VCA filmmakers and former colleagues set sights on international success with new feature film
A new Australian feature film now in cinemas nationally was first hatched almost a decade ago at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) by two self-described ‘film nerds’.
Seven Snipers, written by Andrew O’Keefe (Senior Lecturer in Film and Television) and directed and co-produced by former Head of VCA Film and Television Sandra Sciberras, is a fast-paced thriller starring Radha Mitchell (Olympus Has Fallen, Rogue), Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction, The Incredible Hulk), Ioan Gruffudd (Harrow, Fantastic Four) and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Them).
“Andrew and I first met when we were teaching together at the VCA, and we just clicked over the same kind of genre films,” explains Sandra.
“We're both film nerds—we talk films, we talk story, we talk character. I think we’ve barely had a conversation about anything else. Andrew pitched the idea for Seven Snipers to me, and from the moment I heard it I thought: that's got a really good heartbeat of a story.”
The VCA connection doesn’t end with Andrew and Sandra; co-producer Tristan Barr is also a VCA Acting alum and first met Sandra when he was acting in a VCA graduating film. Tristan has since moved into producing and directing, and Sandra says Tristan’s passion for drama was one of the reasons she felt he would be a great fit as a producer for the film.
Seven Snipers tells the story of a retired sniper living in the remote Australian countryside who must reunite her elite squad when a ruthless warlord called ‘The Dragon’ threatens her and her daughter.
Sandra says a highlight of making the film was assembling the high-calibre cast, which includes a mix of Hollywood and Australian stars as well as screen newcomers.
“Securing the level of cast that we've got was really special for me,” she says. “I was also thrilled to discover some new Australian talent in Annabel Wolfe, who plays the daughter, and Lee Tiger Halley, who plays her boyfriend. It's a really impressive cast but it was also relatively small, so we got to know each other quite well.”
Seven Snipers was shot over four weeks in Queensland during 2024. Sandra says one challenge of making the film was shooting in a single location.
“When you shoot in one location, you have to build the world of a whole film in one place, which wasn't always easy. And we shot outside for three of the four weeks, so when it rained, it rained—and when it was hot, it was really hot.”
Screenwriter Andrew O’Keefe says seeing the movie come to life on screen really drives home the collaborative nature of filmmaking.
“The script is one thing, but there are so many steps after that—the director, the actors, the location, the sound and music. It all just adds layers and layers. When I saw the final film it was like seeing it as an audience member—I jumped out of my seat at least twice!
“Sandra was reading the script from very early on. The moment I knew it was in the right hands was when she said it would be like a ‘70s Western, but with the heart of a ‘90s action movie. That sold me—we were talking the same language.”
Andrew says the origins of the story for Seven Snipers stem from his travels as a young aspiring filmmaker.
“Way back in 1993, I found a copy of the 1970s novel, The Day of the Jackal, at a train station in Berlin. I read and knew someday I’d make a sniper movie. Well, half a lifetime has passed. It’s an amazing feeling. I feel very proud that the film is out there in Australia and soon around the world—even Berlin.
“I’m looking forward to taking our students at the VCA through the journey of the long and arduous script-to-screen process. It has been quite an eye-opener.”
When asked what she hopes audiences will take away from the film, Sandra says: “I think it’s been made in a way where even if audiences don’t like the genre, they will still get something out of it, because at its heart it’s a story about a mother and a daughter.
“There’s tension, but there’s also human connection between all of the characters. It’s a great story, and as a director it’s the type of film that I’ve always wanted to direct. I hope Australian audiences get behind it and enjoy the experience.”
Seven Snipers was produced by Monster Picture Studios with support from Screen Queensland.
The film opens in cinemas across Australia on 30 April, and has already been sold to a number of international territories. Watch the trailer online.