Urban Australiana takes centre stage in Matias Klaver’s raunchy comedy, The New Boyfriend, which has made the shortlist in Australia’s richest short film competition.
The conversational parody of an awkward yet relatable situation moves at a steady pace, helped along by metronomic percussion and well-crafted scenes.
For actor and writer Klaver, the insight into Sydney’s progressive family dynamics began with a few drinks on a Friday night with his wife and fellow-star Vicki Gard.
“We thought about all the scenarios married couples can be in and thought of our friends who are also actors, what roles they would fit,” he said.
“There was a bit of improv but that was initially the inspiration, a few drinks on a Friday.”
Just like a few weekend sundowners, it needed to be “fun and entertaining, first and foremost”, he admitted.
As Klaver’s rough-around-the-edges larrikin drops a C-bomb in the opening scene, you can bet there’ll be laughs aplenty as the nervy evening reveals itself.
The Sydney local met work and life partner Gard upon entering the very acting fraternity they went on to cast.
While his “everyman” on-screen persona could be traced to a 20-year career selling cars, his acting chops are far from rusty.
The fast-paced deep dive into cultural norms could be likened to the 2011 black comedy Carnage, starring Kate Winslet, or the timeless Aussie classic Muriel’s Wedding.
However, Klaver admitted the more recent phenomenon of The White Lotus offered the couple inspiration for their entry for The Best Australian Short Film Competition, which is run by PerthNow alongside major sponsor SAE Creative Media Institute.
But not so much the “secret messages or agendas”.
The creative pair enjoyed crafting characters that were entirely unique, hoping viewers could connect with individuals they might see in themselves.
“The great thing is that people may relate to any one of the seven characters,” he said.
Feedback from loved ones has been “they wish it was longer”, but they and keen viewers may be pleased to hear the project is far from over.
“We have written a sequel,” he said. “However, we might be turning it into something bigger than just a sequel.”
To watch The New Boyfriend, and all the short-listed films in Australia’s richest short film competition, visit PerthNow at Best Australian Short Film to Watch, Vote, Win, for your chance to win $1000.
All winners will be announced at the Shorty’s, The Best Australian Short Film Competition’s awards night on February 29 at Rooftop Movies.