Short Film AFIN 280
DISCO DOLLS AND CHIKO ROLLS
Directed by 
Alexandros Kalas
AFIN 2025 Winner
- 2025
- 16m
-
Australia - English, Greek (Modern)
- MA15+
- Romance
- Comedy
Stills
3 frames
Winner
Best Art Direction
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Credits
Produced by
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Music & Sound
Synopsis
In 1980s Brisbane, Australia, a passionate romance blooms between Ari, a Greek rockabilly, and Shelley, a Gothic Australian. But when an overcooked Chiko Roll sets off a cultural clash, it fuels family tensions and puts their love to the ultimate test.
Director's Statement
Disco Dolls and Chiko Rolls draws from my father’s immigrant experience in Brisbane, Australia during the 1970s and 1980s, set against the struggles of running a blue-collar carvery in Logan, a suburb marked by racial tension. Many characters are based on real people, including my own Greek family, whose experiences shaped my understanding of identity and belonging. The film’s central story - a coming-of-age romance - blends my father’s memoirs of first love at seventeen with my own reflections on youth, love, and cultural assimilation. By intertwining personal histories, I aim to share a universal story of family, culture, and navigating the complexities of identity.
What makes this one special
- Nominated for Best Student Short Film
- A first-time filmmaker
- A student film
From the Judges
From the Judges
An Australian suburban story steeped in the nineteen-eighties, this short conjures its era with real conviction. Period-accurate props, cars and locations sit alongside costume, hair and make-up work of terrific detail, and the panel found the whole world convincingly built. It transported them, right down to the smoke in the nightclub air.
Director's Biography
Alexandros Kalas Director
Alexandros Kalas is an emerging filmmaker based in Brisbane (Meanjin), Australia, known for his visually compelling work with local bands, including a documentary on Subpop Records band Girl and Girl. His debut short film, Disco Dolls and Chiko Rolls, draws from his father’s memoirs of growing up in 1980s Australia, exploring themes of racial tension, romance, and family. With a focus on cultural storytelling, Alex brings fresh perspectives to the screen, amplifying marginalized voices and examining the complexities of generational conflict.
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DISCO DOLLS AND CHIKO ROLLS was Winner of Best Art Direction and a Nominee for Best Student Short Film at the AFIN International Film Festival 2025, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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