FLATHEAD
Feature (2024)
A regional worker shortage summons Cass to his forsaken childhood home of Bundaberg, where he finds himself on a spiritual search for redemption. On this unwitting journey of self-discovery, Cass crosses paths with a local fish and chip shop worker, Andrew. Andrew is a second generation Chinese Australian who is suddenly confronted with the death of his father. Cass and Andrew’s stories of loss intertwine, seeing them exchange emotional comfort during their most turbulent times.
“Jaydon Martin makes an outstanding feature debut with this absorbing, moving and visually beautiful docufiction...The film’s poetry resides in its thoughtful inactivity, its vernacular spirituality and its gentleness."
- Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian ★★★★
"Jaydon Martin’s Flathead, an Australian directorial debut shot in luminous black-and-white, was a real standout and Special Jury Award winner. The docufiction, with its distinctive vision of spiritual questing in a poor part of Queensland, maximised absurdist detail and laidback sardonic wit while still conferring dignity on its subjects…"
- Carmen Gray, Sight and Sound's Weekly Film Bulletin
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ELECTIVE
Feature (In-Production)
Following the journeys of three indivduals who go to extraordinary lengths to transform themselves inside and out, Elective delves into the complex relationship between identity and appearance. From cutting-edge anti-aging treatments and invasive surgeries to radical psychological therapies, the documentary explores the daily realities of those striving to align their external selves with their inner truths. At its core, it’s a meditation on why people push the boundaries of mind and body in pursuit of authenticity, control, and self-reinvention.
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THE ALLOWAY COMPLEX
Short (Post-Production)
Delving into the dynamics between Abu, an African migrant fruit picker, and the sociocultural realities of regional Australia. Contrasting the monotonous and dehumanising labour with religious ritual. Abu’s psychological landscape is shaped by trying to emotionally connect with his son and fragmented memories that oscillate between the real and the imagined.
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PIGGIN
Feature (In-Development)
As the feral pig population surges across regional Australia, wreaking havoc on native flora and fauna, farmers are having to take matters into their own hands.
The mass extermination of these introduced species has become necessary to maintain ecological balance and protect vital agricultural infrastructure. Yet this raises a profound moral question, how do we reconcile environmentalism with the act of killing? It is a vital and necessary act, but one that forces us to confront its inherently violent nature.
The film ultimately explores these deep existential and moral struggles faced by farmers as they immerse themselves in the raw, primal act of extermination.
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