Declan Loughran

Movies

Pitch Black
Colorist
Late at night, illuminated by their computer screens, young men are being radicalised into a misogynistic, hateful and ultimately violent community. Pitch Black takes us inside the claustrophobic worlds of three young men who fell down the ‘incel’ rabbit hole at an early age and are at various stages of recovery. Mark and Luke now claim to be ex-incels and are trying to shed their destructive mindset – but have their beliefs really changed, or are echoes of a hateful ideology still ringing out? Aaron is on the opposite path: full of self-loathing and rage, he lives in a bleak reality that revolves around filming self-destructive ‘blackpill’ vlogs in his car.
Studio 2
Colorist
Film student Patrick Atallah has a problem on his hands: his graduation documentary was cancelled at the last moment, so he has just one day in a studio to make an entire, fully realised film. What’s the film going to be about now? He doesn’t know, but he’s hoping to find it along the way. To do this, he invites five of his closest friends to the studio to help him come up with some interesting ideas.
The White Nightingale
Online Editor
An optimistic young woman finds herself struggling to adjust to the physical and psychological strains of life at the most prestigious ballet academy in Paris, where she is trying to make it big as a ballet dancer. She musters all her strength to cope with family and career problems without getting too distracted from reaching her seemingly unattainable goals.
No Thoughts Head Empty
Online Editor
A young woman walks through a void plagued with strange objects that cause her body to physically distort. Wiping her mind in an effort to free herself, she becomes unhinged from what little reality she has.
My AI Lover
Online Editor
Follows Yo, Siyuan and Mia, three young women who, using the mobile application Replika, have formed romantic relationships with virtual partners. This short documentary captures the richness of these bonds, from philosophical questions to intimate moments to the real sense of security and companionship afforded by these artificially intelligent lovers.
The Time It Takes
Online Editor
Follows a group of young Australians who stutter as they take part in a 10-week performing arts program to create a unique theatre piece, which they’ll perform for family and friends.
Dark Eyes
Online Editor
Arguably Russia’s most famous folk song, Dark Eyes has captured hearts around the world for the past 100 years. This portrait explores the song’s somewhat controversial history, its musical versatility and its cultural relevance. Performances by Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Liberace, a 13-piece orchestra and a Russian folk group make it clear why Dark Eyes has stood the test of time.
Stitched Together
Online Editor
Sally leads ‘Woodend Community Bags’ - a group of unlikely activists fighting against single-use plastics by sewing reusable bags. Faced with a global pandemic, how will the group confront the new challenges that brings with it?
Dead Fishermen
Online Editor
A thick fog throws a trio of fishermen off course deep within the northern Atlantic Ocean. Lost and adrift, their vessel awakens unspeakable horrors.
O the Grass Was Warm!
Online Editor
Packing away at his late father’s apartment, a stoic man finds himself grappling with grief and anger. Unable to cope yet refusing to open up, he retreats from cold, harsh reality into a warm, fuzzy forest, where he is left alone and there’s no more emotion, no more pain, no more struggle.
Gweedo
Colorist
With a career spanning well over a decade in the bloodiest, most violent subgenre of pro wrestling, David "Gweedo" Brown reflects on his time as a deathmatch wrestler.
Bedbound
Supervising Editor
A grief-stricken young woman, plagued by sleep paralysis and the mysterious beings that haunt her visions, finds that she has more demons to face than just those lurking in her bedroom.
Perisher
Online Editor
A high-school graduate, a Japanese business man, and an abandoned horse face uncertain futures in a small town.
Men of the Earth
Online Editor
Traffic is delayed on the edge of a roadwork site, but what are the council workers doing? A privileged encounter with a secret somber ritual of working men. This is the second in Andrew Kavanagh’s trilogy (after the successful "At The Formal’) exploring tribalism and ritual in contemporary society.
Watch and Act
Online Editor
The film follows teens Lily and Ben as a bushfire increasingly threatens their lives. Home alone, the siblings must put their fire-safety knowledge to the test and work together with cool heads to save themselves. However, they soon learn that, while you can do everything right, it can still go wrong.