Playback Short Film
Cast
Nikita Chronis
Ralph Stanley
Paige Joustra
Barbara Booth
Jarita Winslow
Ruther Saperstein
Briar Brand-Adams
Nancy
Paige Joustra is a passionate young actress with a love for all things film. She's most known for her work as Charlie in the Aussie feature film 'The Library Boys' and as the lead in shorts such as 'The Lawless', 'Papercut', and award-winning 'Feast On The Young' (MonsterFest Victorian Short Winner 2018). Now Paige has taken on the role of Barbara in 'Playback', a resilient and hard-working editor in the 1930s. Paige is often drawn to characters like Barb who find their power even after facing hardships and loved how her character created a way to rise above her situation to do what she knew was right. The challenge that Barbara gave Paige was very exciting and she loved getting to work with her accent coach Anna McCrossin-Owen on her 1930s US accent. She hopes that Barbara can be an addition to the many strong female characters that have come before her; characters to which the next generation can relate, and from whom they can learn.
Nikita Chronis is a dedicated and disciplined actor, always seeking a new creative challenge. He has a great passion for authentic storytelling, and a strong desire to reveal the truth of a given character. Nikita began his journey at the Adamson Theatre Company at Wesley College, performing on the stage for many years before moving to Saigon, Vietnam to complete his high-school studies. Upon returning to Australia, Nikita has performed in a great number of independent films including the internationally nominated The Method, and award winning shorts The Chill and In Halves respectively. In Playback, Nikita plays Ralph Stanley - a 1930s Hollywood ‘heartthrob’ with a deadly narcissistic and manipulative streak. Nikita believes that these type of characters, at bottom, are far more vulnerable than what is conveyed by their rough exterior. It is this kind of complexity that Nikita finds attractive in a role, and wishes to bring out this nuance in his performance.
I am an Australian-Indian actress most known for my work in short films. While I am currently completing my Master's degree in Psychology, I most recently starred in Claw Films' 'April' as part of their Twelve Months of Movies in 2021. The character of Ruth felt real and fleshed out from the first read, playing her was like meeting a friend who I already had so much in common with. Gideon put so much thought into her history and her connection with Barbara, it was a wonderful experience having the opportunity to step into her world and play in front of the camera.
Briar hails from sunnier skies, but recently moved to Melbourne to fully pursue an acting career in the kind of productions that are meaningful to her. Having made a commitment to focus on training for the past couple of years, Briar has also been involved in a couple of short films and a web series along the way, as she further develops her skills as an actor and human. As a lover of accent work, Briar was drawn to the Playback for the challenge of the Mid Atlantic accent, but it was the story being told that meant the most to her. Nancy is a bonafide movie star, but the way her skill and standing is undermined by the men of the time is something women still deal with to this day, and these are the kind of stories Briar is passionate about highlighting with her work. Nancy may be somewhat a victim of the times, but she's certainly not meek and can more than hold her own in a man's world, and Briar believes this is a perspective truly worth exploring.