At just eight years old, Kayley Atkinson was already making movies and calling herself a director, despite having little understanding of what the role involved.
Now, 16 years later, the Jimboomba local is set to make her mark on the filmmaking scene with the upcoming release of her film Sentient.
The film, shot in Logan and the Scenic Rim, depicts the “terrifying effects” of social media and technology.
Ms Atkinson said her rural upbringing in west Logan played a significant role in the film’s development.
“I knew when writing the script that I wanted to showcase smaller businesses and that rural living is a refreshing escape from the city,” she said.
“Logan is a great area for filmmakers as it’s got amazing lookouts and scenic reserves to capture content in.
“Due to being further out from Brisbane and Gold Coast it gets overlooked, but I hoped with my film Sentient to promote rural areas as perfect locations for films.”
She said local production studios like Studio TEN12, run by Pif Productions out of Loganholme, “welcome filmmakers to take advantage of their space and to help assist filmmakers with their capturing their vision”.
Sentient is a short societal horror/thriller following four friends who head away for the weekend determined not to use their mobile phones.
“That’s until they realise that not everything is at it seems, with a plot twist that’s relatable with technology and how our phones have more power over us then we think,” Ms Atkinson said.
The movie, currently in post-production, stars up-and-coming actors and several Logan-based crew, including hair and makeup artist Kyira Gardiner, and production assistant Alex Beecheno.
Once complete, the film will be screened in Brisbane before entering the global film festival circuit.
Ms Atkinson said her inspiration as a filmmaker stem from the “movie magic” she experienced watching films as a child.
“How that feeling has brought people together to create a shared experience of emotion,” she said.
“It’s something I’ve since chased to create and inspires me to continue sharing that feeling with others.”
She said her high school English teacher Anne Wagner was another source of inspiration, encouraging her to never give up and “to keep fire in the belly”.
“That was her phrase she always said, and it’s stuck with me since,” she said.
“I’ve always been rural, however that’s never stopped me from pursuing my career in the film industry.
“After high school I went on to graduate UniSQ with a Bachelor’s Degree in Film, Television and Radio.
“My degree gave me the necessary tools to set up my own business and have been a freelance filmmaker for the last three years – I’ve gone on to develop multiple short films under my business Profound Visions.”
