The Village Roadshow Prize for Screen Writing: Shortlist 2006

Judges

Claire Dobbin (Convenor), Vincent Giarrusso and Cristina Pozzan

Shortlist

Suburban Mayhem

Alice Bell
(Suburban Mayhem Pty Ltd)

The bold and energetic screenwriting of this remarkable debut screenplay entices its audience into the provocative world of sassy 19-year-old mum Katrina De Roche as she manipulates her way through life by means of deception, bravado and sheer force of will. Alice Bell’s startling talent is evident in her distinctive characterisation and uninhibited ability to play with narrative form while driving the story to its ultimately disturbing conclusion.

Last Train to Freo

Reg Cribb
(Taylor Media)

Last Train to Freo is a riveting journey into the mindscape of a group of memorable characters caught in the claustrophobic space of a train carriage. Characters are drawn with refreshing and at times excrutiating honesty and rawness. Taut but highly instinctive writing by Reg Cribb propels the story and its beautifully rendered characters from its innocuous beginnings to its tension-ridden conclusion. Last Train to Freo is a screenplay that is brutal, honest and surprisingly cinematic in scope and texture.

Noise

Matthew Saville
(Retroactive Films)

This wonderfully complex script from Matthew Saville accomplishes the rarest of feats; a reinterpretation on the police thriller genre. From its blistering and disturbing opening sequence to its unexpected conclusion, Noise displays a mastery of structure, character and genre. Characters are drawn with complexity, subtlety, and great humour. The narrative is beautifully controlled and builds to a satisfying and surprising conclusion. The confident authorial voice shapes a compelling narrative which takes the reader into uncharted territory whilst exploring themes of commitment, responsibility and existence.