Giant Pictures will present the US festival premiere of Mockbuster on February 5 as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, with director Anthony Frith and members of the cast in attendance.
The Australian documentary follows Frith as he steps into the fast-moving production world of The Asylum, the B-movie studio widely known for its high-output genre releases, including the Sharknado franchise. After years away from narrative features, Frith pitches himself to the studio and is unexpectedly hired to direct The Land That Time Forgot, a dinosaur adventure shot in suburban Adelaide over six days.
While directing the feature, Frith also documents the process, turning the camera on the realities of low-budget genre filmmaking. Mockbuster captures the pressure of compressed schedules, studio expectations, and on-the-ground improvisation, while also examining why this style of production continues to thrive. The film includes behind-the-scenes access to producers Brendan Petrizzo and Asylum founders David Rimawi, David Latt, and Paul Bales.
Co-written by Frith and Sandy Cameron, and produced by David Elliot-Jones, Cameron, and Naomi Ball, Mockbuster is supported by Screen Australia with additional backing from state and regional film organizations. The film is produced by Mostly True Media and Walking Fish Productions, with Giant Pictures involved as a production partner. Its Santa Barbara screening marks the documentary’s first US festival appearance.
