confidence, a belief in himself that showed the strength of character that worked for the role."

The search for "Catherine" went far and wide before Anna Lise Phillips walked through the door. Recalls Rebel: "She came in with the immortal line ‘my mother rode elephants in the Swiss circus’ – and with that we knew we had found our Catherine."

The camaraderie of the cast and crew on set made the principal photography process a very happy time. Says director Rebel Penfold-Russell: "Anne Looby really took Anna Lise under her wing playing her mother both on screen and off. Anne’s discipline and generosity I will never forget – the same for John Gaden and Bud Tingwell – something all young actors should really take note of."

Without exception the cast of the film were in awe of Rebel and the handle she had on the film. "She has an extraordinary drive and energy" says Anne Looby who plays Katya in the film, "which is contagious when you’re near her.

"My esteem for Rebel is enormous, she has an extraordinary knowledge of the medium and is extremely dedicated to the form."

Adds Production and Costume Designer, George Liddle "Rebel is a very generous spirited person. Directors can often be very authoritarian but Rebel included everyone from the lowest to the highest and that is a very endearing quality."

Rebel had a very specific look in mind for the film and wanting it to look stylish and rich in colour and texture, as DOP Steve Arnold says: "Rebel had a very definite idea about colour and how colour can be used in different situations – whether it be an outfit to be worn or a lighting mood for a room."

George Liddell designed an overall colour, style and look for the film that integrated the costumes and the sets in a cohesive and stunning fashion. Says Producer Vicki Watson: "The combination of Rebel’s style and ideas for the film, coupled with George Liddle’s designs, has worked extremely well."

The colour red played a very important part throughout the film and especially as it became Katya’s signature colour. DOP Steve Arnold used several special effects throughout the film, such as creating red lightning just before Katya appears as a ghost for the first time. "I used some red enhancers through the whole film to make the reds very bold" he says.

Red also played its part in George Liddle’s outstanding costume and production design, with every outfit Katya wears having the colour involved to a greater or lesser extent, and Katya’s apartment being decorated in a rich red ochre colour.

Rebel wanted the interior of Katya’s apartment to look rich, red and exotic with an element of humour. "I looked at a lot of Indian interiors – not trying to recreate the architecture but using the feel of it," says George.

"The script required a scene where roses grow and cover the room – so I thought the room should be divided by classic Indian arches, for the roses to grow up. On film, if you’ve got layers, it always looks better than a conventional room" he continues.

George Liddle’s costumes are so beautiful, feminine and accessorised from the fifties, that according to Anne Looby, donning the costumes was enormously helpful in playing her character Katya: "I’m never going to do another film unless George Liddle is designing because he is astonishing! His design of both the sets and the costumes are absolutely beautiful, they are classic vogue 1950s " she says.

George Liddle adds: "Rebel always thought that the Mother should be out of the fifties. Researching that, you realise just what a glamorous period it was. Just after the Second World War they used colour, shape and style – so I took my inspiration from the great designers of that period such as Christian Dior and Chanel. It was a really attractive period."

Finding the locations the script dictated was challenging. The film’s location manager, Robin Clifton identified a wonderful property in Potts Point which was perfect for the exterior of Katya’s apartment, but it was due to be sold. After a long and arduous negotiation process they were granted permission and the exterior provides a stunning set for a number of memorable scenes.

"Robin has such a visual strength" says George Liddle. "We would give her the brief and she would go and do the rounds armed with her camera." In looking for Dalriada the restriction was it had to be within striking distance of Sydney and not have been restored. "The house that we found was perfect. It was old – it had been in the family for generations, going back to the 1830s. It was rural, but it wasn’t too done up which was the crucial thing for us – this house had been maintained but not restored" continues George.

In order to maintain the fantasy of a ghost story, certain scenes necessitated special effects. Leading visual effects company Animal Logic were employed to design and implement a sequence of roses overtaking the living room and the ghostly appearances and disappearances of Katya. They also designed and produced the opening title sequence (combining pyrotechnics, clouds, explosions and of course the signature red) from a very clear brief from director Rebel Penfold-Russell.

Producer Vicki Watson says the resulting look of the film is rich and stylised: "The combination of Rebel’s style and ideas for the film, coupled with George Liddle’s designs and Steve Arnold’s lighting, has worked extremely well. Their teamwork has created a film rich in texture and savoir-faire."

But at its heart WillFull is a contemporary Australian fairy tale - a playful ghost story about learning to love your worst enemy. Like all fairytales it has a very solid moral and the core of the film is the fantasy of Katya returning from the dead – not to haunt - but to right some wrongs and wreak playful havoc.

As director Rebel Penfold-Russell says – the film is about acceptance: "Katya may not have been the best mother in the world, but was a fantastic human being and a great friend. She was not wilfully malicious – just wilful."

– – –

Award winning actor and NIDA graduate, Anne has numerous credits to her name. In 1990 she co-starred with Miranda Otto and Martin Kemp in Daydream Believer and has since appeared in plays and television productions including Rafferty’s Rules, A Country Practice, GP and the BBC’s See How They Run. Anne was the recipient of the 1995 Critics Circle Award for "Best Performance" for her role in the Sydney Theatre Company’s Arcadia. In 1997, Anne was awarded the AFI for "Best Actress in a Television Drama Series" for her role as Louise in the highly acclaimed Simone de Beauvoir’s Babies for the ABC.

In WillFull Anne plays the ghost of Catherine’s dead mother Katya – who has chosen to come back in the prime of her life, complete with attitude and a vogue wardrobe. "Katya is larger than life, a woman who’s lived red wine, red lipstick, red nail polish – a woman who, in her prime, moved in a social circle that was very glamorous," says Anne. Director Rebel Penfold-Russell agrees: "The secret to Katya is she is never a hypocrite but she probably should never have been a mother."

In the film, Katya is invisible to everybody except her daughter Catherine (Anna Lise Phillips). Says Anne Looby: "It is a very strange process to be in a scene with five people, and for only one person in that scene to actually look at you. But then it ‘s also great fun! It enabled me to create quite a lot of mischief … it was very challenging for the other actors to play the scene and not look at me – especially with the frocks I’m wearing."

Director of photography Steve Arnold agrees that it was difficult to ignore Looby, "She’s fantastic - she just lights up the screen, a great actress and great fun. I may have had a bit of red fill on her, but she really does leap off the screen," he laughs.

Anna Lise Phillips praised Looby for her role both on and off screen, "She is divine, she is the most generous and intelligent actress I have ever worked with. She has this amazing energy about her, which I have never experienced before, where, especially in the more emotional scenes, she will hold my hand or my arm and I could feel her energy. It’s really a very generous thing to do, to let someone into you."

Looby had a lot of fun with her character: "The challenge was to walk the fine line between living life to the full and coming across as a bit camp. It is so rare as an actress over 30 to play such an outrageous character, and I loved dressing in 1950s vogue fashion. George Liddle’s costumes are so beautiful, feminine and accessorised – donning the costumes was enormously helpful in playing Katya."

– – –

Since graduating from NIDA in 1996 Anna Lise has appeared in a number of films and theatre productions. She is best known for her roles in the features Wanted (1997), The Boys (1998), Envy (1998), A Wreck A Tangle (2000) and most recently The Three Stooges (2001). Anna Lise has also had guest roles in many high profile television productions including Stingers, Heartbreak High, Murder Call, Good Guys Bad Guys, Water Rats, Wildside and Marriage Acts.

Anna Lise believes that after playing the role of twenty something Catherine, she has learnt that womanhood begins at 30: "My character Catherine is a fiercely independent, determined and passionate control freak. I think she is like most girls in their mid twenties – people who think they are a lot more in control of their lives than they actually are!"

Throughout the film Anna Lise is the only person who can see the ghost of her mother Katya (Anne Looby). "It is like having your own little secret," she laughs.

WillFull is Anna Lise’s first lead role in a feature, and she appears in 83 of the film’s 88 scenes. "I was overwhelmed at first," she says, "as I was more used to ‘the waiting’, whereas this was a bit of an endurance test. But the best part is to be on set all the time - you get this sense of family with people which is really beautiful."

Veteran actor Bud Tingwell found Anna Lise a delight to work with: "I often work with young actors, and I find that the young people seem to know an awful lot more than my generation ever did. I found Anna Lise to be very skilful indeed."

Anna Lise loved working with director Rebel Penfold-Russell, "Rebel is amazing - she is fiercely passionate and loyal, a mixture between overwhelming and awesome. She can hold fifty conversations at the same time! "

– – –

CT has appeared in over 50 film and television productions since he began his stellar career as Tyler in Stephen Speilberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). His impressive list of credits include The Outsiders (1983), Soul Man (1986), The Hitcher (1986), Gettysburg (1993) and Payback (1994). More recently C.T. has starred in the television series Amazon (1999) and in the features Avalanche (1999) and The Prince and The Surfer (1999). C.T. also wrote, directed and starred in the 1995 feature Hourglass, and directed the feature films The Big Fall (1996) and Pure Danger (1996).

C Thomas Howell plays Catherine’s mentor and boyfriend Nat Wolff, an American Financial Success Coach. "I often find that humanity gets tossed aside, and a larger than life quality overtakes these guru figures," says CT. "I wanted to find something sympathetic about Nat, and I think you are able to see human qualities in him, in a surreal atmosphere."

CT brought a lot of humour to the role, and his co-star, Anna Lise Phillips, found working with him a refreshing experience: "CT is very spontaneous and full of new ideas - he likes that element of surprise," she says. CT is very clear about his function in the film: "My responsibility was to support the lead character. There is a responsibility when you’re doing that, but there is also a lot more time to enjoy what you’re doing" he says.

The camaraderie on set was excellent, with a good dose of bonhomie – as Bud Tingwell says: " I love working with Americans who are quite happy to be sent up. We would say ‘We’re talking theatre - you probably wouldn’t understand’ and CT would go along with it!" Despite Bud’s Australian antics, CT found him to be quite an inspiration: "As much as I want to play a twenty year old, I can’t stop time - so now I’m playing doctors and professors. I truly hope I’m like Bud in my seventies."

"Rebel was very open," comments CT on his director. "We could’ve forced scenes which instead became wonderful moments. She trusted us – and to me that was really wonderful."

– – –

Charles "Bud" Tingwell is one of Australia’s most experienced actors, with a career spanning some 50 years. Born in Sydney in 1923, he entered the film industry at the end of the Second World War, playing the lead in the Australian film Always Another Dawn. Now an icon of the screen, Tingwell has starred in numerous features over the decades, including The Desert Rats (1952), The Shiralee (1957), Breaker Morant (1980) and Malcolm (1986), The Castle (1997), The Craic (1999), The Wog Boy (2000) and The Dish (2000). Most recently, he starred as Andreas in Paul Cox’s award winning film Innocence (2000). He has also played parts in various television series including Emergency Ward 10, Homicide and Prisoner as well as many plays and radio productions. Also a prodigious director, Tingwell has been responsible for television series such as The Sullivans, Acropolis Now and The Flying Doctors. He has won several awards including membership of The Australian Hall of Fame, The Raymond Longford AFI Award and the Honoured Artist’s Award for the City of Melbourne. Bud is currently touring Australia in the Alan Hopgood one-man play The Carer. In 1999 Bud was invested as A Member Of The Order of Australia.

Tingwell found the part of Katya’s second husband Martin easy to relate to: "All the weaknesses in me, I saw in Martin. One of the things I loved about it was the apparent ordinariness of the character who, at one stage, was married to this extraordinarily beautiful woman." It was difficult being on set with Anne in character as "it was very hard to completely ignore her – she is such a fine lady" adds Bud.

The tension and resonance of the family relations also rang true for the actor. "All the scenes I had, I loved playing – all the relationships portrayed are what a lot of families have to go through."

Bud so enjoyed his on set experience during the shoot that he would jump at an opportunity to work with director Rebel Penfold-Russell again "She knew the story and the characters so well and I found her guidance, suggestions and directions excellent" he says.

Tingwell’s part as a pilot in the Second World War was unexpectedly revisited during the shoot of WillFull, as one of the scenes takes place in a Ferris Wheel in Sydney’s Luna Park. Says fellow actor John Gaden: "I loved the Ferris Wheel - Bud on the other hand was white knuckled. I said to him ‘but you flew Spitfires’ and he said ‘I know, but I had control!’"

– – –

John Gaden’s illustrious career in the arts began nearly forty years ago, during which time he has performed in nearly 100 theatrical productions. His television credits include roles in Halifax F.P, Homicide, Mother & Son as well as narrating the ABC documentary Frontier.

His feature film credits include Muriel’s Wedding, Thank God He Met Lizzie and Caddie. He will also be seen in Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated feature Moulin Rouge.

John describes his character Bill as: "A family solicitor and a good friend - an excellent fence sitter who travels light in the emotional baggage department." His relationship with Katya was ambivalent and unfulfilled – "I believe they were best friends who should have been lovers!" he smiles.

Gaden enjoyed working with first time Director Rebel Penfold-Russell: "Rebel gives you a great trust that you know what you’re doing. I am an actor who likes to feel that the director is there to facilitate the actors getting on with it and that’s exactly what Rebel does."

"The films moves subtly between being comical and quite deeply felt - I’ve always loved that combination," he says.

John also found working alongside Anna-Lise Phillips wonderful: "She is marvellous – she emanates a realness. It has been terrific for me."

"Rebel and I both wanted Bill to be Catherine’s best friend in the world," says John. "Katya has been the love of Bill’s life, so at the same time Catherine’s working something through, so is he. He certainly feels protective towards her, because he sees a lot of her mother in her. It is like seeing a ghost," he says.

– – –

Nicki graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 1987 and has since appeared on television programs such as Seachange, Ship To Shore 2, Acropolis Now, Embassy and Neighbours.

Her theatre credits include the lead roles in MISS BOSNIA, STIFFS and BLACKROCK (all 1996) and PRIVATE LIVES (1997). She has also starred in the films TWO GIRLS AND A BABY, BEYOND MY REACH and I SEE SAID THE BLIND MAN.

Nicki plays Cynthia – the ambitious driving force behind Nat Wolff’s success, and a ruthless, whingeing American PR machine.

Director Rebel Penfold-Russell wanted every character in WillFull to be a little over the top, especially Nicki’s character Cynthia: "I had pictured Cynthia as a New York Real Estate Agent on acid, and Nicki’s portrayal of Cynthia was brilliant."

C Thomas Howell says Nicki did a fabulous job with her American accent, "Nicki’s mannerisms, inflections and character scared me because they were so real! I thought she was American!" he laughed.

– – –

Jennifer Claire has graced Australian television screens since 1978, with roles in notable Australian dramas including Homicide, G.P, A Country Practice, Rafferty’s Rules and Eden’s Lost.

Her illustrious theatrical career has included works such as Hotel Sorrento, The Crucible, Merry Wives of Windsor, Chez Nous, Macbeth, Mother Courage, King Lear, The Homecoming, and The Merchant of Venice.

Jennifer also wrote Siestas in a Pink Hotel, performed by the Sydney Theatre Company and Butterflies of Kalimantan, performed by Theatre Kimberley.

With a long and illustrious career in the film and televison industry, WillFull is Rebel Penfold-Russell’s feature film directorial debut. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Latent Image Productions Pty Ltd and has undertaken Writer, Director, Producer and Executive Producer roles on many of the company’s productions.

After graduating from NIDA and the London International Film School, Rebel worked in New York gaining experience in areas of filmmaking such as cinematography and direction.

Rebel was Executive Producer of the award winning feature film Frauds (1992), starring Phil Collins and Hugo Weaving, and the Academy Award™ winning The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1993) starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce. Both films were officially invited to the 1993 and 1994 Cannes Film Festivals respectively.

More recently Rebel executive produced the family feature film Paws (1997) about a computer literate dog - with the voice of Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. Paws was the highest grossing Australian film in the UK in 1998.

At the end of 1996 she produced her first play Tales of a Faerie Called Angel at the Sydney Theatre Company. Rebel’s other Producer credits include the feature film Unfinished Business (1985) and the AFI nominated ABC documentary Ladies Please! (1995). Rebel has directed the short The Resting Place (1992); The Promise (1990); Showies (1995); the documentary A Pocket Full of Minties (1988) and the children's television drama series House of Fun (1994) for Network 10.

The film came from a passion for people "I have always wanted to direct and this story gave me the opportunity to work with a mother and daughter whilst fulfilling my desire to work with characters who are perhaps not politically correct. The film is a fairytale – a ‘what if we were given the chance to say goodbye’."

From 1988 to 1990, Vicki was the Head of Production – Film Division for ABC Records. During her tenure she produced the highly successful 0-9 Series - a simultaneous recording of 10 albums for children, plus the supporting music videos and documentary entitled The Making of 0-9. Equally skilled in the Australian music industry and in film and television production, Vicki’s many credits include Co-Producer of Latent Image’s children's series House of Fun (1994) which aired on Network Ten, and the AFI nominated ABC documentary Ladies Please! (1995). She also developed and produced the family feature film Paws (1997) featuring the voice of Billy Connolly. In 1998, Paws was the highest grossing Australian film in the UK with a theatrical release of 38 weeks. Most recently, Vicki has produced two international series of the outstandingly popular children’s television phenomenon The Wiggles.

Having watched Rebel develop the project over a 4 year period, and observed her passion and determination Vicki was the natural person to produce the film. "Rebel is an instinctive director and her prowess is to be admired. Her aptitude for detail and balance in all aspects of this project has shaped and determined a film I’m proud to be part of," says Watson about working with first time feature director Rebel Penfold- Russell.

Director Rebel Penfold-Russell says Vicki’s experience and professional approach made WillFull possible: "Vicki is so calm and non-confrontational - she provided me with the right people and made it all possible."

Continues Rebel "Both Vicki and Sheridan made the creation process as smooth as humanly possible, in an industry fraught with egos. Vicki has an extra-ordinary sense of order, coupled with a tenacious attitude to secure what is required."

– – –

Harry is a refreshing new talent whose writing style illuminates. His stage plays Tanya and Kit, White Paris and The Borgia
Apartment were performed variously at La Mmama Theatre, Napier Street
Theatre and Theatreworks in Melbourne to critical acclaim.

He moved to Sydney in 1996, where he has been working
extensively with Latent Image. His debut feature film, Paws (1997) captured
the imagination of critics and public alike and was an enormous
commercial success in the UK. In December 1996, his play, Tales of a Faerie Called Angel (which he also directed) played a full season at the Sydney Theatre Company to standing ovations. He has recently been appointed the Head Writer for Television at the Fox Studios in Sydney where he has written and directed a sitcom pilot for Channel 9 called Flat Chat - which is now in second series pre-production.

Over 5 years in the writing, WillFull, is his latest feature film for Latent Image Productions. "Rebel wanted a funny charming film that incorporated a world that she was familiar with – the old world of the Easter Show and show ground. It was to be a humorous ghost story with a lot of style – but not so camp that you lost the edge of the relationship" says Cripps.

Rebel is a perfectionist in the scriptwriting process – she kept working it until it was right: "Rebel is a firm believer in the development process – a script needs time to grow and get better. At draft 5 we asked the actors to do a read through – to make sure the dialogue was working, and the characters had a good journey. And then there were about 4 more drafts and read throughs after that."

Many of the characters were written with specific actors in mind – for instance Bud Tingwell as Martin, Jennifer Claire as Ginny and Anne Looby as Katya: "Anne brought every quality to the character that I had put down on paper. I was thrilled. The fun part was the fact she comes back as someone barely older than her daughter - drinking, smoking, heavily made up and laden with jewels – that is what irritates Catherine the most. George has created the perfect look and Anne was so comfortable in the role."

A third generation Australian filmmaker, Sheridan’s early credits include writing, producing, presenting and directing a diverse range of television programs including Simon Townsend’s Wonder World which won the 1984 Logie for "Best Children’s Series", Good Morning Australia, State of the Arts, Billboard, Just For The Record and Beyond 2000.

Her telemovie Machinations (1987) won the Bronze Medal at the 1988 Film & Television Festival of New York and her experimental film I am Time (1991) was a finalist in the 1993 Australian Dendy Awards. In 1993 she conceived, executive produced and presented House of Fun for Network Ten whilst developing The Planet News, an original concept sitcom for The Disney Channel in the US.

In the seven years that she has been a Director of Latent Image, Sheridan has been instrumental in the research and development of the company’s on-going production slate, as well as the day to day running of the company.

Having worked together at Latent Image since 1993, Sheridan, Vicki and Rebel have refined a successful working partnership with numerous credits to their names. As Director Rebel Penfold-Russell says "Sheridan and Vicki give producers a great name – together we developed the script, selected the cast and crew and then they let people get on with what they do best – supporting but with a firm yet flexible hand."

On working with Executive Producer Sheridan Jobbins, Rebel adds "Sheridan has a fairly modest nature, this combined with her experience as a director and producer of daily television was invaluable. She also undertook numerous other roles on the film - including Best Friend, Script Editor, Second Unit Director and Blonde On The Right in the hunting party scene!"

On working with Rebel, Sheridan says, "WillFull is born out of Rebel’s passion to entertain. It reflects her energy and love of life. The final effect is a film with an enormous heart that tells a funny and compassionate story. It’s been a total joy to help Rebel realise her talents as Director."

– – –

George Liddle has led a long and distinguished career as a Production Designer with feature film credits including KOMODO, DARK CITY starring Keifer Sutherland, MUSHROOMS for which he was nominated for a AFI Award as Best Production Designer (1995), RAPA NUI and EVIL ANGELS. In 1986 George won the AFI Best Production Design for PLAYING BEATTIE BOW.

George undertook both the roles of Costume and Production Designer for WillFull. When he first read the script, he formed a firm concept of the look of the film "My immediate impression was that the film was really interesting – the characters jumped out at me. I was attracted to the glamour and it struck me as an interesting script and idea. I liked the way Catherine’s character resolves a lot of problems."

"Rebel always thought that the Mother should be out of the fifties. Researching that you realise just what a glamorous period it was. Just after the Second World War they used colour, shape and style – so I took my inspiration from the great designers of that period such as Christian Dior and Chanel. It was a really attractive period," muses Liddle.

George Liddle’s costumes are so beautiful, feminine and accessorised from the fifties, that according to Anne Looby donning the costumes was enormously helpful in playing her character Katya: "I’m never going to do another film unless George Liddle is designing because he is astonishing! His design of both the sets and the costumes are absolutely beautiful, they are classic vogue 1950s – absolutely beautiful" she says.

Continues George Liddle "I had never designed for the fifties before, so I looked for interesting clothes which would suit each scene. We decided that each time Katya appeared she would be wearing a different costume, so we were able to use many of the ideas." Tony Phillips assisted George in the making of the costumes: "Tony Phillips is a genius really, and his knowledge of cutting is phenomenal. I totally relied on him for his technical knowledge of the cuts, and his contribution was fantastic."

The original brief was to try and find the right locations and not to build any sets. "If you find one that works, then you have to twist it to suit the script."

"Because so much of the film takes place in Katya’s apartment, everybody realised we had to control it, especially as a lot of the film takes place at night. As we had to carefully design the light, we decided to build the set"

Rebel wanted the interior of Katya’s apartment to look rich, red and exotic with an element of humour: "I looked at a lot of Indian interiors – not trying to recreate the architecture but using the feel of it."

"The script required a scene where roses grow and cover the room – so I thought the room should be divided by classic Indian arches, for the roses to grow up. On film, if you’ve got layers, it always looks better than a conventional room."

George enjoyed the collaborative nature that director Rebel Penfold-Russell engendered on the set of the film: "We work in a creative and collaborative industry. One person can only have so many good ideas – ten people have ten times that. So whether it’s the labourer in the workshop or your art director, you listen and respect their ideas and opinions, and then you get 110% from them. Rebel is extraordinarily good at listening to people like that."

– – –

Director of Photography Steve Arnold, ACS

Steve Arnold has won numerous awards during his prestigious career. In 1999 he won the ACS Gold Award for Best Photography in a Feature Film for Terra Nova. Arnold has also won ACS Silver Awards for Best Photography in a Feature Film for Turning April (1995); and for Best Photography in a Miniseries for Day Of The Roses (1998).

Steve’s other feature film credits include La Spagnola (2001) directed by Steven Jacobs; Anna And The King starring Jodie Foster (1999) on which he was 2^nd Unit DOP; Mr Accident (2000) directed by Yahoo Serious; and Dating The Enemy (1995) starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan. Steve has also shot a number of acclaimed television productions, including the documentary Double Concerto, for which he won the ACS Golden Tripod Award.

On WillFull, Steve shot everything on high speed stock, with some bleach bypassing for the flashbacks. He also added a little more colour to Katya (Anne Looby): "Katya’s signature colour was red, so I thought it would be interesting to give her some subtle red fill to suggest an other worldliness," says Arnold.

Says Anne Looby: "Steve used some great effects including various gels and filters for the ghost. I was interested to watch how and why Steve was lighting me separately."

"Rebel wanted a classy look, with a lot of the scenes recreating bygone eras. My task was to get a look which was appropriate" continues Arnold. "Nat and Catherine’s world is crisp and colourful, whereas the family home, Dalriada, had to have a warm nostalgic feel."

Steve’s task was assisted by George Liddle’s set design "I enjoyed working with George as he is interested in colour theory ideas. He has made very expansive rich looking sets, whilst assisting me with lighting. For instance in Katya’s living room we had height restrictions – so he built a false ceiling for me to light from."

Producer Vicki Watson is thrilled with the resulting look of the film: "There is a lushness of colour and the sets – this is some of Steve’s best work. He has pushed himself to really achieve some interesting lighting, and there is a definite richness about this film."

– – –

Antony Partos is an award-winning composer who has worked on a wide range of films, documentaries, television programs and live performances.

His score for Christina Andreef’s film Soft Fruit won an AGSC award for Best Soundtrack and was nominated for an AFI for Best Score, whilst his orchestral score for Alison Maclean’s feature film Crush received the award for Best Music at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards. Antony has recently completed string arrangements and compositions for Samantha Lang’s feature Monkey’s Mask (based on the book by Dorothy Parker).

Partos has composed music for numerous short films, including Stroke, directed by Christine Jeffs, for which he received the AGSC Best Music in a Short Film Award. More recently, he composed the music for Restoration, directed by Cordelia Beresford.

Producer Vicki Watson says the music Antony composed for WillFull captured the passion of the film: "Antony created a terrific soundscape for WillFull, utilising a number of traditional instruments including panpipes and Irish whistles - instruments that would evoke the emotional intensity of moments, like when Young Catherine finds out her father has died. It was important the music enhances, yet respects the range of feelings and moments the images demand. Antony composed an exquisite soundtrack that we’re very delighted with."

– – –

Since its inception in 1989 by Rebel Penfold-Russell, Latent Image Productions has earned a respected reputation for producing innovative Australian films and television.

1997 Paws featuring the voice of Billy Connolly.

1994 The House of Fun A children’s television series for Network Ten

1988 A Pocket Full of Minties directed by Rebel Penfold-Russell

1990 The Promise starring Susan Lyon and directed by Rebel Penfold-Russell

1992. The Resting Place a short film starring Gia Carides and Peter Mochrie, directed by Rebel Penfold-Russell.

1992. The Agreement starring Tyler Copin and directed by Stephan Elliott

1992. The Fast starring Sarah Chadwick and directed by Stephan Elliott

1995 Showies a short documentary directed by Rebel Penfold-Russell

– – –