CD Simon Fowler secures Tropfest Top 16 for third year in a row with 2019 film ‘Dad to the Bone’
As Tropfest Film Festival gears up for its 27th year this weekend, Simon Fowler, creative director at WiTH Collective Sydney, celebrates making it into the top 16 for the 3rd year in a row.
Says Fowler: “It was a crazy feeling to hear we were part of the festival again. More than anything it’s a testament to the very (very) talented people involved each year – from Paul Shakeshaft, the film industry’s coolest DOP; Cameron Dowsett who wrote the hilarious script for Dad to the Bone; FINCH’s Alex Roberts, director and mentor for our 2017 finalist film ‘Love, Steve’; Josh Sandford and Phil Robbie for making everything awesome for three massive years, as well as every single one of the actors and actresses who helped bring our scripts to life.”
This year’s film is centered around a mechanic who, upon finding out his daughter is pregnant, kidnaps four suspects and uses dad jokes to tease out the culprit.
Says Cameron Dowsett, senior writer, 72andSunny: “Si and I very recently became dads ourselves, so as a knee-jerk reaction we decided to make the dumbest, most childish thing we could think of. Really set the tone early for our sons.”
Says Paul Shakeshaft, DOP: “Epic. Having worked with Si on a few projects it’s always a good time, something that definitely shows in the finished result.”
While the previous years’ films haven’t taken out the coveted top prize, they have
been recognised at the craft awards for screenwriting, set-design and cinematography. In last year’s finalist film, Hugo Johnstone-Burt won best actor for his role in Combination Fried Rice.
For Fowler, filmmaking is a passion formed amidst a successful career in advertising working for over a decade with creative partner Nicole Hetherington – the two having won Australia’s first D&AD Black Pencil for innovation and worked with an impressive cast of talent on some of Australia’s most influential clients.
‘Dad to the Bone’ premiers this Saturday night in Parramatta Park.
8 Comments
Cam!
This is sick – such a cool idea.
So proud to have known you for so long.
Sophie Morris
You forgot to mention these blokes are also total legends. Onya guys! Great stuff!
It’s got to be said that’s an impressive achievement. Well done, Simon.
A creative at With needs to have an outlet where they can actually be creative.
Looks like this bloke has one.
Nice one chaps
Kudos all round.
I tried to watch it and it felt like it was a creative doing narrative badly. The creative only has only an understanding of the commercial content world.
Congrats Simon.
Re: The creative only has only an understanding of the commercial content world.
What a penis.