The Onehunga Leaf Blower Massacre

I HATE Leaf Blowers. I find them really stressful and It seems my feelings about LBs are widely felt! Thus this film - a Horror Rom Com for a General Audience and Genre lovers alike - was ill conceived in burst of inspiration / perspiration - to the sound of unrelenting Leaf Blowers (true story). 
The idea to make a feature came about when our team from 48hrs 2024 realised we had everything we needed (skills, time and equipment) to make one.  "Ok I'll write one" I exclaimed! So here we are a full cast and crew, script in hand - ready set to make a trailer to take to market - but we have a bunch of fixed cost$ to cough up - location fees and permits etc - it's the relentle$$ brutality! 

Who knew that 50 x $100 = $5K? In fact it's more than that and we've already pretty much emptied our own pockets so that's why we're looking for a little love and support if you're feeling it?

We are a 20 strong (and growing) group of diverse, multi generational filmmakers and storytellers with all the cast and crew disciplines covered and a bunch of equipment onboard to boot. Some of us have been working together for more than 20 years and some just a year or two but we're all united with a passion to make our first feature film and this is a story we're all really excited about. Check out the team here - www.spanko66.com/olbm

Key peeps include MCD, Beth Kayes, Dam Native, Shayla Crombie, Florence Noble, Barnie Duncan, Cameron Chittock, Clayton Carpinter, Mary-Lyn Chambers, Levi ARB, Lucie Lesnard, Jeremy Masters, Julian Wagner, Emma Aubin, Anna Davies, Joost Langeveld, Glen Cleaver, Aaron Duncan, Mark Smith, Katrina Lajunen...

We're a very collaborative group with everybody's contribution valued and empowered with agency within their discipline - no micro managing or bossy behaviour will be tolerated. The team has essentially been assembled by Writer / Director (and yes line producer) Matt Campbell Downes. 

Through his long history as a Creative Director Matt has learned that anything you endeavour to make can only be as good as the people you've assembled  to make it, and he's been collecting the best he can find ever since. Genuinely very excited about the joint capabilities of this team!

We are raising money for all the little unavoidable costs that keep appearing seemingly out of nowhere - from SSDs to permits, to costume costs, to insurance, to equipment hire (we don't own a single leaf blower amongst us) wigs, locations, food, petrol, token fees for actors (not everybody can afford to work for free) and so it goes on... 

But in my mind this Boosted campaign is not just about the $ to fund the film but also show of support for myself and my team to take our filmmaking aspirations to the next level – which for all of us is our first feature. For the actual funders (NZFC and beyond) this is very important to see – that we have a foundation, ground swell of enthusiasm for the project – a community around us who believe in us and who want to see the vision come to life.

Romily, undergoing therapy because of a workplace ‘anger management incident’ doesn’t believe she has ‘anger issues’ but is furious about having her career on hold! Her attempts to write her ‘dream’ novel are relentlessly disrupted by neighbourhood Leaf Blowing, and despite her struggle to suppress them, her murderous thoughts mysteriously manifest as multiple ‘accidents’ – death for anyone that dares leaf-blow in her proximity. Each time however, in the peace and quiet that follows, Romily is invigorated and makes great progress on her novel. The Police, initially dismissing the deaths as accidents, soon start to dig deeper. Eva, Romily’s daughter, pieces it together and confronts her mum - but luckily her baby’s birth momentarily distracts! Romily’s lover Danny endeavours to help her overcome her demons but will he succeed before her rage consumes him, Police forensics close the case, or Eva reveals the truth?

We wanted to make a film that is on the one hand escapist / slap stick fun - because the world has so many overwhelming problems and we all feel so powerless and need a freakin' break and some laughs already? On the other hand we wanted to tussle with some contemporary issues and deliver something with a heartfelt punch. And to my mind a lot of the problems of this world come down to anger, frustration and the mismanagement of such feelings as toxic expression or violent outbursts - and the ongoing repression, undermining of the power and compassion that women have to offer within our societies (it's the same all over the world). I had worked with Beth Kayes and always just been so impressed at her vital creativity and radiant positivity - and I thought this woman is a leading lady - I need to write a part for her ASAP! And that's how the bones of the story came about - from talking with Beth in a series of sessions at the good old 'Old Folks Ass' over several months in late 2024 – from which I wrote the script (also with input from Danny who loved my elevator pitch at a BBQ and told me his Broom Trauma story (multiple laugh emojis)). 

I think the most important impact of this project is probably career progression for the cast and crew - especially for the younger team members whom number at least half of the squad.  If we can get this film made our film careers are up and running - at least until the next hurdle (laugh emoji). And that means credibility and paying jobs - contract work that is. It's about investing in the next generation of Aotearoan filmmakers. Our average age is only 36 and 60 is the new 40s  - so we got 25 years of premium Film and TV in us yet! As for AI - Fuhgeddaboudit!