Five FrightFest Facts with James Branson from ‘Bunny Rabbit’

In a genre landscape crowded with post-apocalyptic wastelands, Bunny Rabbit stands apart by focusing less on the collapse of society and more on the person forced to survive within its ruins. Set in a climate-ravaged future Australia, the film follows a young woman raised on old books, B-movies and self-reliance as she navigates a brutal world where food is scarce, trust is dangerous and survival comes at a terrible cost.

Making its UK Premiere at Tubi FrightFest, the feature debut from writer-director James Branson arrives with significant momentum behind it. After sold-out screenings at SXSW Sydney and the Perth Horror Film Festival, the film has quickly established itself as one of the most talked-about independent Australian genre releases of recent years. Combining the stark survivalism of Mad Max with a dreamlike psychological edge, Bunny Rabbit explores isolation, morality and the uncomfortable choices people make when pushed beyond their limits.

Before making his first feature, Branson spent over a decade directing commercials, while also developing his distinctive visual style and storytelling voice. Alongside producer Taylor Thompson and the team at Sneaky Films, he has crafted a deeply personal vision of a world left to rot, anchored by a striking debut performance from Kate Wilson. Ahead of the film’s FrightFest screening, we caught up with Branson for our latest Five FrightFest Facts.

James Branson, writer-director of Bunny Rabbit

Tell us about your film

Bunny Rabbit is a post apocalyptic horror about a young woman embracing the fact that to survive in the new world, she’s gotta be kind of evil. It’s a journey she has to go on to get to that point, and along the way she discovers the thrill of the kill.

How did you get into making movies?

Myself and my co-producer on the project, Taylor Thompson, had been making commercial content for a while. We were pretty sick of it!

I’d been inspired to write the script for the film a few years back when I did a documentary about a cult in Australia.

What films would you love to see screened at FrightFest and why?

I’d really like to see more Aussie films at FrightFest! There’s a whole bunch of interesting Australian indies getting made at the moment.

We’ve just started working with the filmmakers behind Welcome Back to My Channel, which asks the excellent question, “What would happen if an influencer was captured by cannibals?”

If you could create your own award to give at FrightFest, what would it be and why?

Best Film Under 100k.

Making low budget movies is really hard. Making good ones is next to impossible.

If your life was made into a horror film, what would it be called and who would play the starring role?

I’m writing a film at the moment that’s about my own fears of personal failure, under the guise of a horror film.

I’m thinking of asking Tom Cruise to play the lead.