River (Mia Barret) wants to run away from it all, following the tragic death of her mother. But when she falls in with bad boy Marcus (My Brilliant Career’s William McKenna), his insistence on ‘no strings attached’ actually leads the way to a place of hope and healing for both wounded souls.

River
River
Australian Premiere.
Director
Runtime
98 Minutes
Country
Australia
Classification
Unclassified 15+
River is only 16 on the terrible day that steals her mother away. Listlessly going through the motions, her dad (Sal Galofaro) is unable to shake himself out of his grief long enough to give her what she needs. Then Marcus (My Brilliant Career’s William McKenna) skids into her life on his battered bike. He’s a scrapper who holds everyone at arm’s length. Their hook-up under a concrete bridge is far from the stuff of teen romance. But even as he puts up barriers, a chink in his armour allows just enough room for them both to explore what the future might look like. Also featuring Lesbian Space Princess (AFF 2025) and The Pitt star Shabana Azeez alongside Mr Inbetween’s Justin Rosniak, writer-director Zane Borg’s deeply affecting feature is one of the most accomplished Australian films in recent memory, inspired by the loss of their mother. “River is a film for the grieving, for those who feel as lost as I once did, a hand to hold through this strange, motherless existence,” Borg says.
“This is the most beautiful and touching film I have seen in a long time, it absolutely wrecked me. Even if you didn’t lose your mum, it lets you take what you need and sits with you for hours, if not days.”
Letterboxd
Zlín
Film Credits
Director
Zane Borg
Year
2026
Country
Australia
Language
English
Type
Feature Fiction
Program Strand
Australian Independents
Producer
Gabriel Carrubba, Mia Barrett & Zane Borg
Cinematographer
Nyssa Mitchell
Editor
Liam Kelly & Zane Borg
Cast
Justin Rosniak, Luca Sardelis, Mia Barrett, Sal Galofaro, Shabana Azeez & William Mckenna
Music
Marlon Grunden
Film Source
Pancake Originals
Genre
Coming of Age, Drama, Romance & Sexual
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