HEI Mary Productions, a locally-established independent film production company has been thrilled to announce their latest film, ‘A Lie In Wait’, was selected for the Fantastic Film Festival Australia.

The short comedy drama feature will be played at Lido Cinemas, Hawthorn on May 2 at 6.15pm.

The director is a former Hamilton resident now based in Melbourne, Edvard Christie, former Monivae College student.

The 19-minute film is about a man who was asked to house sit while the owners were meant to be away, only to arrive to find they hadn’t left due to missing the last bus of the day.

With a litany of short films to add to his name, Edvard’s films are known for mostly using amateur actors and a skeleton crew and are mostly shot in rural Victoria.

While the projects vary in length and scale, they all generally have a comedic tenor with occasional dramatic undertones.

Edvard said he was very proud to have his latest film picked up by the Fantastic Film Festival.

“It’s pretty exciting,” he said.

“We shot this one in Melbourne - it was a four-day shoot.

“I wrote it in September last year - we completed it in January this year.”

He was pleased to add that the production of the film had gone surprisingly smoothly.

“Often you expect everything to go wrong,” Edvard said.

“Like putting together a casting crew - it’s not always easy and lots of issues can plague productions.

“It was very fortunate to get all that sorted out.”

Like most of Edvard’s projects, the crew for A Lie In Wait was made up of a number of Hamilton and district locals.

“We had a behind the scenes photographer - Angus Evans who grew up Hamilton, Jarman Oakley - he was involved in the best boy electrics, which is a lighting position - he’s from Portland, and James Cameron - the producer he is also a former local.”

Edvard’s father, Angus, well known locally as an accomplished musician and music teacher, also had a role in making the film.

He made a contribution to the film’s production through behind the scenes catering.

Since 2015, Edvard has undertaken a variety of roles within the film, television and commercial industries, spanning many forms and genres.

As a crew member, Edvard has worked in various departments on productions, gaining experience in other positions.

“I have undertaken a variety of roles,” he said.

“(I mainly) focus on production assistance, writing and directing.”

In 2017, he dedicated himself to tackling development of his own projects, pursuing longer form productions. Meanwhile, he directed commercial works as part of Alexander and Vincent Media, including ‘Get Me A Gig’, a livestreamed music program that won the mayor’s Award in the Southern Grampians Shire (2020).

Prior to this, he produced a series of short films, and a half-hour comedy sketch program, Slights of Life (2016), that aired on Channel 31. At the completion of his VCE studies, he received the media award, and was selected for Hamilton Gallery’s Top Arts Exhibition with his film Still Waters (2015).

In 2019, he co-wrote and directed the feature ‘Hang On To Your Hanger-Ons’, with brothers Gustav and Haarvard which played to sold out crowds at its first three theatrical screenings in Hamilton with most of the cast and crew consisting of locals, and has been being distributed by Bounty Films.

Edvard is the youngest of three brothers who are all involved in arts and culture.

His mother, Anne Kristin Christie is also well regarded for her musicianship and as a music teacher.