Shrimp
Ava has been friends with the other girls in her group since primary school, but suspects that they are heading in different directions – not least because she’s being called a ‘shrimp’, a disparaging term for a girl with a hot body and ugly face. To complicate matters, one of her friends, Chloe, is secretly in love with her, but having difficulties accepting it.
Soon, Ava meets a boy, Jack. They bond over being outsiders in their respective friendship groups, but his way of conforming is by vaping and partying too hard. Ultimately, Ava comes to the realisation that she might be better off without him – and without the girls, too.
A stylised but natural, dreamy and raw Australian coming-of-age rom-com set in an all-girls private school, Shrimp explores themes of identity crisis, people-pleasing, female empowerment and underlying queer love within the life-or-death intensity of high school.
Unclassified 18+
Warning: Contains depictions of drug use, coarse language and mature themes
Course: BFA FTV Narrative
Director Biography
Rena Li is a filmmaker based in Melbourne. She is interested in creating quirky female-orientated stories and heartfelt complex relationships. She utilises her Gen-z and Asian Australian upbringing to create bold unfiltered stories. Rena is an extroverted character who enjoys the leadership of directing along with the collaboration and connection of sets.