Flaxgrass

A sinister web of lies and corruption unravel around a jaded detective investigating murder in an isolated community. 

Flaxgrass is a 10-minute brooding detective thriller about trust, exploitation, and doing the ‘right’ thing, set in the Banks Peninsula.

“I really wanted to use the backdrop of a gritty police procedural, but take that and focus less on the crime, and more on the world that existed before the murder. Flaxgrass uses the format of the procedural to take us through every level of the society, and as our lead meets all these people, he comes to uncover the real crime, the abuse of the trust and faith of this coastal community.” – Jack Thomas (Director)

This short film is part of the University of Canterbury’s Digital Screen Programme. This project is our third year capstone project, so our team is made up mostly of students and a few of our closest friends. 

Director - Jack Thomas 

Producer | 1st Assistant Director - Oliver Caldwell

Director of Photography | Editor - Noah Silich

1st Assistant Camera - Jessie Jukes

2nd Assistant Camera - Vincent Ball La-Hood

Production Sound Mixer - Woodie Wilson

Sound Assistant - Ben Fabling

Cast Coordinator - Lochy Shand 

Location Coordinator - Mia Bohm

Script Supervisor - Issy Stewart

Art Director - Roland Williams 

Art Coordinator | Lighting Grip - Casper Clerens 

Art Assistant - Zoe Stiven

Set Decorator - Joyce Chan

Wardrobe / Makeup - Madi Gunn

Visual Effects Editor - Joe Hyndman

The time and effort we have put into this project reflects the importance it has to us and those who have supported us so far. Receiving funding is the final hurdle we have to pass to move into production. 

We need your help to raise $1500 to go towards production costs associated with the film. Our crew and cast are volunteering their time for this film and we need to be able to limit the expenses they have, as well as putting money into the production design and art in the film to really sell the story. We are doing our best to limit expenses, gather free items and loan items from our friends and family. 

Your financial support will go towards:

• Catering for our 20+ cast and crew over four days (some of whom are camping for the week on set!)
• Fuel!! Our film is being shot near Little River in the Banks Peninsula, approximately a two hour drive return from Christchurch. We have 20 people to move in and out of set daily and fuel gets expensive quickly. 
• Production design and art supplies. We are putting so much effort into making the set look and feel good, production design is key to making the film succeed. 

Every donor will be acknowledged in our film credits, we also have the opportunity to include top donors in our film which we can coordinate!

Flaxgrass is a slow, cerebral detective thriller. 

We wanted to take the brooding, moody, detective procedural, and set it in a distinctly New Zealand context in the Banks Peninsula. We always found the Peninsula striking, especially by sunset, and its slow, cold nights, small towns, and degraded buildings make a perfect gothic backdrop for a slow burn thriller. 
 

We will focus on character, using the murder as a tool to explore how the small community is structured, the power imbalances and spilling secrets. Flaxgrass is about human dignity, how people are often bravest and most generous when they have nothing. Inspired by films like Se7en, Zodiac, or True Detective, Flaxgrass is all about the people tangled up in the investigation, as our brave lead detective becomes more and more confronted by the human cost of the conspiracy he is uncovering.  
 

At its core, Flaxgrass is about trust. It’s about what happens when trust is broken and betrayed, but it’s a character story, not a sermon. Flaxgrass visits every social layer of a fictional Banks Peninsula community, and uses these characters as tools to examine how manipulators can take advantage of vulnerable people. It is a gentle reminder that we all try to do the right thing and fall down sometimes, packaged within a thrilling mystery and set against the at times beautiful, at times awe-inspiring, Banks Peninsula. 
 

This is a local story. It centers itself in the Banks Peninsula’s harsh, serene landscape. We found that few films focused on this landscape, which captivated us both for its beauty, but also for the unique community that lives along it. Although taking place in a fictional town, the film will explore ideas of communities who have been through tragedy, isolation, and struggle, themes that will resonate with longtime Christchurch residents. In addition, the cast and crew are all local Christchurch talent, some of whom are pillars in local theatre and indie film, and others who are just starting out. 

This film is important to us as students. It is a chance to show off the skills we have picked up over this last year of study, as well as try ambitious, difficult techniques and stories. It will be a rewarding challenge, both as storytellers and as technical filmmakers. Support from the community will help us bring this film to life in a way that isn’t possible by ourselves, and give us the tools to deliver a final film that we can be proud of. 
 

Every bit of support helps our film reach a wider audience. Boosted is an “all or nothing" platform, meaning if we don’t reach our target goal, we won’t receive any money. If you’re not able to contribute financially, a simple share on social media, or to family and friends, goes a long way to getting Flaxgrass off the ground!
 

Donations qualify for a tax credit: NZ income earners qualify for a 33% tax credit on their donations from the IRD with a receipt automatically provided by The Arts Foundation (as The Arts Foundation is a registered charity) for any donation made.