Emo the Musical is one of just three films to receive funding from Screen Australia this year. Melbourne director Neil Triffett’s 15-minute short was such a hit at the Berlin International Film Festival, he’s now been given a grant to turn it into a feature.
The story revolves around a gang of high-school emos, including protagonist Ethan, who falls in love with Trinity, a member of the school’s Christian clique. But high-school politics intervene and threaten the blossoming romance between the two star-crossed lovers.
In addition to directing, 27-year-old Triffett also wrote all of the music and told The Huffington Post Australia the whole thing is a tongue-in-cheek pun on emos, who wouldn’t be caught dead participating in a traditional-style musical.
Triffett said inspiration came from his high-school days in Tasmania, where the music department was filled with a big group of goths and emos alongside a big group of Christians, with tension arising about “using the space together”.
“We spend a lot of time laughing about stereotypes. But Emo the Musical is really a story about love and tolerance,” he said. “You can be an Emo if you like, you can be a Christian if you want. Or don’t feel you have to belong to any group. Accept yourself as well.”
The film was shot in just one week, on a tiny budget of $10,000 and went onto big things at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival, though Triffett said that might have something to do with the fact that it followed a run of dark, disturbing films.
“The film that screened in Berlin just before ours was about a young boy killing his dog. So, for the audience, ours was a nice breath of fresh air! But I think the message resonates with a lot of people,” he said.
While Screen Australia’s grant is generous, there is still a $40,000 gap that filmmakers need to fill before they can begin production. They’ve set up a Pozible campaign and are already almost halfway to reaching their goal.
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“Nobody really wants to watch 1950s musicals anymore and the popularity of Pitch Perfect shows audiences do love modern movies with music. Australia has done some great musicals in the past, but it’s not something we’re famous for,” said Triffett.
“So there’s a great opportunity for us to produce a musical that’s new and ground breaking. The irony of having Emos in a musical is quite beautiful too.”
