Screen Australia Online Production Funding
Aussie Screen Bodies Gives Brisbane Female Film Director’s Comedy Web Series an extra boost
Bringing Run Club to life has been a race in itself, and I’m beyond excited to share that we secured Screen Australia funding for post-production. This support, along with backing from Screen Queensland, gave us the resources to finish the series exactly as I envisioned. Now, we’re ready to cross the finish line: Run Club premieres on Instagram this April.
A run down on Brisbane’s New dark comedy series, Run Club
For those new to the show, here’s the one-line synopsis:
A run club founder risks losing her reputation (and her rental) amidst a murder mystery.
And if you want the full picture…
After being banned from Brisbane’s bougiest gym thanks to her bestie Tash, Nat turns adversity into opportunity and launches Run Club. Set against the backdrop of Brisbane’s iconic riverfront, her venture is an instant success with local athleisurewear and caffeine enthusiasts. As the club begins to attract a growing number of questionable characters, Tash suggests they should be more exclusive. So when members begin to disappear, Nat suspects she is to blame. More worried about her reputation than the unfolding murder mystery, Nat fails to realise that one of their remaining members, Teddy—a ruthless real estate agent—has their listing next on his hit list.
Grace Julia: The new ‘kid’ on the block when it comes to Aussie comedy
As a writer and director, it’s been a pleasure to explore a story that combines humour with social commentary. Run Club is a comedy, but it’s also a glimpse into the issues that plague our generation, like our Australia’s rental crisis. It’s a murder mystery where the enemy isn’t just killer: it’s the social climbers, real estate moguls, and the kind of people who’d rather die than lose their status, and with Run Club premiering on Instagram, the show itself exists in the same world it satirises… one of curated identities, aesthetic perfection and performative friendships.
My motto is that ‘if you don’t laugh, you cry’, and even though Run Club is a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek and easily digestible short form series, it wouldn’t have been true to my worldview if I didn’t take a little stab at the system along the way, and I think that says a lot about where I see myself headed in terms of the work I want to make an a an Australian female comedy director in the future.
Natyse Chan and Emily Kristopher star in Brisbane director, Grace Julia’s comedy series, Run Club
Collaborating with Australian Female Film Producers with support of the Federal & State Government
While this project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of both Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, the concept itself wouldn’t have been born without my co-creator, Nikki Brown. An established comedy writer and producer, Nikki has been instrumental in bringing this Aussie dark comedy to life. The Australian film industry, particularly in Queensland, remains quite male-dominated, and I’m so grateful to have a friend, business partner and fellow female filmmaker to help me bring female-led series like Run Club to screen.
Run Club was produced by Motley Content in association with Laughlines AU, and will premiere on Instagram in April. Follow @laughlinesau to watch it all go down.
