Mikaela Ellery

Interviewing my own Mother, Genevieve Barker, the single mother of two reflects on her life from early childhood to motherhood, and now to her recent diagnosis with Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma). Exploring the stages of grief that come with expecting a loved one to pass soon, I investigate how my Mother’s own life experiences have influenced my own identity.

‘Burnt Bread’ follows the story of Deon, who returns to his estranged friend's home after years of absence. As memories blur and tension simmers, Deon finds himself trapped in a surreal loop of past mistakes, emotional confrontations, and unsettling realisations. As the lines between reality and his fractured mind collapse, he faces the painful truth of his abandonment, and the haunting consequences of never being able to move on, stuck in a bardo state.

A girlfriend breaks up with her boyfriend, only for a vampire to try to seduce her and kill her boyfriend.

Casey, an antisocial individual, uses their ability to physically manifest their dreams to contact their late mother one last time. Voyaging through unfamiliar lands, Casey must confront their internalised fears and forgotten commitments before they can reach their last chance to say goodbye. Their only problem: Casey must decide between going back home and taking responsibility for their younger sibling, or missing out on their final moment of closure.

Jacinto, a sexually confused young man, falls tragically in love with his closeted friend after a drunken birthday kiss. Meanwhile, a gate crasher breaks into Jacinto’s birthday party, only to unwittingly infiltrate Jacinto’s love life through a series of mistaken identities.

Two friends take magic mushrooms together. Turning everyday normalities into beautiful and confronting reflections of what the worlds beauty can appear to be.