I Used to be the Pretty One

About our film

Set in an art gallery at closing time, the film centres around a once-great beauty, Venus, who, armed with a bottle of acid, seeks retribution against the portraits of gorgeous younger women for the injustice of their eternal beauty. Her scheme is interrupted when Janet, the gallery attendant, walks in.

The film takes us through the thought-provoking and moving debate between these two contrasting women. Venus, whose identity has been so tightly bound to her looks that losing them as she ages feels like losing herself, clashes with Janet who has never turned heads and has come to terms with her invisibility.

Our protagonist’s lament about ageing is brought into stark contrast with the tragic reality of the lives of the women she is so irrationally jealous of, delivering a powerful and lasting message about finding one's self-worth, and realising the privilege of growing old.

How this project came about

After starring in the stage version of I Used to be the Pretty One in the Queenstown Pint-Sized Play competition earlier this year and garnering the top vote from moved audiences each night, Amalia was inspired to adapt this superb short piece from NZ playwright Lindsey Brown for the screen. We want to bring this compelling story to a wider audience through the medium of film, utilising the unique strengths of visual storytelling to enhance the emotional and thematic depth of the original play.

Why this film?

This film examines the rarely-explored impact of societal expectations on a woman's self-worth as she ages. The piece plays out against the backdrop of an exhibition of historically significant women whose beauty history remembers more than their accomplishments, let alone the reality of their often short lives.

“These women, they weren’t blessed with beauty. Beauty was their curse… To be remembered for something so fickle, something that fades, that’s not a legacy!” 

What do we need?

Help us make this film beautiful on the outside too!

Among our many production costs, are seeking funding primarily for:

1. Lighting Equipment: Lighting is crucial to the tone, atmosphere, and visual quality of the film.
2. Set Decoration and Props: To authentically build our art gallery setting from scratch we need partition walls, frames, and to print and coat our gorgeous portraits.

Every dollar you can give combines with our core team's own contributions and goes directly and only to funding the production. We are extremely committed and ambitious about making this film top-notch to give it the best shot at an international film festival circuit.

Core Team 

Georgia Wales | Director, Art Director

Georgia is a multidisciplinary filmmaker with extensive experience in both advertising and film settings. She has contributed to a diverse array of projects, from large-scale film and TV productions to short films, taking on roles in production design, storyboarding, animation, and directing. Her latest intellectual property has been selected for PitchFest film development funding, and she has won multiple Best Awards and has worked on films screened at the NZ Mountain Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, and Sundance. 

Amalia Remus | Director, Actor

Amalia is a graduate of the University of Auckland’s Screen Production programme and a versatile actress with a rich portfolio of theatre and television roles, recently appearing on Shortland Street and winning Best Performer at the Dunedin regional of the 48 Hour Film Festival. With a deep passion for sensitive and realistic storytelling, Amalia is now channelling her comprehensive understanding of the craft from both sides of the camera into directing. 

Robbie | Cinematographer

Rob Romero is an emerging Cinematographer with over six years of expertise in capturing compelling visuals. His notable achievements include winning Best Cinematography at the Dunedin 48 Film Festival regional and securing the Arts & Culture Award at the Deaf Aotearoa National Awards Ceremony for the For the Love TVC. Rob has also contributed to high-profile clients such as Garmin and various campaigns for Tourism New Zealand and Queenstown Airport. His experience extends to working on international features as part of drone operations for large-scale productions. 

Your support is instrumental in making this project happen, thank you so much!

Subscribe to email updates to stay updated on the production and hear about festivals and screenings!

Tax Rebate

Boosted is a registered charity, so NZ individuals can get 33% of their donation back in their annual tax refund. You can claim your rebate through IRD with the tax receipt Boosted will provide to you.