TOUCH is Australia’s first ever pictureless feature-length film using only the power of sound. The film by Mastercard, in partnership with Westpac, allows the visually impaired and those with sight to appreciate it equally. The film will premiere at a special event at Westpac OpenAir on February 13 2024. Tickets will go on sale at 4pm on Tuesday January 9 2024, with all proceeds going to Blind Citizens Australia. Mastercard and Westpac OpenAir worked together to create an inclusive event experience, including a collaboration with Humanitix to deliver an accessible box office experience. .
TOUCH, directed by award-winning director, Tony Krawitz [Into the Night, Jewboy, The Tall Man], follows a young man, Ben, who gets trapped in the consciousness of his father, Frank, after an experiment goes wrong. To escape, Ben must go on an epic adventure through his dad’s memory, learning more about a man he thought he knew.
It features globally recognised talent including sound editor, Wayne Pashley [Elvis, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Lego Movie]; and composer, Jonathan Dreyfus [A Night of Horror, Fat Legs].
Tony Krawitz commented, “What would it be like to be in a cinema with hundreds of people and only focusing on sound? A movie without pictures? TOUCH is a one-of-a-kind story that explores a man’s mind, his memories, his tics – all without images. The film has been designed for people to enjoy, and to enable people to experience what it’s like not to have your vision to orient you. To make the audience use their ears as if they’re detectives, gripped by what’s going to happen next.”
Leading inclusive filmmaking organisation, Bus Stop Films, was support throughout the film’s production, holding a series of focus groups, that included people who are blind and low vision, to inform and direct the outcome of the film. During the film’s production Bus Stop also supported blind and low vision crew members in roles such as project consultants and director’s attachments, ensuring all roles were steered by the crew member’s passion and skills.
Benjamin Phillips, Krawitz’ attachment, actor from Offspring and aspiring film director, stated, “For those like myself who are blind, our appreciation of film often relies heavily upon the audio experience, so when a film’s sound evokes emotion, it can paint a colourful picture in our imagination. Working on TOUCH has allowed me to collaborate creatively on such an inclusive film, unlock opportunities in production, and showcase to Australia how content can be experienced, without the limitations of ability or disability.”
Deb Deshayes, CEO of Blind Citizens Australia, that consulted on TOUCH, commented, “It’s crucial to have entertainment that not only considers people who are blind or vision impaired, but also involves them in the whole development process. To have a film like TOUCH is an important step towards building a more inclusive future that will allow 500,000+ Australians to enjoy content like everyone else. For people who are blind or vision impaired, movies like this and the use of audio description make a huge difference to how we engage with media and socialise with our peers.”
Earlier this year, Westpac became the first Australian issuer to roll out accessible cards with the Mastercard Touch Card feature, a design system of simple yet distinct tactile notches to help people who are blind or low-sighted identify and differentiate their credit, debit and prepaid cards with just a touch.
Julie Nestor, executive vice president, marketing and communications, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, noted, “Mastercard believes innovation should always be driven by the impulse to include. By leveraging the power of sound, Mastercard is aiming to create an immersive experience transcending visual boundaries and redefining storytelling in cinema.”
Majella Knobel, Westpac head of access & inclusion, added, “In addition to the film itself, an important part of this project was making sure the needs of many individuals were considered as part of the end-to-end cinema experience – from accessible amenities to accommodating guide dogs. This is such an important and influential topic, and it’s been wonderful collaborating with Mastercard and OpenAir to ensure a broad diversity of needs have been considered as a common thread throughout the entire conversation.”
Credits:
Director: Tony Krawtiz
Director’s Attachment: Benjamin Phillips
Cast:
Ben: Alexander England Naomi: Maeve Dermody
Mo: Adam Briggs
Frank: David Field Young Frank: Kyzen Petelo
Sarah: Hannah Waterman
Murray: John Waters
Casting: Stevie Ray CGA
Casting Assistant: Michelle Ny
Inclusion Partner: Bus Stop Films
Supervising Sound Editor: Wayne Pashley
Re-recording Mixer: Dave Robertson
Executive Producer: Bonnie Law
Sound Department Attachment: Eliza Jayne
Music: Stare Crazy
Composed & performed by Amy Andersen, Reggie Beer, Judith Brandenburg, Jonathan Dreyfus, Meggy Freidhof, Stefan Janik, Daniel Müller
