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Credits
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Music & Sound
Synopsis
A farmer, grieving the loss of his dog, buys a time travel device to reunite with his four-legged companion; a plan that drives him towards a painful confrontation with the state of his life and those he has left behind.
Director's Statement
When I first started conceiving Heel, it wasn’t obvious that it would be a time travel film. The only thing I did know was that it would be about a man and his dog. And as I reflected on this bond, I revisited my own memories and confronted one of the great pains of my life. After spending ten formative years growing up alongside my family dog, an unexpected health complication led to his sudden passing while I was living out of home. I only found out after he was already gone; I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. From my perspective, one day he simply vanished from the world. This surreal absence hurt more than the fact of his passing. I dreamt of changing this, and recognised that this was what Heel would be about. Instead of looking at what mind-bending chaos could be caused by the invention of time travel I asked myself, honestly, what I would do with such technology if it was safe. But as I imagined righting wrongs and correcting my mistakes, I realised that without the desire for change, without the growth I had experienced, such technology would be useless to me. This truth became the foundation of Heel; that we cannot skip our own growth and development, and we cannot change the past. Just as the laws of physics seem to suggest, we can only move forward through time.
What makes this one special
- Nominated in 6 AFIN categoriesBest Australian Supporting Performance · Best Cinematography · Best Director · Best Film Editing · Best Lead Performance · Best Produced Screenplay
From the Judges
From the Judges
This one lingers, a heartfelt story of a man seeking solace from loss and finding real truths about his past instead. Stunning locations and gorgeous camerawork carry it, with a beautiful score holding the tone throughout and the lead and supporting performances grounding every turn. It moves between genres with ease, threading clever written links from the past through its time-travelling sequences.
Director's Biography
Thomas Fairchild Director
Thomas Fairchild is a Brisbane based filmmaker and passionate member of the local narrative filmmaking community. Since his earliest memories of going to the movies he has had a deep love for genre movies including science fiction, westerns and historical epics. This interest would expand and mature into a lifelong passion for the storytelling power of the art of cinema. He studied Film and Television at QUT in Brisbane where he met much of the community he still works with to this day. Among these early experiences he served as the first assistant director on the independent science fiction feature film Space/Time where his eyes were opened to the amazing possibilities of local and independent filmmaking. He learned that he already had everything he needed to tell compelling stories through this beautiful medium. Now drawing on a decade of professional experience in a diverse range of filmmaking roles, he has helmed a number of short films as director, producer, writer and editor. His latest and most ambitious project ‘Heel’ reflects not only his voice but the extraordinary talents of the local filmmaking community that assembled around him. Filmography: Out of this World (2020 - Comedy Short) The New Edenshire Post (2020 - Comedy Short) Pieces (2018 - Drama Short)
Trailer
Fuller cast & crew
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Rebecca Saunders-Smith Harriet
Charlotte Hoffman Veterinarian - Scott Driscoll Salesman
Tamara McLaughlin Phone Assistant (Voice)
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Official laurels
Each recognition carries a permanent, verifiable AFIN credential - a link a filmmaker can put on a CV - plus a downloadable laurel for posters and press kits.
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Verified by AFIN Winner · Best Sound Design Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Winner · Best Australian Lead Performance Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Winner · Best Australian Film Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Australian Supporting Performance Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Cinematography Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Director Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Film Editing Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Lead Performance Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Produced Screenplay Download laurel Download certificate
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HEEL was Winner of Best Sound Design, Best Australian Lead Performance and Best Australian Film and a Nominee for Best Australian Supporting Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Lead Performance and Best Produced Screenplay at the AFIN International Film Festival 2024, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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- Open the AFIN International Film Festival event page on IMDb and choose the 2024 edition.
- Choose Edit (contribute), then Awards, and add your film under the category (Best Sound Design, Best Australian Lead Performance, Best Australian Film, Best Australian Supporting Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Lead Performance and Best Produced Screenplay) with the outcome shown on your laurels above.
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