ZOMBIES take over Mt Lawley next week. First-time feature writer-director and Nedlands resident Dave Bishop is premiering his comedy zombie film I am Bish at The Astor cinema on December 17.
The $10,000 film was guerrilla-shot in Perth with volunteers, including 300 zombies, during six months last year.
Bishop previously won the money in the Show Us Your Nuts short film competition run by an internet broadcaster.
“I am Bish is a comedy-horror, a spoof of the multi-million Will Smith film I am Legend that also pretty much tells the story of the classic Omega Man, with Charlton Heston, a last-man-alive story,” Bishop said.
Both films had premises that had comic potential for the new director’s production. “Especially when you consider that in all likelihood the last man on earth would be a regular guy and not a heroic Will Smith-type figure,” Bishop said.
Bishop trained at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, writing scripts before directing what he had written could be filmed.
His first short film was one of the first from WA to reach the finals of Tropfest in Sydney.
Another of his scripts was second in actors’ Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Project Greenlight Australia.
The project from the script initially attracting interest from Australian actors Pia Miranda, Samuel Johnson, Alan Dale, Emma Lung, Charli Delaney and Logie Award-winning Ditch Davey.
The zombie film became attractive after that project faltered. “It’s incredibly risky, but on a low budget, comedy is one of the few things you can do well and there’s no such thing as safety in comedy,” Bishop said.
“Comedy that treads lightly, and walks in fear of offending someone, just isn’t funny.”
Bishop took the I am Bish lead. The only paid role was given to fellow academy-trained actor Siobhan Dow-Hall.
Bishop is in debt to market his film and rent the cinema. But fans have already appeared and YouTube trailers have attracted more than 5000 hits.
Meanwhile, Bishop’s first US-orientated romantic comedy script, Jesus is Back, has been shortlisted for screenplay awards at six film festivals.
Limited international interest in his work will not stop the director. “I started this to show that Aussie films can be every bit as cool as Hollywood films,” he said.
Tickets $15: www.iambish.com.au