As a writer and director, I have worked on a variety of topics and productions from documentary to horror. The joy is always teasing out the story to its fullest potential. This regardless of how big or small the production or budget is. Below are some of my completed productions, including my award-winning documentary ‘A Day in the Life of Felix’ and one I will always feel pleased to have directed.
FOTOAUTOMAT MAN
Mockumentary/Comedy Feature – Completed 2020 – 80 minutes
Director: O’Neil Sharma
Writers: O’Neil Sharma and Anthony Straeger
TAGLINE: No Gods, No Masters… I am an Anarchist!
LOGLINE: The picture you see doesn’t always reveal the truth.
SYNOPSIS: A documentary film crew decide to make a film about one of Berlin’s most interesting characters, Marco, a man who has spent several years living in its 19 Fotoautomaten (photobooths). His reason? He is on a protest mission against an increasingly capitalistic society. However, the story unravels as the crew discovers that this character has a dark side. When a mystery surrounds the disappearance of a drug dealer and then, their cameraman, suspicious falls upon the Fotoautomat Man. But, with no evidence or proof – There is no case. The director is desperate to keep his production moving forward, but filming is problematic when he can’t find your cameraman!
I CAME FROM THE FUTURE
Sci-fi/drama – 4 minutes – Completed 2018
Director: Dave Lojek
Writer: Anthony Straeger
SYNOPSIS: A man reads his suicide note only to find more questions than answers. This was based on an actual suicide note and questions each time/space temporal paradox.
The film was shot in Poland 2018 and has been translated from English to Polish / German / Russian / French / Italian / Spanish / Hebrew. It has won many festival awards and featured in 100 festivals. Including:
Genre Celebration Festival (2018) – Festival Winner
Landesfilmfestival Berlin-Brandenburg (2018) – Winner Best Cinematography
OutlantaCon Short Film Festival (2018) – Winner Best Score & Cinematography
View on VIMEO
SNITCH
Comedy – 5 minutes – Completed 2018
Director: Dave Lojek
Writer: Anthony Straeger
SYNOPSIS: Sierra is a spy who loves cheesecake. Whatever the day or job in hand, she has a flavour to suit her mood, and today her mood is not good. Her informant Austin has arrived, and she wants answers. Will he give them freely or will she have to punish him to get what she wants?
The script was written in English, but translated and shot in French. Nominated and screened at:
Semana de cine de Autor de Lugo (Spain) – 2018
Festival Internacional de cine de Cuenca (Spain) – 2018
Arlesheimer Kurzfilmtage (Switzerland) – 2019
Gütersloher Kurzfilmfestival (Germany) – 2019
MOHA Short Film Night Budapest (Hungary) 2019
Viewing on VIMEO
THE LAST SUPPER
A Tragic Comedy – 5 minutes – Completed 2018
Director: Dave Lojek
Writer: Anthony Straeger
SYNOPSIS: Alex and Tina have a serious problem… A woman lies dead on the living room floor. When they discover that it’s Jack-knife Jimmy’s wife and that Alex has been having an affair with her on the side… The possibility of three dead women becomes a reality.
The script was written in English, but translated and shot in Russian. Nominated and screened at:
Canaltown Short Spooky Movie Festival (2018) – USA
Bardak Film Fest (2018) – Ukraine
Santo Domingo OutFest (2018) – Dominican Republic
Serile Filmului Gay International Film Festival (2019) – Rumania
Independent Days (2019) – Germany
Viewing on VIMEO
THE CULLING POLICY
GENRE: A political Drama – 20 minutes
Completed: 2016
Producer: Martin Shenton
Written & Directed: Anthony Straeger
SYNOPSIS: The government has a Culling Policy something that was passed behind the backs of the nation & has more sinister consequences than it pretends to have. Tom Moordenar is an Ex-army marksman turned Culling Management Consultant. He has a contract to terminate wildlife. The problem is whether the killing of wildlife can be deemed humane. This is based on the truth.
KATZ und MAUS (Cat and Mouse)
Animation: English/German Length: 3 minutes
Completed: 2015
Producer & Directed: Anthony Straeger
Writer: Wilhelm Busch
German Narration: Daniel Schroeder
SYNOPSIS: Katz und Maus (Cat and Mouse) is one of Wilhelm Busch’s lesser known Bilderposse (Picture Farce) about a cat in pursuit of a mouse. This was a test to see how using the original zincographic plates would work in terms of telling the story. He was a German humorist, poet, illustrator and painter. He published comic illustrated cautionary tales from 1859, achieving his most notable works in the 1870s. Busch was influential in both poetry and illustration, and is often deemed the Godfather of the modern comic.
POSTICHE
Psychological Drama
Length: 6 minutes – Completed 2013
Written & Directed: Anthony Straeger
SYNOPSIS: POSTICHE tells the story of JIM (Daniel Schroeder) who feels his relationship has quite literally come to a dead-end. What he hasn’t expected is that KERRY (Natalie MacMahon) feels exactly the same. They have lived a sham marriage for longer than they care to acknowledge. And so, the time has come for them to play out their Endgame.
THE BET
Psychological Drama
Length 8 minutes
Completed 2011
Written & Directed: Anthony Straeger
SYNOPSIS: The Bet is a game of life and death. Porter is a man who has spent his life searching for the ultimate thrill. This time he found a game where the stakes were higher than he could ever imagine. Being hunted down was not something he had quite bargained for. Having bitten off more than he could possibly chew, Porter is on the run, and this time for his life. The Bet is a game of life and death. Will he avoid paying the ferryman!
CALL OF THE HUNTER
Horror – 83 minutes
Completed – October 2009
Directed by Anthony Straeger
Produced by John Slocombe
Written by Stephen Gawtry
DOP – Dennis Morgan
SYNOPSIS: It was the summer of 1968, when three teenagers went on a camping trip into Herongate Woods . What started as a fun trip ended in a nightmare as one of the boys met with a tragic death. The other two escaped but could only relay a tail of a hooded and horned man who terrorized them. Forty years later, Caroline (one of the survivors) meets with a mysterious and tragic death. Ralph, now the only survivor, returns to the scene of the original incident with a documentary crew. As he relives the unfortunate episode. The past catches up with him as the hooded man returns, and the spirit of the forest awakes with chilling consequences.
Filming took place over 11 days in Ivybridge, Devon, UK. The total production cost was £15,000, just short of $20,000.
PRESS
Buried.com on-line magazine review – 05/11/2010
Don McCorkindale’s interview with Matt J. Horn – 10/11/2011
Anthony Straeger interview with Matt J.Horn – 03/10/2011
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF FELIX
TV Documentary – 58 minutes
Completed – 2009
Produced by Invest
Based on the book by Fragile by Niki Shisler
Produced & Directed by Anthony Straeger
OUTLINE: Felix has the severest form of muscular dystrophy (Nemaline Myopathy). He’s on a ventilator 24/7 & has a whole set of issues arising from his disability. This film highlights the families difficulties living and dealing with his circumstance and his development through daily and school life. This film is a snapshot of Felix’s life and based on the book by Niki Shisler – FRAGILE.
She describes herself as a child of the flower children. Born in the early 60s to a single, hippie mother, she grew up with only her mother, who moves with her to swinging London where the rule book on everything from work to love to parenting was being rewritten in a flurry of optimism. Niki met her husband, Danny, who is from an orthodox Jewish background, at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. She has three children, Joey (from her first marriage), Evie, and FELIX, aged 5 at the time of writing and is severely disabled. His twin Theo died shortly after birth. She has written many articles on the subject over the years and supported provided support for parents of special needs children.
