Jessica Orcsik

Hi, we’re Cooper and Ciara. As members of the AAFTA Young Actors Ensemble, we’re passionate about storytelling that gives young people the opportunity to explore meaningful ideas, take creative risks, and tell stories that reflect the world around us. That passion led us to co-create Counterpoint, a coming-of-age short film about identity, friendship, music, and the pressure young people feel to have their entire futures figured out. Our film follows Chloe and Milo, two teenagers who appear to come from completely different worlds. Chloe is confident, popular, and expected to follow the path her family has planned for her. Milo is known as the smart kid—quiet, observant, and often overlooked. Although neither truly knows the other, one unexpected conversation reveals that they are both struggling with the same question: Who gets to decide who you are? For Chloe, music becomes the first place where she can admit what she truly wants. After an argument with her mother leaves her feeling unheard and disconnected from her own future, Milo becomes the first person to listen without judging her or trying to change her. Although they would never normally move in the same social circles, music creates an opportunity for them to connect honestly. Through that connection, Chloe begins to understand that she does not need permission from a school, her family, or anyone else to call herself a singer. She can sing now. Milo, meanwhile, is given the chance to be seen as more than his grades, intelligence, or academic future. We wanted to tell this story because music is a universal language. It allows people from different backgrounds and experiences to connect, even when they believe they have nothing in common. At its heart, Counterpoint is about how similar we all are beneath the labels placed upon us. We are all navigating uncertainty. We are all carrying expectations. We are all trying to understand what the future might hold while taking life one wave at a time. For many young adults, the pressure to choose the right school, career, identity, and future can feel overwhelming. Counterpoint reflects that struggle while offering a hopeful reminder: we are more than one thing, our futures do not have to follow a single predetermined path, and sometimes the person we least expect may be the one who understands us most. We are incredibly proud of this short film and the message behind it. Now, we need your help to make it happen. Thanks to Diversity Pictures, AAFTA and Ryde Entertainment, we have an incredible crew... but we still need support with Equipment Crafty Location Music Post-production Festival submissions Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to production. Sharing the campaign with friends, family, and fellow supporters of young artists also makes an enormous difference. By supporting Counterpoint, you are not only helping us make a film, your supporting our ensemble. You are supporting emerging young storytellers, independent filmmaking, and a story that encourages people to look beyond appearances and truly see one another. We have included our full film deck below. Film Deck Thank you for believing in us, in young artists, and in the power of storytelling. We cannot wait to share Counterpoint with you. Cooper and Ciara The Counterpoint Team

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: Final payments for crew Set & Production design (including Harper & Zach’s boho-meets-wellness “meditation room” aesthetic) and the games night chaos Post-production: Sound design & mixing (crucial for comedy timing) and Colour grading to match our warm, neon-infused tone 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