One first job. What could go wrong?
THE HITMAN’S COOKBOOK is a feature film screenplay by Ben Phelps and Gabriel Dowrick. The screenplay was a semi-finalist in the prestigious screenwriting competition at Austin Film Festival and a finalist in the acclaimed international competition, Script Pipeline.
TEASER
Check out the 2-minute teaser. Freshly baked! If you like this sizzle reel, you’ll love the film we want to make.
SYNOPSIS IN A NIBBLE
A talented baker becomes an unlikely hitman when she’s blackmailed into murdering her idol, a celebrity TV chef. But unexpected ingredients – the FBI, the Triad, a young lover and a jealous madman – complicate her recipe for success.
SYNOPSIS IN A BIG BITE
Sugar is a talented baker from New York who’s blackmailed into murdering a gangster’s ex-wife. Sugar doesn’t have the nerve to be a hitman but if she doesn’t pull the trigger, the gangster will kill her. Making matters worse, when Sugar arrives in Sydney she discovers that her target is her idol, a celebrity TV chef. Her recipe for success is further complicated when an FBI agent arrives in Australia to stop the hit. Sugar must now overcome a determined FBI agent, her reluctance to kill her hero, her aspiration to be a successful baker, the distraction of a new romance, a jealous madman, Triad mobsters and a fresh threat against her mother’s life. THE HITMAN’S COOKBOOK is a feature film about a young woman who learns the hard way that you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
GENRE
THE HITMAN’S COOKBOOK will be a crime genre feature film that depicts the secret life of a hitman with a pinch of neo-noir, in the tradition of LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, IN BRUGES and FARGO. However, the hitmen in all of these films are seasoned criminals. And they’re usually men. THE HITMAN’S COOKBOOK flips these conventions: ‘What if an inexperienced female hitman is forced to undertake her first assassination but nothing goes to plan?’
PROJECT OVERVIEW
THE HITMAN’S COOKBOOK is a collaboration between the award-winning team of Ben Phelps and Gabriel Dowrick. Between them, they have won over 50 major awards and numerous accolades for their films, TV series, commercials and branded content. Their work has screened internationally in cinemas, on TV, online and in over 150 prestigious film festivals from Berlin to Brisbane, Montreal to Melbourne, Seattle to Sydney, Tampere to Tropfest.
PROJECT DETAILS
Writers Gabriel Dowrick & Ben Phelps
Director Ben Phelps
Duration 100 minutes
Genre Crime
Setting Contemporary Urban
Shoot Sydney, Australia
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Ben Phelps – Writer / Director
I’m an award-winning Writer and Director from Sydney, Australia. My passion for movies was ignited when I worked at an arthouse cinema while studying filmmaking and law at university. I’ve worked in the media industry for more than 10 years, writing screenplays, directing short films and producing branded online content.
Specialising in the Drama/Thriller genre, my films are underpinned by contemporary cultural themes that reflect my immediate environment. Anticipating the community tension that led to the infamous Cronulla riots in Sydney, my film CHECKPOINT (funded by Screen NSW) depicted an emotional encounter between a Lebanese-Australian family and a group of hostile soldiers. I continued to explore Australian race relations with NICE SHOOTIN’ COWBOY (funded by Screen Australia), a portrayal about the complexity of racial identity from the perspective of an Aboriginal teenage father.
My films have resonated with global audiences, garnering more than 20 awards and been selected for Official Competition in 100 international festivals, including 40 Academy Awards accredited festivals. Highlights include major prizes in Australia, USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain and Russia. CHECKPOINT won the Jury Prize at Montreal Film Festival and a Dendy Award at Sydney Film Festival. NICE SHOOTIN’ COWBOY became one of only 80 films eligible for the Oscars after winning Best Short Film at Austin Film Festival. Check out the full list of Awards and Festivals. Both films were picked up for international distribution by Flickerfest and Arenafilm for broadcast in 6 countries, including SBS TV in Australia. I’m also an alumnus of the competitive creative lab, Accelerator, at Melbourne International Film Festival.
Gabriel Dowrick – Writer
Gabriel Dowrick has been fortunate to work successfully as both a Writer and Editor in Sydney, Australia. His produced feature writing credits include SKIN TRADE, a multi-lingual Canadian/Thai co-production starring Tony Jaa, Michael Jai White, Celina Jade and Ron Perlman and TERMINUS, an independent Australian Science-Fiction/Drama. As an editor he’s cut more than 100 episodes of Australian network television (including SOUL MATES, BLACK COMEDY, NO ACTIVITY and THE FAMILY LAW for ABC), numerous acclaimed short films that have played at the world’s most prestigious film festivals, and hundreds of commercials and music videos. His editing work can be seen at: www.gabrieldowrick.com