Eleni Geena Adams to debut indie short film Love Waves

From procrastinating an assignment to creating an original movie for less than $10, a Cairns high school graduate, is set to debut her short film, set entirely on a bus, later this year. Here’s how she did it.

Young Cairns film maker Eleni Geena Adams has written, directed and produced her first short film, shot entirely on a bus with young actors. Picture: Brendan Radke

A Cairns high school graduate who wrote, produced and directed her first independent movie for a grand total of $6, is set to debut her short film later this year.

Cairns State High School graduate-turned-indie filmmaker Eleni Geena Adams said her short film Love Waves, a coming of age teen romance, was the result of procrastinating her psychology assignment.

“I was procrastinating so I looked up screenwriting and was browsing the Screen Queensland website,” Ms Adams said.

“Then a week later, I saw Screen Queensland at a careers expo and made some connections through there so it sort of fell into place, but the film was a personal project of mine,” Ms Adams said.

Writing, directing and producing the film, which follows two teens falling in love on the bus on their way to school, only cost Ms Adams $6.

Young Cairns film maker Eleni Geena Adams has written, directed and produced her first short film, shot entirely on a bus with young actors. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It was made with a fully local crew, catering was provided and Sunbus donated one of their buses for us to film in for free. Everything happened because we were all willing to help create something. The whole thing cost $6 and that was just printing the script,” she said.

Ms Adams, who graduated last year, said filming was supposed to start in December 2023, but was postponed by the arrival of Cyclone Jasper.

“We were supposed to start filming the day of the flooding so we had to postpone it til January. Now it’s done and in the editing stage,” she said.

Once complete, Ms Adams said she was applying to local film festivals to screen Love Waves and intended on hosting an independent screening in April.

“I’m going to apply for Understory Film Festival and any film festival I can get into so the community can come and see it,” she said.

“My whole gap year is to learn as much as I can about anything, especially in the film industry.”

Originally published as Eleni Geena Adams to debut indie short film Love Waves