Alexandra George

THE BENDS (2021)
Drama / 14:00 / English
Production EXIT Films

A Mixed Martial Arts fighter wrestles with the news she is pregnant in the lead up to the most important fight of her career, in this AACTA-nominated Australian short film.

A docu-drama hybrid propelled by a reticent yet affecting performance from pro-amateur MMA fighter Annie Thatcher, The Bends is an elevated, empathetic portrait of a person accustomed to pushing their body to its limit, but who now must choose between conquering it or keeping it safe for another. —miff

Director Tom Campbell
Writer Adam Spellicy
Story Tom Campbell & Annie Thatcher
Producer Alexandra George
Executive Producers Declan Cahill, Leah Churchill-Brown

Introducing Annie Thatcher
With Thomas Ruderman, Mitchell Carter

Cinematographer Sam Chiplin
Editor Maria Papoutsis
Composer Mikey Young
Casting Fiona Dann CGA
Production & Costume Design Asia Swida
Colourist Trish Cahill
Sound Folklore Sound

Supported by EXIT Films, ACSA, Panavision Asia, The Editors, Folklore Sound, Alt.VFX

Festivals & Awards
2021 Melbourne International Film Festival, Accelerator Lab (World Premiere)
2021 AACTA Award for Best Short Form Drama — Nominated
2022 POCO Film Fest, Jury Prize — Winner
2022 Firenze Film Festival, Best Producer — Winner
2022 Short of the Week, Official Premiere (Online Premiere)
2022 Vimeo Staff Pick

As producer Alexandra George perfectly explains: “To me, Annie has always represented one of the most enduring questions a woman will ask herself: whether or not to have children, and at what cost?”. Adding that our takeaway from the short shouldn’t revolve around “whether or not Annie chooses to fight”, but instead “what the mere possibility of change could teach her”. It’s a clever angle to add to the story, as without it, the narrative would just feel too specific. Instead there’s what George describes as a “palpable” level of relatability flowing through The Bends – you might not know what it’s like to experience an MMA fight, but you can certainly empathise with the life-changing decision Annie is about to make. —Short of the Week