While visiting New York during late October we got together with NPG team member and favourite hard-working collaborator Clara Francesca, as well as our DOP from In Corpore, George M. Ivanoff, to shoot our eleventh Life Improvised short film called Applause.
The story was inspired by a mash up of real encounters and conversations with an "actor" we knew many moons ago.
Applause is an exploration of what it looks like when the line of professionalism and friendship becomes blurred due to one friend using the other selfishly for her own career gain.
The shoot took place in the picturesque Central Park. What was great about shooting Applause (besides the therapy factor!), was that it served as a reunion with Clara and George, plus the chance to work with new talent, Sharni Bekt – an established NY based dancer and actor.
Check out Applause below and be sure to let us know what you think by liking and leaving a comment on the video.
Rainbow of Love
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.
ForeFans Wrapped
Our latest improvised feature film ForeFans is now wrapped! It was an insanely hectic 11 days of filming in Zagreb and Paris across 18 different locations. It felt like a dive into the deep end with a wonderful cast of 6 actors from all over Europe and a 3-person crew, including ourselves. Multi-tasking madness, juggling too many roles on too little sleep.
That’s a wrap in Paris.
But the footage looks fantastic. The performances are terrific. And we are thrilled to wrap on what will become our fifth improvised feature, a dark, bold, contemporary drama about “camgirls” and sex as a commodity. Look out for much more news about ForeFans in 2023 as post-production now begins!
Raw, ungraded shot from ForeFans.
Life Improvised: Volume One Released on Tubi
We’re excited to announce Life Improvised: Volume One is now streaming on Tubi.
Sometimes in life we need to improvise.
Filmed in five countries around the world, these improvised stories are about life and love and the complexities of being human. Micro glances into everyday relationships and the small decisions that define us.
Awkwardness, betrayal, love, forgiveness, despair and more. We filmed these stories over a period of three years, never thinking we would one day have enough to put together an anthology. But here we are. And we just filmed a new episode in New York last week so in another three years, expect Volume Two
Check out the trailer below and check out Life Improvised: Volume One on Tubi here.
We also did an interview about the anthology with Search My Trash which you can read here.
Cats of Malta at the New York Cat Festival
It was a pleasure to attend the New York Cat Festival at the stunning Village East by Angelika Cinema for a screening of the short version of Cats of Malta. Thank you so much to festival director Tracie Hotchner for inviting us and organsing such a fun event. Sarah Jayne took part in a Q&A after the screening and we were thrilled in chat about Cats of Malta and see the film on the big screen. Thank you also to Clara Francesca for the photos.
We also did an insightful podcast interview with Tracie. Listen here.
New Episode of Life Improvised in New York
We just wrapped production on a new episode in our Life Improvised series, filming in gorgeous Central Park in New York. It’s called Applause and deals with an actor pushing a director too far when talking casting opportunities.
It was a reunion with Nexus member Clara Francesca and In Corpore DOP George M. Ivanoff. We also worked with talented actress Shani Bekt for the first time. A lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon. Look out for Life Improvised: Applause on this website and our YouTube channel soon.
The cast and crew of Life Improvised: Applause
Cats of Malta Premieres at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
We had a truly amazing time at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival. It was a week of powerful documentaries, insightful filmmaker panels, fun networking drinks, charming hospitality, and of course the US premiere of Cats of Malta.
The screening of the film happened in the park on a Saturday afternoon. It was a special event hosted by the town mayor and featuring local cats as special guests on a Feline Parade … which went about as well as you would imagine, cats being cats …
Cats of Malta screening in the park.
Thank you to everyone at the festival for hosting us, John and Carol for welcoming us in their home, and everyone in the town who attended the screening and made sure we had a fantastic time.
MovieMaker Magazine rates Chagrin Documentary Film Festival as one of the Top 50 Festivals worth the entry fee. After speeding a week in the beautiful town of Chagrin Falls to experience the festival ourselves, it is easy to see why. It was an experience we won’t soon forget and we are super grateful.
Felines on Parade … sort of.
Sarah Jayne takes part in a Filmmaker Q&A.
Forefans Now Casting
Casting is now open for our latest improvised feature, Forefans. The film is a dark and bold story set into the world of camgirls, tackling theme of sex as a commodity, authenticity, and the need for connection.
We will be filming Forefans in Zagreb, Croatia and Paris, France over 11 days from November 21st to December 2nd. We are casting for the lead roles across Europe via Encast until the end of October. Check out the casting call and if you fit the criteria, send through an application.
Machination Now on Amazon
Our psychological horror film Machination has now landed on major streaming platform Amazon Prime Video in the US and UK.
We are excited by this as Amazon has great reach and puts the film in front of millions of potential people. Blu-ray and DVD copies of Machination, featuring behind the scenes interviews and footage, are also available to buy for the collectors out there.
Check our further viewing options on the Machination page here.
Steffi Thake in Machination.
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.
Psychological Horror Feature Film Machination takes a Bite out of AppleTV.
The news just keeps on rolling on for our Psychological Horror Feature Machination. Last week the latest platform was Tubi TV and this week the film has landed on AppleTV. You can watch in most English speaking counties, such as Australia, /nZ, Malta the US and Canada.
Talking Queer Stories on Joy FM with the Cast of The Dance
POSTPONED - New date announced soon
Tune into Joy FM's Sunday Arts Program, presented by David Hunt on Sunday 7th of August at 4pm to hear John McCullough and Lara Deam discuss our short Life Improvised film The Dance. The pair will be will be taking about queer stories in cinema, the film, the improvisation process and what it was like making a film about acceptance and living authentically.
Tubi Picks up Nexus Production Groups' Indie Psychological Thriller Machination
After being released through Vimeo on Demand, followed by Blu-ray and DVD though Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart, MACHINATION is now available to stream free on TUBI.
Currently available in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Australia, Tubi can be accessed on a wide range of devices. Tubi gives fans of films and television programs an easy way to discover new content that is available completely free.
To watch MACHINATION now click here. If you enjoy it, tell your friends and share the link!
Queer Short Film Festival Selection News, Plus Local Melbourne Screening Announced
As part of Nexus Production Groups’ online film series Life Improvised – micro glances into life, the love, loss and hope we all find and loose within everyday relationships – comes The Dance.
The Dance is a short film that follows Jack, a father who has come out later in life and is learning to dance to impress his date. When his practice is interrupted by a visit from his estranged daughter Emma, some truths need to be faced in order for both to find acceptance and peace.
Starring in the lead roles of Jack and Emma, are talented and versatile Melbourne actors John McCullough and Lara Deam. John’s recent film credits include a lead role in the feature film Dashboard Dogs, and support roles in the feature film The Library Boys, and short film Bleed Australian. Lara Deam’s credits include lead roles in short films Apprev. and Waldwölfe and a leading role in NPG’s feature film Friends, Foes & fireworks, for which she won the award of Best New Talent award at the OzFlix International film awards.
The Dance will have its first public screening at Melbourne’s Loop Bar as part of Filmonik Film Night #86 Wednesday 27th July and has been selected to be screened at the Kinemastik International Short Film Festival Malta–as part of the programme IT-TALKIES, on Friday 29 July and Saturday 30 July. The online streaming release is set for Sunday 31 July through Nexus Production Groups’ YouTube Channel, under the Life Improvised playlist.
Watch the fresh trailer here.
Malta's First Cat Movie Cats of Malta Selected for NY Cat Film Festival
Cats of Malta will be sending New York City a big meow from Malta later this year — the family-friendly doco has been selected for NY Cat Film Festival!
A special 20 minute version Cats of Malta is screening as part of the 5th Annual New York Cat Film Festival in New York City on Sunday October 23rd at the Village East by Angelika theater.
We love the vibrancy of NYC and it’s a city that also supports stray cats.
Spread the world to your friends, family and felines in the Big Apple — Cats of Malta is coming.
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.
MACHINATION DVD/BLU-RAY RELEASE, PLUS SILVER AWARD FOR STEFFI THAKE
It’s official… Machination is available in DVD & Blu-Ray format through Amazon and Walmart. The collectors format is a must have and from July 7th the format is also available through Barnes and Noble.
To add to the celebration, our lead actor Steffi Thake was given a silver award winner certificate for her realistically anxious performance as Maria at The "Best Actor & Director Awards – New York”
See what all the fuss is about and watch Machination today by ordering your copy through the above retailers by clicking here.
MACHINATION DVD & BLU RAY PRESALE
The pre-sale for Machination on DVD and Blu-Ray is now on. July 5th is the release date for the title in these formats sold through Amazon. Included are a bunch of special features -- interviews with Steffi, BTS footage of the shoot, plus the trailer. Secure your own copy now.
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.
