Western Australian post-production house and Ausfilm member, Sandbox, is currently placing the final touches on WA feature film How to Please A Woman, ahead of its world premiere at Perth Festival on 27 December and Australia-wide cinema release in 2022.

The cheeky and charming comedy-drama is the feature film debut from WA Writer/Director Renée Webster (The Heights, ITCH), and is set to be an intimate and entertaining insight into sexuality, female desire and ageing.

English actress, television presenter and comedian Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Veep) plays 50-something Gina who has an inspired business idea to launch an all-male house-cleaning service. However, when her business grows out of control, Gina must acknowledge her own appetite if she is to make a new life for herself.

The Sandbox team, led by Senior Post-Producer Louise Bertoncini, has been working closely with Webster and Producers Tania Chambers of Feisty Dame Productions and Judi Levine of Such Much Films on the colour grade, visual effects and delivery of the film.

Whilst post-pandemic travel within Australia is opening up, WA’s border is currently closed until the state’s vaccinations reach 90%. With colourist Kent Pritchett and Director of Photography Ben Nott both based on the Gold Coast, Bertoncini expertly facilitated a remote colour grade between Pritchett, Nott and Perth-based Webster.

“Reworking our post pathway to allow for a remote grade showed that distance is no barrier to completing post and visual effects between states and even countries.”

Louise Bertoncini, Senior Post-Producer.

“We have been delighted to partner with the talented team at Sandbox as our post-production visual effects and finishing facility on How To Please A Woman. Sandbox has shown commitment and professionalism throughout the process, making sure that we achieve the very best quality film, and their team have gone above and beyond to meet all our deadlines. We couldn’t be happier and look forward to working with them on future projects.”

Producers Tania Chambers and Judi Levine on working with Snadbox

Sandbox is one of Western Australia’s leading post-production houses, having provided post services and facilities for a number of premium films and TV series including Hounds of Love, Rams, H is for Happiness, ITCH (Season 1), Below, Three Summers, Outback Car Hunters, and Hotel Coolgardie.

How to Please a Woman received major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screenwest and Lotterywest, as well as private investors. It was also supported in development through Screen Australia’s Gender Matters initiative.

Webster was the second female director to receive Screenwest’s coveted West Coast Visions $750,000 production grant, following Jub Clerc for her debut feature film Sweet As.

How to Please A Woman will screen in its hometown of Perth from 27 December 2021 to 2 Jan 2022 as part of Lotterywest Films at Perth Festival.

The film is being distributed in Australia/New Zealand by Madman Entertainment and internationally by Beta Cinema.

In addition to the federal 30% PDV offset, Screenwest offers an additional 20% PDV incentive on your post, digital and VFX spend in Western Australia, which is the highest state PDV incentive in Australia.

If you’d like to consider WA for your upcoming post, digital or VFX work, chat to Tenille Kennedy at Screenwest or Grady Habib at Sandbox.