David Willing

Birth : , Melbourne, Australia

History

David Willing is a writer/director based in Melbourne Australia. He fell in love with films at the age of five when he saw Beau Geste starring Gary Cooper. David studied Film & TV at Deakin University and his graduation film Disintegration received the highest honours and screened at Longford Cinema, MUFF2000 and Eyecandy2000. His first feature film Surrogate had its World Premiere at Sun Theatre April 6th 2022 and is currently screening regionally in selected cinemas (click for screening locations). He Co-Wrote the award winning ghost horror screenplay with Beth King which was a finalist in Final Drafts Big Break and New York Horror Film Festival 2018 and Final 3 in Animal Logic/Truant Pictures Screenplay Competition. Watch Trailer. 2019 he launched Screenplay Method’s 1 Step-A-Day Screenplay an online Screenwriting resource he developed after 15 years experience teaching 1000’s of Screenwriters and Filmmakers. In 2017 he directed My Little Life, a comedy mockumentary set in the world of competitive miniature dollhouse making. It's screened at numerous film festivals including Setting Sun Film Festival where it was nominated for 5 awards including Best Director, Best Film and Best Comedy. In 2015 he directed The Escape Hatch, a funny, sweet and sexy comedy about love. It has selected by more than 50 national and international film festivals including BFI Flare 30th Anniversary, San Francisco prestigious Frameline, Melbourne Queer Festival and throughout the USA, Europe, Asia and South America winning 5 awards. That year David also wrote/directed/edited Walking With The Mursi, an adventure travel documentary about his 500km hike across the remote and desolate tribal region of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. The intimate and personal story combined with unique footage is one of the last authentic adventures into the disappearing world of the Mursi. In 2013 David directed and co-wrote Lunch Date, a sharp comedy about online dating for Open Channel and Screen Australia’s Raw Nerve initiative. Broadcast in 2014 as part of ABC2’s First Date/Worst Date it was the highest rating short with 79000 viewers, earning it an additional two screenings. David has written eight feature films including The Seduction which was developed through Film Victoria’s Catapult Initiative and Collar which was short listed by Australian Film Commission. He is also developing three crime TV series, The Binding Murders, Future Past and Tube-Watch. His earlier short film Collier Brothers Syndrome depicting two brothers suffering mental illness premiered at St Kilda Film Festival, screened twice on SBSTV and was awarded Best Sound Design by the Australian Screen Sound Guild.

Movies

Surrogate
Surrogate
Producer
A ghost horror about single mother and nurse Natalie who falls mysteriously ill and struggles to stop her family from being destroyed.
Surrogate
Surrogate
Writer
A ghost horror about single mother and nurse Natalie who falls mysteriously ill and struggles to stop her family from being destroyed.
Surrogate
Surrogate
Director
A ghost horror about single mother and nurse Natalie who falls mysteriously ill and struggles to stop her family from being destroyed.
Danger One
Danger One
Producer
While transporting a dying man to the hospital, two paramedics find a million dollars in cash sewn into his clothing. When the man dies, they decide to keep it, setting them on a path for a hellish night of violence and mayhem.
The Flip Side
The Flip Side
Producer
Centred around Ronnie, a struggling restaurateur who is mired in debt and the fallout from her previous short-lived romance with British actor Henry. Ronnie’s now living with laidback, loyal Jeff, but her world is turned upside down when Henry returns to Australia with his French lover Sophie in tow.
The Escape Hatch
The Escape Hatch
Director
A girl walks into a restaurant dressed as Wonder Woman. She flicks her cape, takes a seat at the bar and orders a beer. As the restaurant staff ponder the motive behind this costume, the girl receives a text message and flies out the door. But the next Saturday evening, she’s there again. A feel good film about love and courage.
My Last Five Girlfriends
My Last Five Girlfriends
Producer
My Last Five Girlfriends traces the romantic journey of thirtysomething bachelor Duncan. As the film opens, the despondent Duncan is apparently preparing to take his own life, but not before taking the time to send a message to the last five women he dated. Taking the form of a whirlwind tour through Duncan World, the film is a comedic exploration of his failed relationships.
The Making of King Arthur
The Making of King Arthur
Producer
Poet Simon Armitage traces the evolution of the Arthurian legend through the literature of the medieval age and reveals that King Arthur is not the great national hero he is usually considered to be. He's a fickle and transitory character who was appropriated by the Normans to justify their conquest, he was cuckolded when French writers began adapting the story and it took Thomas Malory's masterpiece of English literature, Le Mort d'Arthur, to restore dignity and reclaim him as the national hero we know today.
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
Producer
The behind-the-scenes production documentary of Monty Python's 'Meaning Of Life.' This documentary is featured on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD for Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, released in September 2003.
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'
Director
The behind-the-scenes production documentary of Monty Python's 'Meaning Of Life.' This documentary is featured on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD for Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, released in September 2003.