WHEN freelance film maker Alistair Marks from Toorak received a call out of the blue from a stranger asking him to co-direct a movie, he didn’t hesitate to respond in the affirmative.

Ben Nicholas of Ferntree Gully had 10 days to create a short film for Tropfest, Australia’s largest and most prestigious short film competition, and he reached out to Marks through a mutual contact.

Together with a dynamic team of creative minds, the pair co-directed Waste of Time, a movie which follows one man’s obsession with time travel, and the ensuing repercussions of a world where time travel is possible.

The film has been short-listed as a finalist in this year’s competition, and Marks said the input of cast members, which included Luke Arnold (Black Sails, INXS: Never Tear Us Apart), Ian Bliss (The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions), producer Julian Vincent Costanzo, and script writer Paul Verhoeven, had been invaluable to finish it in time.

“This was lightning in a bottle,” Marks said.

“If you’ve got the right group of people around you, anything is possible.”

Nicholas on the other hand had no doubt the film would be completed by the deadline, the true challenge for him had been to create a film he was proud of.

“I'm very proud of the film and excited by the talented group of people I was able to work with.

“I’ve definitely got the bug, and I can’t wait to start on my next adventure,” he said.

The Tropfest finalist films will premiere live in Sydney’s Centennial Parklands on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, and will also be broadcast free-to-air from 9pm on SBS 2.

Details: tropfest.com/au/