Hi everyone,

My name is Jessica Orcsik, I'm a filmmaker, producer, and founder of Diversity Pictures. I’m so excited to finally share a project that means the world to me and our entire creative team: PLAYERS, a bold, hilarious, deeply relatable Australian short film about relationships, misunderstandings, and the absolutely chaotic magic of a “simple” games night gone wrong.

If you know my work, you know I’m obsessed with stories that mix comedy with heart, and reflect the weird, wonderful layers of who we are. PLAYERS does exactly that. It’s a smart, awkward, ensemble comedy about a Gen-X couple who find themselves convinced their neighbours have invited them to a sex party… when really, it was just Pictionary.

(Yes, you read that correctly.)

We’re fundraising because we want to bring Australian audiences a short film that feels fresh, fun, and genuinely unhinged in the BEST way, while also using this short as a proof of concept for our feature film. PLAYERS has huge potential to grow into a full-length film especially considering the cast and crew. The world, characters, and tone are already built out in our development process. The short is our first big step forward.

CAST

Meredith — Melissa Bickerton

Keith — Matt Wolf

Janet — Kimberley Cooper

Steve — Nick Hardcastle

Harper — Shuang Hu

Zach — Artin John

Bronwyn — Tina Kobas

CREW

This project is led by deeply experienced Australian and international creatives who have worked across Cannes, Netflix, HBO Max, Outfest LA, and more.

Writer & Director: Vanessa Every-Burns

Award-winning screenwriter and director with credits across TV, film, and digital comedy, currently developing projects with major U.S. studios.

Director & Producer: Maty Young

Festival-recognised filmmaker (Cannes, Paris Cinema Awards, Outfest LA) and cinematographer on multiple SAG-AFTRA features.

Producer: Jessica Orcsik

Australian filmmaker and CEO of Diversity Pictures, with international festival credits and a strong focus on inclusive, character-driven storytelling.

Executive Producer: Melissa Bickerton

Australian actress and producer with extensive screen credits (Lost, Criminal Minds, Shameless) and award-winning projects including SXSW-selected films.

Executive Producer: Kimberley Cooper

Logie Award–winning actress and writer whose stage and screen work spans Australia, New York, and LA, bringing sharp creative instincts to story development.

Why this matters to us

Australia LOVES comedy!!

Especially comedy that reflects our awkward social habits, relationship chaos, and that “I’m fine, everything’s fine” energy we all know too well. PLAYERS taps into all of that:

• relationship farce

• social anxiety

• misread intentions

• disastrous attempts to fit in

• the universal fear that everyone else has their life more together than we do

Beyond the laughs, this film is a chance for us to elevate incredible Australian talent, create opportunities for local cast and crew, and build something that can scale to festival circuits internationally.

How your support will be used

Your contribution goes directly to the people making this film possible. Ensuring everyone is paid fairly and that we can deliver a polished, festival-ready production.

Funds will cover:

Every dollar helps us lift this story to the standard it deserves. A short that’s sharp, stylish, and hilariously uncomfortable in all the right ways.

DONOR BENEFITS

GOLD SUPPORTER $250+

• Signed cast photo

• Shoutout video from the cast on set

• Your name in the credits under “Special Thanks”

SILVER SUPPORTER $100+

• Signed cast photo

• Your name in the credits under “Special Thanks”

BRONZE SUPPORTER $25+

• Digital cast photo

• Thank-you mention on our GoFundMe updates

⭐ SPECIAL PRODUCER CREDIT

Donors contributing over $500 will receive:

• Associate Producer credit on the film

• Signed cast photo

• Shoutout from the cast on set

• Invitation to 2026 private online screening + Q&A

Why we’re asking for your help

Independent filmmaking is a labour of love, and this team has poured so much of themselves into PLAYERS already. With your help, we can finish strong, honour our cast and crew, and turn this short into the first chapter of a much bigger journey toward a full feature film.

Here is a link to our Film Deck

PLAYERS SHORT FILM DECK

If you’re able to donate, thank you.

If you’re able to share, thank you.

Either way, we can’t wait to bring you into this world.

Let’s make something unforgettable together.

With love,

Jessica Orcsik

Producer, Diversity Pictures

On behalf of the PLAYERS team