Directed by Steven J. Mihaljevich and written by Carl Maiorana and Steven J. Mihaljevich, The Xrossing is a 2020 Australian feature film due to be released later this year. The locally shot film revolves around the fictional murder mystery of a young girl in Swan View, Western Australia – and delves into the resulting cycle of revenge, violence and ignorance that it fuels.

After being invited to a test screening of The Xrossing at The Backlot, I sat down with writer and producer Carl Maiorana to discuss the making of the movie.

First of all, The Xrossing is incredibly captivating from the very start due to its local setting. Did you always know that the film would be shot in Western Australia?

We had a micro-budget to work with, so we thought the best way to enhance perceived production value was to exploit our knowledge of amazing West Australian locations and talent. It helped with the cost of accommodating cast and crew as well.

What was the initial inspiration for writing The Xrossing? 

Steve, the Director, lives in Swan View. He would tell me about some of the characters in his neighbourhood. He came up with the premise of the three young boys harassing a reclusive Indigenous man and a basic outline. From there I designed the plot layers and built out the characters and story.

From the redemption of Chris to the antagonisation of Phoenix, all of the characters have been constructed to be as organic as possible. Were any of them based on real-life individuals or true stories?

I guess you could say the characters and themes are a blend of people and events that both Steve and I have seen and experienced in our own lives. The challenge was to add fiction without straying too far from the authentic inspiration. Test screening audiences, including locals from Swan View, think it is based on true events. That is a credit to the passion from the cast and crew believing wholeheartedly in the story and bringing it to life. 

Was it a natural choice for Steven to be cast as Phoenix in the film?

It was the hardest role to play. I like to describe Phoenix as an anti-villain. He does some despicable and unforgivable things but his motives are not necessarily evil. We couldn’t find anyone who was up to the challenge so Steve had to step up. I think he did an amazing job. Especially while balancing his directing commitments. There were moments when I could see a young bogan version of Marlon Brando in his performance. 

The film’s cast predominantly features young actors and actresses who had yet to star in feature films before The Xrossing. Can you give us an insight into your casting process?

Steve was a high school drama teacher. He has a great radar for being able to spot talent, especially in young adult actors. We still had to crawl through hundreds of audition tapes to get to the shortlist. Then there were vigorous debates about the final selections. With my producer’s hat on, I only wanted to use local actors. We did that except for Jacob O’Neil (Shane) and Georgia Eyers (Abbey) who both gave an audition from interstate too good to refuse. I think in the end we got all the castings right. They all gave great performances. I can’t imagine any of the characters being played by anyone else now.

Whether it’s the musical score or your carefully curated cast… How important would you say it is to give local talent a chance to shine?

We wanted this to be an authentic West Australian story using West Australian talent. Apart from the two actors mentioned above and James Leadbitter, who worked on the musical score, every single other person involved was local. There is so much talent here but the opportunities are limited. Steve and I have talked about making a movie together for 18 years. It took us that long to be in a position before we could do it ourselves. I hope The Xrossing can be a springboard for the whole cast and crew to go on to other bigger better projects and really put WA talent on the map.

Which storytellings choices, in particular, do you feel captured the film best? For example, any specific musical or visual elements.

I am proud of every element in the film, especially considering the limited resources we had. If I had to pick one element I would say the music resonates the deepest with me. I have watched the film dozens of times and there are still moments when the music gives me goosebumps. The story, performances, cinematography and sound all need to be in sync at a high level though for this to have the greatest impact. 

Were there any significant changes in direction throughout the process of making this film? Perhaps any deviations from the original script?

The most significant that comes to mind is the song that Bobby performs to Chris and Georgia. It was originally something completely different that Dr Noel Nannup had written for us in Noongar language. Kelton and Steve were just not feeling it was working so Steve and another local musician Rupert John came up with the final song used within the next 48 hours. It was really magical. Everyone had emotional tears on set that day.

The plot of the film takes a thrilling turn with its unprecedented collision of multiple story arcs. Were there any compromises made when deciding how layered the plot should be?

Some of the feedback from test screenings was to focus on the Chris and Bobby story arch. I agree that is the heart of the film. However, there were realities with shoot schedules and resources that made that unfeasible. Probably more to the point, Steve and I didn’t want to create another one-dimensional race drama or coming of age film. We wanted to combine all of our favourite genres and elements of movies we loved growing up. An ensemble, layered story that blends multiple genres. In the end, I feel we stayed true to that original vision.

Were there any other challenges throughout the movie-making process, and if so, how were they overcome?

Almost too many to think about without inducing PTSD. It was probably way too ambitious of a first feature film given the resources we had available. It has taken us 2 and half years to get it to the final cut stage and we still don’t know when we can get it in front of audiences given the COVID-19 lockdown laws.  

So many things went wrong that the crew started to joke and call every new challenge “The Curse of The Xrossing,” But in the end, it is a credit to the whole team’s determination to keep pushing through to completion. I think the making of The Xrossing would be just as interesting as the actual film. I’m considering writing a microbudget memoir a la Robert Rodriguez “Rebel without a Crew”. 

On a conclusive note, would you be able to expand on the main message that the film seeks to convey?

There are several messages, but the one that most people gravitate to is the importance of human connection. The power and joy of really taking the time to understand each other. But on the flip side to that, the danger to ourselves and to others when we misjudge and mistreat each other.

In consideration of the current crisis, when are you intending the premiere screening of The Xrossing to be?

We are hoping towards the end of this year. 

Keep up to date with news on The Xrossing here!