Festival number four for our queer film The Dance comes from India. Big thanks to Color’s of Love Int. Queer Film Festival for the Official Selection of this film with an important message for those coming out later in life. This is the 5th edition of the festival and it will take place in Punjab, India, as well as online. We are thrilled to see The Dance getting out there.
Goose & Gander Screens in Zagreb
Goose & Gander from our Life Improvised series was the first film we made in Zagreb, so it was a thrill to be selected to screen at the first Kino Lab Zagreb event. It was a fun night, with sixteen films from around the world screened, some even from Melbourne. We look forward to the next event.
Cats of Malta Part of the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival Official Selection
A couple of hours ago the 13th annual Chagrin Documentary Film Festival announced it’s line up. It was so thrilling to see Cats of Malta on the list amongst a selection of global films in the International Documentary section. This will be the films US premiere.
It’s been a while since we celebrated or even participated for that matter in large film festivals, (read about why here), but we are glad that Cats of Malta is the film to bring the love for festivals back for us. The family-friendly cat film is sure to lighten the mood, as documentaries are often discussing topical real life issues and social justice events. All we have to offer is a fun cat movie.
NPG can’t wait to get to Ohio, where we plan to visit or the whole festival and network with the audience and other filmmakers. The filmmakers will also be taking part in a 20 min Q&A after the film screens at 1pm on October 8th.
What we have to look forward to.
Triple Threat : Nexus Production Groups' Machination Nabs Three Festival Wins, including Best Actor.
The good news keeps on coming for our psychological horror feature film Machination.
Just last week our latest improvised micro-budget feature film became available in DVD and Blu-Ray format through Amazon , Walmart and Barnes & Noble. The claustrophobic portrayal Steffi Thake gave of Maria, a woman dealing with mental illness landed her a silver certificate at a festival last month and now Steffi’s stand out performance has once again been acknowledged.
Black Swan International Film Festival has awarded Machination three awards at this months instalment; Outstanding Achievement Award Machination, Best Actress Winner Steffi Thake, and Outstanding Achievement Award Sound Design by Gerard Mack.
Further plans to release Machination will rollout in the coming months, so watch this space. Better yet, join our monthly email community Creatively Connected to get the news in your inbox first, plus exclusives when we have them.
First Festival Selection for International Documentary Cats of Malta
Our family-friendly, cat-focused Maltese doco, Cats of Malta has it’s first festival selection! Cats of Malta has officially been selected to screen as part of Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.
More details to follow in the coming month.
Machination Release Date Set, Trailer Released
We're super excited to announce that our latest feature film, psychological horror/drama Machination, will launch worldwide on May 20th!
Early this week we had the trailer released as an exclusive through ComingSoon.
Machination will stream first on our Vimeo On Demand page, before expanding to additional platforms. Pre-Orders are now available.
Click the link above to watch the trailer, another exclusive, plus place a pre-order today to be one of the first to watch Machination on May 20th.
A dark film exploring the affect the pandemic has had on mental health, Machination is claustrophobic, intense, and led by a gripping performance by Steffi Thake. It is a sharp, spiralling thriller about the consequences of breathing in constant fear.
It's reassuring to know that the hardworking team from October Coast PR, who we worked closely with on In Corpore, are again onboard to send the word out about Machination. This is a different film for us regarding genre, so we can't wait to see what transpires.
Stream Machination first on our Vimeo On Demand page. Pre-Orders are now available.
Love Actually International Film Festival | In Corpore
What are your plans for this upcoming Valentine’s day?
The In Corpore 'Anna & Manny' story set in Malta has been selected for Love Actually International Film Festival - a critically acclaimed annual screening event, produced by Film Loft | NY on Valentine’s Day each year. 2022 is the the 18th year of screenings.
Love Actually features stories about love, sex, and romance told by acclaimed storytellers from around the globe. WHAT A PERFECT MATCH!
Starting Feb 14th, 2022 (Valentine’s Day), the event will be going ONLINE ONLY (via screening partner BINGEWAVE) from 6.00 pm EST and people from around the globe will be able to get tickets to watch the full slate of films.
NPG’s Sarah Jayne and Ivan Malekin, the directors of In Corpore, will be taking part in the virtual Q&A after the program of films, from 7.30pm EST onwards.
Tickets are now on sale - https://luvfest2022.bingewave.com/f/18th-annual-love-actually-int-l-short-film-showcase.
Sensual, Sex-Positive, Contemporary Relationship Drama on Pre-Sale !
The time has come - the In Corpore World Premiere screening through Lido at Home is now open for pre-sale. The release date is next week - the 26th of November.
For now this is an Australia wide premiere, but we are working hard on securing a worldwide release before the end of the year. As you can imagine, it has been difficult to release a feature film in 2020 due to the current world situation, but we are not giving up!
Take advantage of the pre-sale window now, and purchase your tickets for the world premiere through LIDO AT HOME to see a film that does not shy away from presenting sex-positivity, while exploring relationships around the world and delving into the grey areas of relationships.
Check out the In Corpore IMDB, where you can leave a review and some shiny stars from the 26th of November.
World Premiere Date Set for Sensual Drama Feature Film
In Corpore is the second ambitious feature film to be co-produced and co-directed by Ivan Malekin and Sarah Jayne Portelli and will be available throughout Australia on the Lido At Home streaming service from November 26th, with pre-sales opening on November 19th.
Entirely improvised, sensual, contemporary, and anchored by powerful performances by new talent from Berlin, Malta, Australia and New York In Corpore tells the stories of four separate relationships, each varied in their labels, each unfolding in different parts of the world.
In Melbourne the polyamorous Julia strays from her monogamous marriage; in Malta Anna hides a secret from her husband Manny; in Berlin sugar baby Milana alienates her real life lover Rosalie, and in New York Julia faces the consequences of her affair.
The film explores the nature of commitment and the idea of sacrificing personal desires at the altar of love – is it selfish to follow the desires of the body and the soul or is this the only path to fulfilment?
Even if it means hurting the one you love?
View the trailer for In Corpore go to the films official page.
If you would like to review the film, or to interview the cast and crew, contact Ivan Malekin and Sarah Jayne directly though this website.
YouthMundus in November
Our educational film Daughter has been invited to be part of YouthMundus - A New Global Content & Music Festival Initiative for Youth, run and organised by a team of dedicated women who own and operate an international entertainment and media company, Inner Voice Artists (IVA).
Mid September, director Sarah Jayne and producer/ editor Ivan Malekin spoke with the Iva’s Founder & CEO Ina Petersen and Iva’s Head of PR Dijana Stupar, via a video chat in order for the IVA team to understand the background of the film and the final outcome we want for Daughter.
The chat was a success, with our goals for Daughter and IVA’s aligning perfectly - to use film to spread the message of how toxic violence against women and victim blaming is within our communities through the voice of today’s youth.
The first festival edition of YouthMundus runs from 14th to 17th November, 2019 at EX CASERMA GUIDO RENI in Rome, Italy, with Daughter screening in the humanity section of the festival, November 17th from 3.45pm, Short Film Screenings 6.
Tickets on sale now!
Our Lady in Netherlands
Some good news this month. Our first micro-short in the Life Improvised series has been selected into the MoziMotion Film Festival in the Netherlands, which runs from October 5th-13th. The improvised micro short stars local actor Marysia S. Peres as a woman waiting for her date at a Maltese festa, and was shot in Naxxar, right in the middle of the celebrations, marching bands, fireworks, spectacle. A lot of fun!
Ladinkino Cast & Crew Screening
When the cast and crew that had worked on the Berlin chapter of In Corpore stepped out of the Ladenkino cinema room there was one word to describe what they had just seen – intense. All round we had a wonderful night, not only catching up with everyone who attended, but also sharing all our hard work we had put into the film so far.
Although the film was still in a rough stage with more sound design and colour grading work to do, it was good to see In Corpore on the big screen with one of the four teams that made it possible.
Only two people were not in attendance due to having filming projects in other countries (so jealous) and they were greatly missed.
While it poured rain outside, inside we shared laughs and stories from on the set and it was a cosy cast and crew screening in gritty and artistic Berlin.
Daughter & Il KINO
When Daughter screened in Berlin’s Il-Kino as part of Grrl Haus Cinema’s Screen your Film in Berlin Seminar’, it was a mainstream affair due to Il-Kino being a more traditional cinema setting with a single screen. The audience was a mix of the general public people who attended teh first screening at LoopHole for the same Seminar. It was a medium size crowd and the film selection was a mash up of traditional film, docos, and mix media video pieces.
On the big screen, the sound design from Mark Farrow was outstanding and really added an edge to the performances. Unfortunately the aspect ratio was incorrect, but that is something filmmakers have to deal with often. No questions came from the crowd to director Sarah Jayne, but host and curator of Grrl Haus cinema Anastasia did ask the director about her educational intent for the film.
Overall the experience was one ING and Sarah Jayne were proud to have had the opportunity of being part of. It’s always a thrill to have your work show to a neutral audience instead of your own film community and acquaintances, which was often the case at our Melbourne screenings.
Spreading the word about what you and your company do at any opportunity is something that we truly believe in.
TO stay up-to date and get this news first, including images we have not shared here on the website, sign up to our Newsletter - Creatively Connected now.
Sarah Jayne centre, with fellow filmmakers including the other program participant Adina from New York on the right.
Hello from Berlin
Written by Director Sarah Jayne
What a fabulous time I am having in this wonderful city, Berlin. I am currently enjoying a mix of work and play and have found that it is a huge city with so much to see and do. My Airbnb is in Neukölln, which gives me easy access to not only a lot of wonderful middle-eastern foods, hipster cafes, but a very reliable train line to anywhere I need to go.
Riding through Berlin on Monday
The Grrl Haus official first meet-up took place last night and everyone is so lovely and creative, it is great to be in that space with likeminded identifying females. The other women all seem to be from America, mostly New York, which is really cool as New York is a city I also adored and felt connected with during my travels a couple of years back. I know have Grrl Haus merch that I will be parading around Berlin, a tote, some postcards, a few posters a brochure with my profile and picture in it and soon, I will receive my t-shirt.
For those in Berlin, the first screening of my work (and NPG’s) is on at the 15th May at Loophole, where we will screen the Berlin section of In Corpore. The second takes place at Il-Kino on the 21st May, where we will screen Daughter.
The Grrl Haus social media event banner for the first screening at Loophole.
There will be much to announce on our Instagram page as things progress, which is where I am uploading a video of the day as part of my 20 Days in Berlin series, which gets stored in Highlights afterwards. Plus I also post one picture a day of my Berlin adventure for that day, This is the best way to keep up-to date on the adventure.
Oblomov Kreuzkoelin Bar where the Grrl Haus first meeting took place.
Ivan joins me tomorrow, Wednesday 15th, just in time to come and show his support and work with me in Berlin for 11 days. On the 16th we also have a private cast and crew screening with our In Corpore Berlin people and on the 25th we will shoot our next Life Improvised story, reprising the complex characters of Milana and Rosalie from In Corpore Berlin section.
Skype meeting with Savo and Sarah for Malta to Berlin regarding Life Improvised
So many good things for NPG happening in Berlin. Please follow our progress on social media and if you want exclusive BTS photographs of the Life Improvised shoot, you will have to sign up to our newsletter.
Grrl Haus chosen for social media promotion of our film In Corpore (Berlin section only)
Mediterranean Love
Our director Sarah Jayne, who is of Maltese heritage made it into the Maltese press yet again, it was not the national TV station that broadcast us this year, but local online pop-culture news site Lovin’ Malta.
The press comes as the lead up to Friends, Foes & Fireworks screening at Spazju Kreattiv edges closer, and we are thrilled that our work got a mention, highlighting SJ’s roles within Nexus Production Group.
With the imminent release of In Corpore, which was partly shot on the Maltese islands, we are excited to show our work to a part Maltese audience in the hope to gauge their interest in Nexus Production Group’s work overall. Obviously being based in Malta, we would love a local fan-base who anticipate our films and that truly shows in the numbers.
Nexus Production Group look forward to the May 9th event at their favorite Art House cinema. There will be a talk on improvised filmmaking run by the directors, with an open to audience Q&A session, where the mystery of how to shoot a feature in one night will be answered, and much more. If you are in Malta, come join us by booking your tickets now!
European cinema screening
Huge news for Friends, Foes & Fireworks in Malta! The film will have a special singular event screening at Spazju Kreattiv, the premiere cultural space in Valletta, Malta, on May 9th. The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with directors Sarah Jayne and Ivan Malekin.
Tickets are now on sale through the cinemas website, at regular cinema prices. Catch this award-winning, completely improvised drama exploring relationships, love, friendship, and the truths we try but fail to keep to ourselves on the big screen. Book your tickets today.
BERLIN CALLING
NPG are happy to announce that writer / director Sarah Jayne is one of three artists selected to take part in GRRL HAUS CINEMA's 2 week intensive "Screen Your Film" seminar in Berlin with her short film Daughter.
GRRL HAUS is a space for underrepresented female voices in the arts today, with an emphasis on low budget and DIY artists, and their cinema program is celebration of women artists, showcasing works through ongoing programs, made up of short films and video art, created by women.
For GRRL HAUS’s monthly events a mix of local, national, and international artists present work from a variety of disciplines: narrative, documentary, experimental, and conceptual. And it is pretty much the same concept for the inaugural 2 week intensive "Screen Your Film" seminar in Berlin.
MONTHLY GRRL HAUS CINEMA SCREENING IN BERLIN - IMAGE GRRL HAUS CINEMA WEBSITE
Sarah Jayne will be attending in May from the 13th onwards, and during the two weeks, she has the chance to network at events set up by GRRL HAUS during the evening, explore Berlin and immerse herself in the city’s culture by day, shoot her own Life Improvised micro short and meet new people.
Two events Daughter and Sarah Jayne will be a featured part of are the main screenings - the first her own individually curated film screening (at a yet to be announced art space) where she has the chance to speak directly to the audience after the screening about the film. The second event is the main, GRRL HAUS CINEMA event, held at Il- Kino Cinema during the second week of the seminar, where all the artists take part in a Q&A after a screening of the films.
This experience is Sarah Jayne’s first major push of her work as am individual director, her first seminar and film networking event outside of Australia and an experience she, as well as NPG are looking forward to for many reasons.
Sarah Jayne hopes to document as much of her experience as possible, to create a small visual diary of sorts of her experiences. Of course, she will post regularly on her Instagram account. Let’s see if she can fit all this into her busy two week schedule.
Watch this space.
Daughter screening at annual activism event
Daughter has been selected to screen and take part in Wodonga Council’s annual event 16 Days of Activism, with the film screening at Wodonga library on November 28th along with two other films, Lipstick (Directed by Harriet McKern, 1994) and Footy Chicks (Directed by Rebecca Barry, 2006).
The Facebook event reads, “Join us for a selection of films that explore a range of topics that face women on a day to day basis – from safety on the streets, how they look, what they wear, how this is viewed and judged by society and who they sleep with and why.”
The event is free of charge, suitable for 18+ age range and booking a place is suggested. See further details such as time and address on the official Facebook Event.
