Martin Wilson joins forces with Fremantle Indonesia to develop horror feature, Top Floor

Emergence Creative Festival and Third Storey Pictures are pleased to announce Top Floor, a new supernatural horror film from Western Australian writer/director Martin Wilson (Great White, Pieces) is heading into development with Fremantle Indonesia thanks to the Australia – Indonesia Fast Track Initiative, as revealed at the Festival in Margaret River.

Wilson has joined forces with Fremantle Indonesia, one of Southeast Asia’s largest producers of prime-time television and scripted content, to develop the script, which sees a fearless gang of outcast teens battle for survival and protect their community after ravenous supernatural beasts besiege their apartment building.

The Australia – Indonesia Fast Track Initiative, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grant Program and managed by Screenwest, is designed to accelerate opportunities for collaboration and the development of intercultural skills capacity between Australia and Indonesia and bring joint stories to the screen.

In 2023, the initiative provided travel funding for a limited number of Western Australian screen industry practitioners, including Wilson, to attend a delegation trip to Indonesia and in 2024, the Indonesian Marketplace 2:1 – Matched Development Fund was launched, which provides two dollars for every one dollar of confirmed marketplace commitment.

“We are thrilled to introduce this collaboration with Martin Wilson and Third Storey Pictures, which will initiate game-changing ways of bringing together creative minds, unique stories, and the power of collaboration in the region and around the world. At Fremantle Indonesia, we are dedicated to pushing the limits of what is possible, and this latest offering is a testament to our commitment to innovation and creativity,” said Sakti Parantean, Managing Director, Fremantle Indonesia.

“With its terrifying ghosts, gripping storyline, and undeniable commercial appeal, Top Floor stands out amidst the plethora of pitches and collaboration opportunities that come across our desks. In a market where horror reigns supreme, the film offers a bone-chilling, fresh perspective that resonates with Indonesia’s fascination with the supernatural.” said Jason Neal, General Manager of Original Content and Innovation, Fremantle Indonesia.

The film was conceived by Wilson on a location scout through the city of Malang in East Java, where the charisma of teenagers playing street soccer caught his attention.

“I’m excited to collaborate with Fremantle on Top Floor and eager to delve deeper into crafting the screenplay for our Indonesian-set film, primarily in the Indonesian language. This presents an exciting opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and skill-sharing between Australian and Indonesian crew members, fostering a truly collaborative environment. The hope is that Top Floor will pave the way for future collaborations between Western Australia and Indonesia film communities on multiple levels, both with physical crews, post- production houses, and possibly gaming, setting up and pioneering new long-term partnerships which can only be good thing,” said Wilson.

“With a plan for a solid local and multinational cast of compelling characters, this film has tremendous potential to captivate both local and worldwide markets. Projects like Top Floor provide an opportunity to create a vibrant creative and economic exchange between Australia and Indonesia, contributing to cultural diversity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and technological advancement. Congratulations Martin!” said Chris Veerhuis, Screenwest Head of Production.

Mat Lewis, Emergence Creative Festival Chair and Creative Tech Village Director, said: “The growing collaboration in the sector with Indonesia is gaining momentum. To have this announcement and project greenlit at Emergence Creative with Martin and Jason present brings a tangible outcome and builds on our collective Creative Exchange between Western Australia and Indonesia.”

Top Floor was announced at Emergence Creative Festival 2024, held last week from 19 – 22 March, where industry practitioners and global creative communities gathered to celebrate innovation and collaboration.

Photo credit: Ovis Creative