Loading Docs: Catkiller

A dark mystery has been unfolding in Raglan.

In the past year 30 cats have disappeared from the tiny town, with some later found dead, wrapped in plastic. Catkiller is a short thriller-documentary that seeks to uncover the identity of the killer.

Be they bird-lover or cold-blooded murderer, they have a community divided, and no family's feline is safe.

Aidee Walker: Director/Writer

Aidee has worked consistently in New Zealand film, theatre and television for the past decade, and is perhaps best known for her acting role as Draska in the popular New Zealand television series Outrageous Fortune.

Writer/Director Aidee Walker.

After returning to New Zealand from years living, performing and studying abroad, Aidee began to make the transition into writing and directing film. Her debut short film, The F.E.U.C, had a successful international festival run, including selection into the Palm Springs International Film Festival in California.

Her second short, Friday Tigers, was funded through the New Zealand Film Commission's Fresh Shorts scheme, and has so far achieved a staggering level of success, including winning Best Short Film and the Audience Award at the New Zealand International Film Festival, and official selection in the Melbourne International Festival.

In 2012 her role in the film How to Meet Girls from a Distance earned her a Moa nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and she is now back on NZ screens in the new TV drama Step Dave. She is currently developing a TV series, Animals, while her third short film, Break In The Weather, goes into production in April.

Alexander Gandar: Producer

Alexander began his career producing music videos for Tim van Dammen of Blur & Sharpen Films, alongside the completion of a Masters in Screen Production at the University of Auckland.

In 2010 Tim pitched on and secured the making of New Zealand feature film Romeo & Juliet: A Love Song, which he and Alexander (as the assistant director) took into production over the summer of 2010/2011. Romeo & Juliet has subsequently screened at festivals the world over, and acquired numerous international distribution deals.

Producer, Alexander Gandar.

Over the past few years Alexander has maintained a steady stream of work as a producer, director and editor of short film and music videos, including directing for The Veils, Watercolours and - co-directing with Aidee Walker - Anna Coddington.

He joined Aidee in 2011 to work on The F.E.U.C. and Friday Tigers, and was the associate producer on Matthew Saville's soon-to-be released Premiere Short Dive.

He is the producer of Aidee's upcoming Fresh Short, Break In The Weather, and is currently developing a feature project with Tim van Dammen.

Filmmaker Statement:

"Aidee and I were keen to become a part of the Loading Docs initiative because, as up-and-coming filmmakers, harnessing promotional tools like crowd-funding and social media is imperative. The emphasis on this within the scheme, as well as on new avenues of distribution, is infinitely valuable for us and for the wider culture of filmmaking at this level. The three-minute format has given us a sense of liberation - we feel encouraged to take stylistic risks and push the boundaries of what is possible with the form, all while telling a relevant and worthwhile story."

Film location: Raglan

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