Yakka - Award Winning Australian Short Film

The devil, so they say, will make work for idle hands.  So it is with brothers Luke and Riley, the dual protagonists of  Yakka.  You can tell from the outset that, if they were in some suburban area with alternative company, that they would probably not have the time of day for each other – chalk and cheese.  However, they’re stuck in the middle of a secluded Australian estuary and they are, effectively, the only company that they have.

Their father is neglectful – and the film more than hints that their relationship with him is one of fear and violence.  There is no mother to be seen (no doubt she scarpered a long time ago) and the boys seem borderline feral, bruised, unkempt and unhappy.  This makes Yakka sound like a gloom fest, but it really isn’t – not that you’re going to see any pole-dancing unicorns here either, that’s for sure.  What it does do, really well, is paint a picture of the strained relationship between two very different brothers who, without proper parental care, have learned how to  fend for themselves (with all the resultant consequences of their choices).

Starring real-life brothers, Jiya and Javi Vander Straaten (above, with Grant Lyndon, who puts in a brief but assured appearance as their father), Yakka was written and directed by award-winning Australian filmmaker JackShepherd. The film has won a number of award, including Best Film at Port Shorts Film Festival 2024, Best Director at Canberra Short Film Festival 2024, Best Live Action Film at Sydney Lift Off Festival 2024, Best Cinematography at Sydney Lift Off Festival 2024 and Best Cinematography at Global (UK) Lift Off Festival 2025.

Watch Yakka below.

The Wraparound Spider – Now You See Me…

Say what you will about Australia’s wraparound spider – it isn’t out to get you.  At least, that’s what this article tells us. Unlike (apparently) most of Australia’s animal population, this little guy (and it is little) just wants to be left alone.  In order to ensure that, it has evolved a way of wrapping its body around a twig or small branch, pressing itself down, so that it is indistinguishable from the twig, making it very difficult for its predator (the local bird population) to see it during daylight hours.  Our sibling site, the Ark in Space, has the lowdown on this fascinating spider species, as well as a fantastic picture gallery to go with it.

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The Easter Bilby – Australia’s Alternative Take on a Tradition

A chocolate what?  If you live outside of Australia the chances are you have never heard a child – your own or one belonging to others - plead (in that excruciating tone they most often use to maximise the efficiency of their demand) “Mum! Muuuuum! I want an Easter Bilby. Give me an Easter Bilby!”.

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Why the usurpation of the rabbit as the predominant paschal proxy?  Are they out of favor in Australia? There is more to this story than a new(ish) nation putting its own cultural stamp on an old tradition.  The bunny is not native to Australia – in fact, it’s something of a nuisance to say the least.  Introduced by European settlers, the rabbit quickly went feral and reproduced in numbers that even Moses would have to grudglingly acknowledge as positively Biblical. This population explosion put a lot of local fauna in jeopardy.

The Greatest Moment in the History of the Universe... Ever!

Ask a child what the best thing in the history of the universe (ever) is and you might well get something like the reply you have here: a history of the universe culminating in, the best thing of course!

Countless billions of years of history and it all boils down to one thing. Can you guess what it is?

This charming animated short comes to you courtesy of Jonathan Dower who is part of Tui Studios, an animation studio based in Sydney, Australia.  The team of Tui have worked on a number of high-profile animated TV, feature film and gaming projects internationally.

We’ve All Been There

There are many films out there that make you shed a little tear because they are so desperately sad – and gaining the sympathy of an audience to that extent is a pretty difficult trick to pull off.

Perhaps even harder in terms of film-making is the ability to get your audience all lachrymose because the film has warmed their hearts so much.  Well, call me a big softy but We’ve All Been There by the Australian creative collective Truce Films, made me reach for the happy hanky – and all in just a little over seven minutes.

The recession, triple or quadruple or whatever dip we’re on at the moment has hit everywhere, even the hinterlands of Australia.  There, Jess, eight months pregnant and so far behind on her rent she has received an eviction notice, asks for more hours at the diner at which she works in a desperate bid to make ends meet.

Her request is not received with much sympathy by her manager but when an old lady arrives for a late night supper, a connection is made that will impact the two in ways they both could never have imagined.

We’ve All Been There won two awards at the Tropfest 2013 festival, Best Film and a very deserved Best Actress for Laura Wheelwright who plays Jess (who you may have seen as Electra in Underground: The Julian Assange Story).  Stalwarts of Australian film and TV Penne Hackforth-Jones and Ditch Davey play the lady visiting the diner and Matt the mechanic.  The film was written and directed by Nicholas Clifford.

You might well say you saw the end coming (I did but I didn’t and you will see what I mean when you watch the movie) but what’s that at the corner of your eye?

Peacock Spider – Australia’s Show Off Super Hero Spider

Image Credit Flickr User Jurgen Otto

Over at our sibling site, the Ark in Space, there is a feature on a spider which can only be described as beautifully bizarre. This tiny species waves it legs when first in courtship mode – and you might think that strange enough. Then, he raises a pair of patterned flaps and his elaborate courtship process goes from the comically strange to the extraordinary. There is little wonder why its common name is the Peacock Spider.

To read more, click the picture or here.

Makeover

Horrie is old. His wife is dead.  His dog is dead. Yet he has life in him yet and decides that perhaps it is time to date again.  He finds the woman (with dog) of his dreams in a dating magazine but soon realises that her expectations may be greater than what he has to offer.  So, Horrie embarks on a makeover of such extremes it may make you wince but I can assure you that the denouement of this funny short film, written and directed by Don Percy, will make you smile.

Skull Rock: Is this the Best Super Villain Lair Ever?

Are you a super villain looking for a new lair? Then look no further. Take a look at Skull Rock, also known as Cleft Island. Situated off the coast of Wilsons Promontory in the state of Victoria it is at the southernmost point of the Australian mainland. It is beautiful, unspoiled and above all, peaceful.  From a distance you may not think it is anything to write home about – and that’s the beauty of it.  Your new hi-tech facility, where you can evolve your next fiendish plan without interruption, is hidden in plain sight. Plus it’s handy for the shops.

Image credit Flickr User Michael Sale

Agents of the various enemy states against which you plot may search for you but it will be in vain. The last place they will think of looking is this unremarkable and bare piece of rock protruding from the sea.  Yet if we examine the island a little closer, you will soon see that the place is quite possibly perfect for an irredeemable scoundrel such as yourself.

The Flying Duck Orchid - Australia's Other Amazing Anatine Attraction

The Caleana is more often known as the Duck Orchid – and for fairly obvious reasons.  It looks like a duck in flight, its wings swept back, head and beak held high and proud. This attractive yet amusing addition to the orchid genus is a native of Australia, famed perhaps more for its marsupials than its mallards (platypodes aside).  Yet as a result of the shape of its labellum (or lip) its anatine association will be that by which it is always remembered.

Image Credit Flickr User Mike Bayly

The labellum which gives the duck orchid its distinct characteristics is a vital part of its strategy to propagate the species.   Botanically speaking, the labellum is the part of the flower which has developed to attract the insects which, it is hoped, will pollinate the flower.  Furthermore, its length and breadth serves as a landing pad for the insect – in the case of the duck orchid that insect is the sawfly.

The Language of Love

It only takes a single question in a French test for the mind of seventeen year old Charlie to veer off on a million and one tangents – but one in particular.   As much as his mind wanders it keeps returning back to the same person again and again.  It might be love but for Charlie this just raises a whole heap of new issues.  Yet he has the gift of the gab (that’s for sure!) and as the hazy dawn of a crush becomes the blinding light of his first love Charlie talks and comes to a conclusion (which of course has to be ultimately done through the medium of French!).

This charming short film, essentially a monologue of thought before action, is reminiscent of the style of Alan Bennet’s Talking Heads. Engagingly and self-assuredly performed by Kim Ho (who also wrote the piece: one suspects we may be seeing much more of this young actor in the future) The Language of Love was created under the mentorship of playwright Tommy Murphy for The Voices Project from the Australian Theater for Young People. It was directed by Laura Scrivano.

Upside Down Feeling

Arthur may be young but he has an over-developed imagination which, together with his obsession with death and disease, leads him to ask questions beyond his years.  While his sister responds with the self-assured glibness her teenage years demand, Arthur may well find the more profound answers he is looking for from one who lived and suffered long ago.  Written and directed by Eddie White, Upside Down Feeling has won a number of awards, including Best Drama at the 2016 South Australian Screen Awards.

The Skull-Faced Caterpillar of Australia’s Rainforest

Do not adjust your set, as it were. This amazing looking animal is the caterpillar of the Pink Underwing Moth, which is found in Australia.  The Ark in Space has a feature (and lots of pictures) of this remarkable creature, which has evolved a rather special way to protect itself from predators. Unfortunately, the pink underwing is on the critically endangered list, but steps are being taken to secure its future.

READ THE ARTICLE

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The Maker

You may remember a while ago we featured Zero, an amazing stop motion animation by Australian husband and wife film-making duo, Christopher and Christine Kezelos who work together under the collective name Zealous Creative. The Maker is their follow up and, if anything, is more ingenious than their previous work.

The Maker is a strange creature but he is on something of a mission. A mysterious timer demands that he finishes the most important and beautiful creation of his life. Slowly but surely the process of manufacture reveals itself as the sand inexorably falls. You must watch it all the way through – your patience (not that you need any in this case) will be rewarded with an ending that certainly put my jaw on the floor.

First Footprints

Imagine what it must have been like to be the first person to set foot on a new continent.  You may not have realized that was quite what you were doing, but the sense of complete isolation from the rest of humanity must have been as exhilarating as it was frightening.

Documentary maker Murray Fredericks has created this amazing footage of the outback of Australia.  The remarkable time-lapse sequences are from the documentary Series First Footprints.  The scenery is breath-taking and the way that this has been shot adds to the mystery of those early Australians and the beauty of the art that they left behind.

The Bicheno Blowhole: Geology at its Most Playful

Nature may often be cruel but from time to time it can also be almost sublimely daft.  Close to the small town of Bicheno on the east coast of the Australian island of Tasmania, a rare geological feature known as a blowhole provides endless hours of fun for visitors. Each time the blowhole ‘erupts’ you never quite know what you are going to get in terms of the shape and size of the water.  One thing is for sure, though: you are going to get wet.
Image Credit Flickr User  ScottWeatherson

A blowhole is a sea cave which grows inwards and up, resulting in a perpendicular shaft open at the surface. They occur when there is a weak joint in the rock and as the waves pound and erode the rock just above the waterline a cave is slowly but surely formed.

This can get to quite a length but if, as it develops, it hits a vertical weakness in the rock then it will head upwards – until it breaks the surface and hits daylight.

Peacock Spider – Australia’s Show Off Super Hero Spider

This is the peacock spider – and it knows how to show off. Featured today on our sibling site, the Ark in Space, this species wave their legs when first in courtship mode – and you might think that bizarre enough. Yet when he raises a pair of patterned flaps this elaborate courtship process goes from the comically strange to the extraordinary. There is little wonder why its common name is the peacock spider – pop over to Ark in Space to see more amazing pictures and videos.

Image Jurgen Otto

Sydney Timelapse

For reasons unknown we don’t seem to feature Australia a great deal on Kuriositas so it was great to come across this timelapse of Sydney, one of Australia’s greatest cities, by Sebastien Serville.

It focuses on four parts of the city - Circular Quay, Martin Place, Darling Harbour and Chatswood – and was created during this year’s Festival of Lights.  Sydney, you look glorious!

The Brim Silo Project

If you ever had any doubts about the ability of art and artists to enhance the lives of those around them, then watch this short documentary about a little town in Australia and called Brim.  Artist Guido Van Helton created this magnificent set of images on the side of huge silos just outside the town.

Understandably the project quickly became a destination and drew a spotlight on many issues which affect small towns and not just in Australia.  Melbourne based production studio Round 3 Creative were there to record it.

Skeletorus! Amazing New Species of Peacock Spider Discovered

I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I first saw Maratus sceletus, an amazing new discovery from Australia.  The American PhD student who first came across this remarkable species of peacock spider in Australia immediately nicknamed it Skeletorus – and you can see why. The arch-villain of the He-Man franchise now has a spider named after him!   Our sibling site, the Ark in Space, has a picture feature on Skeletorus, telling the story from its discovery in late 2013 to how it came to join the peacock spider family (it’s quite a tale!).

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The Blind Photographer

Brenden Borrellini is both deaf and blind so photography might not be a hobby one would imagine him taking up.  So how does that work? This question led the group to research devices that would enable a two dimensional photograph to become a three dimensional photograph so that Brendan could also be able to interpret the textures in the photograph.  Human determination and compassion: when the two come together it can be sublime.