Perth’s Belinda Bromilow finds new direction with Flickerfest debut

Perth’s own Belinda Bromilow is making her directorial debut this year, with her short film Glove getting its WA premiere at Flickerfest 2025. Born and raised in Karrinyup, the WAAPA alumni went on to forge a successful acting career in the UK, highlighted by her role as Aunt Elizabeth in the Disney+ series The Great. Ahead of Flickerfest’s arrival at Luna Outdoor Cinema from Thursday, February 20 to Saturday, February 22, BRAYDEN EDWARDS caught up with Belinda Bromilow to find out the unlikely story behind the film and how it feels to see it on the silver screen.

Congratulations on having Glove getting its world premiere at Flickerfest 2025! How long has this film been in the works for and how does it feel to finally be releasing it?

Well, this film actually has had a very long conception. I originally had the idea for it in the year 2000 and tried making it with some friends. It didn’t really come to fruition, but 24 years later, I had just finished filming The Great and had some time for myself. The idea returned to me, so I embarked on it afresh.

Flickerfest was the first festival it got into, and that felt really special—to be back in Australia and at a festival I was very familiar with, having attended it for so many years as an audience member. I was able to fly back for the screening, and watching it with an audience for the first time was completely thrilling. I loved it! I’m so delighted it’s now on tour making its way around Australia, and I love that Flickerfest brings these films to places they may otherwise not make it to. I have lots of family and friends in Perth, so I’m delighted they can watch it on the big screen.

Without giving too much away, what is the premise of this film?

It’s a comedic story about searching for someone with whom your idiosyncrasies suddenly make sense. A love story, really. Everyone has things about them that make them unique, and the hope is you’ll find someone who appreciates and accepts those quirks, no matter how odd they may be.

Hailing from WAAPA here in Perth, you have had a successful acting career, but Glove is your directorial debut! How long had you been hoping to get on the other side of the camera, and why was now the time?

Directing wasn’t really something I’d been hoping for; more like I felt this story bubble up again wanting to be told, and I felt like I was the one to do it. I had some time in between jobs and so it felt like a good time to experiment doing something new. I love being an actor but the reality is that you are reliant on other people giving you jobs, so in between gigs, writing and directing has become a way I can take my creative instincts into my own hands and create opportunities for myself, which feels empowering and energising.

So stepping back to when you first graduated…What happened to your original plans for the film, and have they changed over time?

Yes! 24 years ago! I guess it was quite ambitious for a first short, and we were completely inexperienced—no budget, lots of different locations, and I originally wrote it in Norwegian, which added a level of complexity it probably didn’t need! This time around I simplified the telling of the story a bit. I decided to make it without dialogue because I was interested in seeing how much I could convey just visually and through sound, and I took on the role of director instead of lead actor, which was something new. So it’s entirely different in many ways, but the essence of it is still the same, and it’s a great lesson in following your gut and working at your own pace (laughs).

Given there was such a personal connection to the story, how did it feel having the actors bring it to life? Did you know what you were looking for from them, and did they bring their own personalities to the production?

I had a very clear vision of what I wanted, and having worked with Florence on The Great and after watching Harki’s audition, I felt instinctively that they could deliver what I was looking for whilst also bringing something unexpected to the roles. A director friend of mine told me, ‘There is the film you write, the film you make, and the film you edit,’ and I found that advice very freeing because I was able to relinquish my control and go with the flow, be open to change, trust it was an evolving process, and know the final product would be richer for it if I remained open.

You are the Writer, Director and Producer for this film. How was that experience different from just acting, and is it something you’re likely to do again?

Writing and directing I love and will continue to do. There is something very fulfilling about taking something that’s come purely from your imagination and birthing it into a living, breathing thing that exists in the outside world. It’s really quite incredible.

As a director, carrying a far greater level of responsibility than what I am used to as an actor was really exciting and challenging, so that was a good discovery. I co-produced this film, and my production involvement was primarily creative and financial more than the actual ‘hands-on’ producing of it—though in short filmmaking there’s inevitably some crossover.

And what one thing do you hope that viewers take out of the experience of watching this film?

That everyone is loved for who they are.

Belinda Bromilow’s directorial debut, Glove, is showing at Flickerfest’s Best of Australian Shorts at Luna Outdoor Cinema on Thursday, February 20. Tickets are on sale now from flickerfest.com.au