The Gift That Gives – delightful Aussie romcom

Arts & Entertainment Screen Screen What's On

Mark Morellini
December 23, 2023

Romantic comedies are a popular genre for moviegoers and one which should prove a crowd pleaser early in 2024 is The Gift That Gives, a small Aussie movie which is written and directed by local filmmaker Joy Hopwood.

The movie surrounds Callum Mori (the author of a book entitled The Gift That Gives) and the romantic interest which builds in Kate Sedgeman, a television presenter, once she interviews him on her television program. A romantic entanglement eventuates when he falls for her best friend Linda. Could this potentially destroy the friendship between both women?

And as fate would have it, Linda meets Callum’s brother Austin whose health issues bring them together. They discover love letters hidden inside a box. As the mystery deepens, they both attempt to learn who wrote the letters, with hilarious consequences.

Actor Takaya Honda (Neighbours) who plays the lead role of Callum was thrilled to be involved in this project.

“I was attracted to this film because it’s an interesting blend of a rom-com and a whodunnit with rich and diverse characters. The script has some interesting twists and turns that don’t get caught in rom-com cliches.”

Actress HaiHa Le (Packed To The Rafters) also enthused about being involved and explained that she loved the spirit in which the movie was made.

“It takes a lot of courage and tenacity to set out to make a film and I wanted to be part of the ride. It also has a warm and positive message which I hope will resonate with audiences.”

Lex Marinos who starred in the iconic sitcom Kingswood Country in the 1970’s, plays a character in this movie who delivers one funny line after the other. He highly commended Hopwood on the themes she explored in the script.

“Human emotions like love, hope, and happiness are universal; they don’t belong to any one section of society,” he explained. “Working with a diverse cast and crew is very much what contemporary Australia feels like to me.”

Joy Hopwood has come a long way since her early days being a presenter on Play School. She embarked on her journey to filmmaking over 10 years ago also working as an actor in the 90’s and believes that diversity is an important element in filmmaking, both in front and behind the cameras.

“Diversity was not as prominent in the film and television industry as it is today, so I wanted to make a change to the film landscape. I believe you have to be the change you want to see, so I started filmmaking and the annual Joy House Film Festival.”

Hopwood explained that all the films she has made reflect what she has personally experienced or witnessed. “They’re like a photo album of my life, as they reflect a certain period of my life caught on film. I like them to be uplifting because I want to give hope to audiences after watching my films and leaving the cinemas feeling inspired.”

Recently it was announced that The Gift That Gives was an award winner at the New York International Women’s Festival. When asked about the significance of this award Hopwood was quick to respond.

“It’s great to win an award for your film because it reflects the whole team’s efforts in making that film, not just one person’s efforts but the whole team; everyone’s input counts and is just as important as each other.”

Hopwood said she was blessed to have such a professional, loyal, and enthusiastic cast and crew working on her movie.

“It’s remarkable what my team has achieved in 8 days, driven by passion and the love for filmmaking and great teamwork. I’m proud of them and the end result being this feel-good uplifting film.”

Finally, will Hopwood ever write a script which explores the darker side of human nature?

“I think my next film, It’s Our Time, is a turning point in my filmmaking practise, as it has a bit more drama and maybe my 6^th film will show a darker side. We’ll just have to wait and see…”