Comedy Coup with Sunny Coast Showdown
John Caruso meets the ShowdownMAX winners writing the script for a blockbuster future of film in the region.
Since its inception, Sunny Coast Showdown has been the tenacious incubator firing up Coast filmmakers, pooling cash, talent and grit to get stories off the page and onto the big screen. Born from the vision of Powderfinger’s Jon Coghill and television producer Dan Munday, and fuelled by the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, Showdown has grown from humble ambitions into a formidable engine of creative development.
Both IN Noosa Magazine and its sister publication, Hello Sunshine Magazine, have championed this initiative which resonates with our mission to ‘connect the community through storytelling’. Our founder, Deb Caruso had the honour of being named as the Sunny Coast Showdown Ambassador last year and it has been a privilege to share the journey of this initiative and the local creatives who have been enabled to take their idea or script to the screen – around Australia and around the world for some!
We see Sunny Coast Showdown as a creative kingdom taking root, where scriptwriters, documentarians and emerging directors get a spotlight, resources and a stage. This year, the stakes were raised with launch of ShowdownMAX, a new initiative partnering with Ludo Studio – the Brisbane-based legends behind the global hit Bluey; and famed documentary makers, WildBear Entertainment, led by Sunshine Coast local Bettina Dalton.
These two production companies bring decades of combined experience and industry clout, offering mentorship and development support to four selected projects all vying for the ultimate prize: over $200,000 in production funding and the chance for the winning project to be produced in collaboration with these heavyweights. And so, the spotlight shines on Charlotte Carr and Janneke Williamson, both with a knack for turning life’s sharp edges into even sharper scripts.
The Carers edged out the pack to secure the ultimate boost to have their pilot script brought to life with the help of some of the best in the business – and to be produced right here on the Sunshine Coast. Set in the fictional Silver Waters, a cheeky nod to Noosa, the show follows two women in their late forties, flat broke and facing midlife’s curveballs. Best friends from the ’90s, they reunite after 25 years apart when one hatches a scheme to secure a slice of luxury.
Janneke said it was a fun and taboo storyline, dealing with themes of women in midlife, inheritance and wills.
“It’s all that sticky business no one really likes to talk about, but we’re flipping it on its head through a comedy lens,” she said.
The idea came from family experiences where estates slipped away to unexpected heirs.
“We’ve seen it happen and decided to approach it through comedy, switching to a lighter version of how that story can play out,” Charlotte said.
Silver Waters itself is a character, with a quarry threatening the town and locals rallying to protect their patch.
“It is multi-generational, with intergenerational romances, and asks how far morals can bend for the greater good,” she said.
Charlotte, fresh from directing music videos in the USA, returned to the Coast determined to create something local.
“Why isn’t there a television show set here? We have to create something,” she told Janneke.
The pair’s partnership stretches back two decades, collaborating on sketch comedy, shorts and features since 2005.
Charlotte says their process is equal parts chaos and chemistry.
“I’ve got these big broad brushstrokes, and Janneke is all about it making sense, and delivering on the details,” she said.
“It can get out of hand quickly with what we think is a good idea, putting it on paper and making it work is sometimes the challenge.”
Janneke points out how Charlotte’s strengths balanced her own.
“What I don’t do efficiently, Charlotte’s able to cover, adding the icing to the cake,” she said.
Janneke’s three decades in the industry began in Sydney editing and acting, before moving to Noosa.
“When I became aware of Showdown and met Jon and Dan, I got excited because there’s so much potential here,” she said.
That connection led to Janneke directing last year’s Sunny Coast Showdown winner, The Hoist – a comedic short that Charlotte saw in Nashville, marvelling at how the film pulled off crowd scenes on a shoestring budget.
“If you read that on paper, you’d think ‘how are you ever going to get that to work?’” she said.
Dan reflected on what Charlotte and Janneke bring to ShowdownMAX.
“They deliver not just a strong script, but a depth of experience both in front of and behind the camera, and with show-runner Catherine Mack at the helm, we’re confident every cent will be harnessed for the greater good,” he said.
“We believe this is more than a contest win; it’s a giant leap for the local screen industry and the community that inspires it.”
Louise Hayse from Sunshine Coast Screen Collective elaborated on what backing The Carers means.
“It represents a milestone, for its female-led narrative, for its originality, and for its capacity to generate real economic and creative impact: jobs for crew, work for local suppliers, and a boost to our region’s cultural reputation,” she said. “Supporting Janneke and Charlotte through ShowdownMAX is tangible proof that we’re championing local talent, building our industry, and declaring that the Coast is a serious player in the national screen sector.”
Pre-production is already underway with a schedule of four weeks of prep, four weeks to shoot, then post-production to be ready for a planned November screening.
Charlotte said the calibre of people in the production office was “the crème de la crème,” of mostly-local cast and crew.
“We are excited about playing a role in building a creative film industry here,” she said.
Janneke added that although more projects are being made locally, it was still early days.
“If we can sell this to a network, it’s a big step towards growing the industry locally,” she explained.
The Carers could be the creative coup that places the region on the big screen! Between Showdown’s history and the unwavering support of locals, Charlotte and Janneke are not just chasing laughs, they’re hoping that stories from the Sunshine Coast can hold their own anywhere.
Here’s to more creative coups, one script at a time!
Tune in!
Stay tuned to the ShowdownMAX journey on social media via @sunnycoastshowdown with behind-the-scenes production, opportunities to be involved as extras or crew for more information on Sunny Coast Showdown.
Sunny Coast Showdown is presented by Bendigo Community Bank Tewantin-Noosa, Cooroy and Marcoola, in association with Screen Queensland and with the support of Sunshine Coast Screen Collective.
