Monolith is a 2022 Australian sci-fi/thriller film which had its premiered in Australia on 27 October 2022 at the Adelaide Film Festival, and internationally at SXSW in March 2023. It stars Lily Sullivan, the only on-screen actor in the film, as a journalist uncovering a mystery. Described as high-concept science fiction, the film is written by Lucy Campbell, directed by Matt Vesely, and produced by Bettina Hamilton.
Plot
"A disgraced journalist... turns to podcasting to salvage her career, before uncovering a strange artefact that she believes is evidence of an alien conspiracy".
Cast
Lily Sullivan as The Interviewer
Erik Thomson as Dad (voice) Kate Box as Laura (voice) Terence Crawford as Klaus (voice) Damon Herriman (voice) Ling Cooper Tang as Floramae (voice) Ansuya Nathan as Paula (voice) Matt Crook as Scott (voice) Rashidi Edward as John (voice) Brigid Zengeni as Shiloh (voice) Belle Kalendra-Harding
Production
Monolith is the first feature film to be produced as part of a joint initiative called "Film Lab: New Voices", by South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) and the Adelaide Film Festival (AFF). A development lab ran for 11 months, in which three teams (chosen for development out of an initial 63 contenders) developed their scripts, and one was chosen for production at this time. Monolith received an initial in funding from SAFC and AFF, and with Mercury CX also helping to fund the film. The whole film was funded on less than .
Lucy Campbell wrote the script; it is directed by Matt Vesely (development manager at Closer Productions) and produced by Bettina Hamilton. The cinematographer is Michael Tessari and Tania Nehme edited the film.
Filming took place in the Adelaide Hills from late May 2022, and was shot over 15 days consecutively and in chronological order of events in the film. It is described as a high-concept science fiction thriller. It is all shot on one location, and there is just one on-screen actor (Lily Sullivan); various actors' voices speak to her on the telephone. These include Damon Herriman, Erik Thomson, and Kate Box.
Lone on-screen actor Lily Sullivan said in a 2023 interview that her role was the "challenge of a lifetime", finding it "terrifying", and saying "I ended up approaching it like theatre, almost... I've never been more aware of my voice".
Release
Monolith had its Australian premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival on 27 October 2022.
In January 2023 it was announced that the film would have its official world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2023. The world premiere took place at SXSW on 13 March 2023, with two further screenings at the festival.
Monolith also screened at the Gold Coast Film Festival, held in HOTA, Surfers Paradise, Queensland, in April 2023, and had its Asian premiere at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea on 1 July 2023. It was listed by Screen Hub as one of "ten must-see films" at the Melbourne International Film Festival . It had its UK premiere at FrightFest in London on 26 August 2023, and was also selected to screen at many other festivals through the year, including Overlook Film Festival (New Orleans); Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival; Fantasy Filmfest (Germany); CinefestOz; Octopus Film Festival (Gdańsk, Poland); and Sitges Film Festival (Sitges, Spain).
The film secured international sales teams – XYZ Films for North America and Blue Finch Films in the UK. Todd Brown, head of international acquisitions at XYZ, said, about director Matt Veseley, "We haven't been more excited about a filmmaker since we first came across Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson with their debut feature Resolution" (released 2013).
The distributor of Monolith in Australian and New Zealand cinemas is Bonsai Films; and in North America, Well Go USA Entertainment. Blue Finch handles other international sales.
Monolith has a limited release in New Zealand cinemas from 25 August 2023.
It is released in Australian cinemas from 26 October 2023, shortly after screening at SXSW Sydney, and Q&A preview screenings in South Australia.
Reception
After its screening at the Adelaide Film Festival, Rachael Mead of InDaily wrote: "Sullivan is superb as the ethically dubious journalist, effortlessly holding the focus of the entire film", and "Vesely’s feature is far more than a clever manipulation of constraint to heighten tension... Beneath the thrilling claustrophobia lies a cunning puncturing of privilege and a clear-eyed critique of the way we construct, manipulate and ultimately consume 'truth' in a globalised world".