Gracie Sees a Ghost to Premiere at Austin Film Festival
The Australian horror short film will debut in Austin following a two-week production period in Melbourne.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Horror
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The short film Gracie Sees a Ghost is scheduled to have its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival on October 31, 2026. Directed by Gemma Carfi and written by Jesse Bouma, the project explores a family annihilation case.
Why it matters
The production serves as a proof-of-concept for a full-length feature film. Its debut highlights the collaborative output of the Melbourne-based film collective RIPPA Films as they transition toward larger formats.
The production spanned two weeks of filming in Melbourne with a skeleton crew. The project is backed by the four-member RIPPA Films collective.
The players
Gemma Carfi
She is the director of Gracie Sees a Ghost and met her writing partner while completing a Masters of Screenwriting at VCA.
Jesse Bouma
The writer of the short film who met Gemma Carfi while attending the VCA in 2023.
RIPPA Films
A Melbourne-based film collective composed of four members that seeks to produce projects aligning with their shared creative instincts.
The details
The filmmakers developed the story through workshops and table reads with former 16th Street Actors Studio classmates. The film features performances by Jessica Yates, Georgie Jennings, and Arielle Carver-O'Neill.
Timeline
2023: Jesse Bouma and Gemma Carfi met at the VCA.
August 2024: The film was shot over two weeks in Melbourne.
October 31, 2026: The film premieres at the Austin Film Festival.
Industry Dynamics
The production follows the standard industry pattern of utilizing a proof-of-concept short film to demonstrate the viability of a larger feature-length narrative. This strategy allows emerging collectives to refine their vision before seeking major investment for long-form projects.
Local film enthusiasts can attend the world premiere of the short at the upcoming festival in Austin. The project remains a prototype, meaning wider distribution for the story will depend on the development of the intended feature film.
The takeaway
Emerging filmmakers often use short-form projects as a calculated risk to test narrative ideas and build industry reputation. Aspiring creators can look to this model as a practical way to pitch complex feature concepts to potential funders.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Horror.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IF Magazine.
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