WEST OF SUNSHINE
Australia / 2017 / 78 min/ DCP / Comedy Drama
Director : Jason Raftopoulos
Script : Jason Raftopoulos
Cinematography : Thom Neal
Editing : Paul Rowe
Music : Lisa Gerrard, James Orr
Production : Alexandros Ouzas, Jason Raftopoulos
Cast : Damian Hill (Jim), Ty Perham (Alex), Arthur Angel (Steve), Tony Nikolakopoulos (Banos), Kat Stewart (Mel)
Venice Festival 2017
Separated from his family and caught in a cycle of gambling and debt, Jim has less than a day to repay a violent loan shark. His day is turned upside down when he must look after his young son who is on school holidays. Jim’s relationship with his son is tested as his plans to pay back the loan fail. When his last desperate effort to repay the debt puts his son’s life at risk, he must make a choice between his past and a second chance at life. The film explores love not just as an idea or a feeling but as actions we must take.
Jason Raftopoulos
His obsession with cinema started when he shot his first images with a 8mm camera on a trip to Greece as a nine-year-old. Storytelling, images and sound soon became his language of choice. His short films have screened in Australia and internationally. West of Sunshine is his first feature film.