SYNOPSIS
Crawl is a character-driven thriller set in an unknown, rural town. A seedy bar-owner hires a mysterious Croatian to murder an acquaintance over an unpaid debt. The crime is carried out, but a planned double-crossing backfires and an innocent waitress suddenly becomes involved. Now a hostage in her own home, the young woman is driven to desperate measures for survival. A suspenseful, yet darkly humorous chain of events builds to a blood-curdling and unforgettable climax.

CREW
Crawl is the debut feature film from twin brothers Paul (Writer/Director) and Benjamin (Producer) China. Renowned cinematographer Brian Breheny (The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, The Hard Word) not only shot the picture, but also produced. John Scott, acclaimed editor of Little Fish, Sexy Beast and The Quiet American, cut the film as well as editor Bin Li (The Way Back, Mao’s Last Dancer). Other key crew members include make-up artist Anita Morgan (House of Wax, Beneath Hill 60), production designer John Anderson (Pitch Black, The Ruins) and first assistant director Wade Savage (James Cameron’s Sanctum, 48 Shades). AFI award-winning composer, Christopher Gordon (Mao’s Last Dancer, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Daybreakers), scored original music for the film.

CAST
Crawl features three principle, captivating characters. Rising star Georgina Haig (Wasted on the Young, Road Train) plays Marilyn Burns; a young waitress driven to desperate measures when taken hostage in her own home. Celebrated actor George Shevtsov (Love Serenade, Dead Calm) plays the laconic and nameless criminal, while popular Radio DJ Paul Holmes portrays Slim Walding, the pompous bar owner. Supporting actors featured in the film, amongst others, include Catherine Miller, Lauren Dillon, Bob Newman, and a memorable and humorous cameo from Lynda Stoner (Turkey Shoot, TV’s Prisoner).

TECHNICAL
Crawl was shot on the digital RED camera with the new MX censor and upgrade. Recent films using the RED MX include Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion and David Fincher’s The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Crawl was filmed in cinemascope format (widescreen).

OBJECTIVE
Crawl is not based in gritty realism and purposely avoids the docu-drama style that seems to populate many Australian productions. The film is a well-crafted and cinematic “thriller” that just happens to take place in Australia (identifiable only by the accents, the occasional word of dialect, and perhaps some scenery). It is a universal story that withholds references to time, dates, and locations. Crawl could, essentially, take place anywhere, and therefore aims for global appeal. Ultimately, Crawl is a lesson in suspense. The film relies heavily on tension, atmosphere and striking characters an audience can invest in. Influenced by the works of Alfred Hitchcock (Rear Window, Psycho), Roman Polanski (Repulsion, Rosemary’s Baby) and the Coen Brothers (Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men), Crawl aims for both intelligence and entertainment, and will hopefully linger in the mind of the viewer long after the final credits have come to an end.