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EPK “Famed for their work producing “bite-sized” Shakespeare, the team behind Speaking Daggers showcases the crème of Aussie talent.” – IndieActivity PICTURED: CHRISTOPHER KIRBY AS “BENEDICK” FROM MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING IN SPEAKING DAGGERS — PHOTO BY SHAUN HERBERTSON. 2 THE Snapshot From the makers of the award-winning web series, SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC, a new project from the Republic universe … Eight Shakespeare characters. Five different plays. One Café. This is Speaking Daggers. A Shakespeare film by Sally McLean for Independent Schools Victoria in conjuncon with Incognita Enterprises for the 2017 Arts Learning Fesval. “ ... Sally McLean has managed to put screen adaptations of Shakespeare back on the map.” REALIST WEB FEST, RUSSIA THE Table of Contents THE SYNOPSIS 3 FESTIVAL AWARDS & SCREENINGS 4 WHAT IS SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC? 5 FROM THE DIRECTOR 6 ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM 7 ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE 19 THE FULL CREDIT LIST 37 THE MUSIC VIDEO 38 ABOUT INCOGNITA ENTERPRISES 39 NOTES OF INTEREST & CONTACT INFORMATION 40 3 THE Synopsis Love and revenge over coffee and cakes. Eight Shakespeare characters. Five different plays. One café. This is Speaking Daggers. Eight people enjoy a fine Spring day at an outdoor café. At first glance, it could be a scene from anywhere in the modern world unl they begin to speak. Eight characters from five different Shakespeare plays discuss love, revenge, deceit and power in overheard conversaons, set against the backdrop of coffee, cakes and waitresses in crisp white shirts. “I will speak daggers …” – Hamlet This short film is an extension of the award-winning web series, SHAKESPEARE REPUBLIC, set in the same world as Season Two, but created as a new stand-alone piece. PICTURED: MICHALA BANAS AS “ISABELLA” FROM ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL IN SPEAKING DAGGERS—PHOTO BY SHAUN HERBERTSON. 4 FESTIVAL Awards & Screenings Speaking Daggers made its film fesval debut as an official selecon for the 2017 Shakespeare Film Fesval run by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Straord-upon-Avon. Judged by the official Jury, headed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, Speaking Daggersreached Finalist stage with a “Highly Commended” status and screened as part of the Filming Shakespeare: Crossing Borders showcase at the historic New Place, the last home of William Shakespeare. The film then had its USA film fesval premiere as an Official Selecon at the 2018 Peak City Internaonal Film Fesval in North Carolina, USA, where it won the Best Short Film Award. It had its German Premiere as an official selecon for the 2018 Berlin Internaonal Cinefest, where it went on to win its second Best Short Film Award. To date the film has been officially selected for nineteen internaonal film fesvals, including having its Australian Film Fesval premiere as an official selecon for the iconic St Kilda Film Fesval in 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS: Highly Commended: Best Film Inspired By Shakespeare - 2017 Shakespeare Film Fesval, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (UK) Winner: Best Short Film – 2017 Peak City Internaonal Film Fesval (USA) Winner: Best Short Film - 2018 Berlin Internaonal Cinefest (Germany) Winner: Rising Star Award - 2018 Germany Internaonal Film Fesval (Germany) FILM FESTIVAL NOMINATIONS: Finalist: Best Film Inspired By Shakespeare – 2017 Shakespeare Film Fesval, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (UK) Nominated: Best Drama – 2017 Internaonal Short Film Fesval Beveran (Belgium) Finalist: Best Short Film – 2017 Peak City Internaonal Film Fesval (USA) Finalist: Best Short Film (Drama) - 2017 Internaonal Short Film Fesval Kolkata (India) Nominated: Best Short Film (Internaonal) - 2018 Brazil Internaonal Film Fesval (Brazil) Nominated: Best Short Film - 2018 Germany Internaonal Film Fesval (Germany) Nominated: Best Short Film - 2018 Portugal Internaonal Film Fesval (Portugal) Nominated: Best Hair & Make Up - 2018 Fisheye Film Fesval (UK) FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTIONS: 2017 Shakespeare Film Fesval, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (UK) 2017 Peak City Internaonal Film Fesval (USA) 2017 Internaonal Short Film Fesval Beveran (Belgium) 2017 AngliCON Film Fesval (USA) 2017 Internaonal Short Film Fesval Kolkata (India) 2018 Ramsgate Internaonal Film & TV Fesval (UK) 2018 Riverside Short Film Fesval (USA) 2018 Unrestricted View Film Fesval (UK) 2018 Brazil Internaonal Film Fesval (Brazil) 2018 High Peak Independent Film Fesval (UK) 2018 St Kilda Film Fesval (Australia) 2018 Auckland Internaonal Film Fesval (New Zealand) 2018 Berlin Internaonal CineFest (Germany) 2018 Noosa Internaonal Film Fesval (Australia) 2018 Hamilton Internaonal Film Fesval (USA) 2018 Germany Internaonal Film Fesval (Germany) 2018 Portugal Internaonal Film Fesval (Portugal) 2018 Cape Town Internaonal Film Market & Fesval (South Africa) 2018 Fisheye Film Fesval (UK) 2018 Fesval Île Courts (Maurius) 5 WHAT IS Shakespeare Republic? Shakespeare Republic is an internaonally award-winning web series produced by Incognita Enterprises that celebrates not just the world’s greatest playwright, but also his insighul understanding of the big issues of his me. Insights that sll hold relevance today and form the basis for a truly diverse, invenve and epic journey into the nature of being human. Brainchild of award-winning Director/Producer, Sally McLean, with a highly experienced crew carrying a combined total of over 170 professional credits to their names, Shakespeare Republic has now been officially selected for over 50 internaonal film fesvals, winning 19 awards to date, and is an innovave and excing ride through the works of William Shakespeare. Speaking Daggers is our first foray into short film and holds true to our ethos of deliberately producing Shakespeare works with a difference, built on the premise of taking Shakespeare and making his works more accessible to modern audiences by framing them through the lens of the 21st Century. WHAT IS Our Mission? ENGAGE NEW AUDIENCES with Shakespeare’s works through the use of “bite-sized” To excerpts of text, with the intent to reduce the anxiety many feel around tackling a full Shakespeare play, thereby aracng new audiences, who might not otherwise engage; EDUCATE AND ENTERTAIN MODERN AUDIENCES ABOUT WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN, To using Elizabethan and Jacobean Theatre texts set firmly in the 21st Century; and CHALLENGE THE CONCEPT OF “TRADITIONAL” SHAKESPEARE, while sll remaining true To to his original text and ideas. PICTURED: OPENING SHOT OF SPEAKING DAGGERS—PHOTO BY SHAUN HERBERTSON. 6 FROM The Director One of the foundaons of Shakespeare Republic’s work is The film inially screened as part of the Arts Learning connually exploring ways to make Shakespeare accessible Fesval, presented in a public, stand-alone screening at to everyone, but parcularly those who might be struggling ACMI, Federaon Square before being submied to film with the text. fesvals around the globe. I am so delighted to say that a year later, the film has been officially selected for twenty This includes not just the general public, but also school fesvals internaonally, including the presgious St Kilda students. Not only is the content of what we do useful for Film Fesval in Australia and the Shakespeare Birthplace students, but also the way we work, based on the principals Trust’s Shakespeare Film Fesval in the UK, addionally of the collaborave ensemble, which, as Professor winning nominaons and awards along the way. Jonothan Neelands, Chair of Drama and Theatre Educaon at the University of Warwick (UK), noted in his 2009 arcle In 2019, the film will be released to schools throughout Acng together: ensemble as a democrac process in art Victoria by Independent Schools Victoria, as part of a and life, is in itself educaonal for students as “the specially designed program for teachers and students to ensemble approach provides young people with a model of assist with learning Shakespeare. I am so very excited to democrac living.”1 begin this aspect of the work with ISV. As someone who didn’t get the best introducon to the Bard in school, the While as Creator/Director/Producer, I helm the work, my chance to work within the educaon system and hopefully role also encompasses the facilitaon of the ideas and find a way to entertain and educate students about suggesons the ensemble is encouraged to bring to the Shakespeare, so hopefully giving them a beer chance at table during development and rehearsals. It therefore enjoying his works while learning about them in school, is becomes a truly collaborave effort - hence the tle of our something I have long wanted to do. primary project - Shakespeare Republic. Going forward, I am currently working on the next short Speaking Daggers is an eleven minute film that is part of film for the Republic project, again commissioned by ISV the Shakespeare Republic universe, commissioned by and due for release in 2019. Independent Schools Victoria as a teaching tool for English and Drama subjects in the school curriculum. I wrote the I never thought my life would go this way - coming from film using Shakespeare monologues and scenes that are in deliberately avoiding Shakespeare to working so intensely line with the Australian syllabus, in the style we are known and consistently with his texts, but that gives me hope that, for presenng. That is, using Shakespeare’s text as wrien, in turn, others will find some joy and edificaon in the work but seng the work in 21st Century circumstances to help through these endeavors, as I have. further remove the barrier to understanding and assist the modern viewer to relate to the text, and therefore the Sally McLean ideas contained therein.