A desperate deed wins two awards at Tropfest

UPDATE: At last night’s Tropfest the short film A Desperate Deed won 2 Awards:

Best Editing (Matt Bird)

Director Matt Bird’s film A Desperate Deed is a Finalist at this year’s Movie Extra Tropfest. The film tells the story of a family living on the brink, and a father who sets out to commit a crime, while his wife waits anxiously for his return.

Bird, 31, has directed numerous TVCs including spots for Nescafe, Hyundai, Cricket Australia and Servcorp. In 2009 he was 2nd Unit Director on Nine’s drama series Rescue Special Ops, and that same year was selected by the Australian Directors Guild to participate in a Directing Master Class given by Steven Soderbergh.

Bird wanted to craft a story that alluded to something sinister and allowed the audience to fill in the blanks until the final reveal. “It’s a real audience film in the way it uses the codes and conventions of specific genres to play on people’s perceptions and prejudices,” says Bird.

“I think the film’s exposure through Tropfest will reinforce my distinct visual style, but also demonstrate a range in story telling and the ability to get engaging performances from actors. More than anything I just hope the story resonates with people.”

Director/Writer: Matt Bird

Production Company: Chesterfilm