The Long Passeggiata - Film

Hi, I'm Josie Montano, an award-winning writer of both fiction, non-fiction and short film works that lovingly embrace my Italian cultural heritage. Together with Julian Curtis, a NIDA graduate known for his television roles on 'Are You Afraid of the Dark', 'Spooked' and 'Dance Academy', we are raising funds to produce a POC.

Our film is a period drama about surrogate Italian brides-to-be who venture to Australia in 1968 to marry men they've never known - what unfolds is a personal passage of duty and resilience, as they struggle to find la dolce vita.

Our story is an epic portrait of the important cultural contribution Italian migrants have had on Australia, and in this case, is told through the lens of the ‘proxy brides’. This film explores the struggles and hardships of those tough foundational years through a story that incorporates multiple languages and nationalities and moves with a wonderful balance of humour and drama. The project is ambitious visual storytelling that gives a voice to a forgotten generation of Australian migrants. The story was told to Julian, by a past Qantas flight attendant who experienced the foundation of our story firsthand as a young hostess in the late 60s.

Donations will be used to fund every aspect of production including marketing and distribution. All donations will receive a special credit in the movie. We encourage our donors to remain connected to the project via social media and extend an invitation to be VIP guests at the first cast and crew screening in 2024. If donors wish to be more involved and participate in any aspect of the production, we welcome that and would be happy to talk through ways for them to get more involved.