GRASSROOTS
2026 / 25 X 1 min / English / Watch on TikTok
After securing a film grant and creating a lie to hide it, a fatigued tradie must keep his contrasting worlds separate from his conservative loved ones. Set in 1974 Melbourne, the amateur photographer explores the new format while also evolving as an artist within the city’s rich arts scene.
Crew
Writer/Director/Producer — Maddison Maurdev
1st Assistant Directors — Aarya Hatkhambkar & Austin Ross
Cinematography — Shyam Prakash
1st Assistant Camera — James Thomson
Gaffer & 2nd Camera Operator — Victor Tikhanov
Production, Costume & Sound Designer — Isabelle Maurdev
Sound Recordist — Aedan Anagnostopoulos
Editor — Bill O'Connor
Score — Clementine
Stills Photographer — Marko Regalo
Cast
Patrick — Josh Massarotti
Spit — Declan Magee
Lisa — Stephanie Grapsas
Anita — Agnès Mohan
Ross — Marz Cooper
John — Glen McBride
Carol — Lisa Sharpe
Director’s Statement
For my first project post-university, I wanted to experiment with form and distribution. Intrigued by the recent slew of government-funded micro-series, I embarked on my first episodic piece of work.
Twenty-five one minute episodes, “Grassroots” is a vertical series that implemented a daily upload strategy. Avoiding film festivals in favour of an immediate release was a deliberate choice, as I wanted to gain a better understanding of how social media can help find an immediate audience.
The story was inspired by the Experimental Film and Television Fund, a government initiative from 1970-79, and its generous grants to amateur filmmakers.
