THE story of a serial killer who brutally killed two women in Brisbane is being brought to life by a budding Gold Coast filmmaker.
Coomera’s Scott D. Clark first made a short film called HIM last year but didn’t feel 10 minutes was long enough to showcase the cruelty of jailed murderer Francis John Fahey.
Fahey was a paramedic who was jailed for brutally butchering two female sex workers in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane between 2002-2003.
Although he was convicted in 2006 and jailed for 25 years before he can apply for parole, Mr Clark believes the story has yet to be properly told.
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“It’s based loosely on real events. (Fahey) was an ambulance officer and was saving lives by day and killing by night,” Mr Clark said.
“He’s not really well known. I’m not sure why. It’s a really interesting case.”
Mr Clark, 40, had always wanted to be involved in the film industry but after he became a dad at a young age, he was forced to give it up.
“When I was 10 or 11, I watched Home Alone and that was it – I was hooked on film making,” he said.
“I grew up in rural Queensland, in Bundaberg. There’s nothing film-related in Bundy.
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“My girlfriend fell pregnant so we needed more and I took up a painting apprenticeship.
“I thought I would do it for four years but 25 years later – I’m still painting.”
Mr Clark was divorced and moved to Brisbane in 2013 were he tried acting as a background extra before realising it wasn’t for him.
A few years later he moved to the Gold Coast and that’s where he made four short films.
“My last short film was a mental health story about my own life called The Sky is Falling.
“I suffer from medical anxiety. It’s basically hypochondria. I’m always convinced I have terminal illness every time I have a moderate symptom of anything. I automatically assume it’s some form of cancer.”
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Mr Clark works seven nights a week painting and has so far forked out $12,000 for the film.
He is hoping to fund another $25,000 through crowdfunding site Indiegogo after he was rejected by Screen Queensland.
“Earlier this year I had a meeting with Screen Queensland and they said they weren’t able to help out with funding because of COVID,” Mr Clark said.
“They did give pointers and said ‘if you’re trying to sell a film with no government support, you’ll need to get some notable crew with a well-known producer or cast’.”
His industry experience led him to be able to cast well-known Aussie actors Peter Phelps, Izzy Stevens, Steve Bastoni and Gold Coast reality TV star Mike Gunner.
Production has started but due to the coronavirus, it’s been hard to get the stars together in the one place.
“I wrote a role specifically for (Izzy Stevens), having met her on set before,” he said.
“She said she’d love to help but she just moved to Los Angeles to get a big break.
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“As things progressed with the film, I started thinking that I still really wanted Izzy in the film. It’s not going to be easy but I thought ‘well how can I film in LA with her and without being there?’
“I remotely organised the entire shoot. All from my home office on the Gold Coast.”
The other actors live in Melbourne and Sydney and are unable to cross the Queensland border due to it being shut because of the pandemic.
With no end-date in sight, Mr Clark is optimistic and has started to film what he can on the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
He describes HIM as “Hannibal Lecter crossed with Wolf Creek”.
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