Hattie Dalton’s Latest Short Film, ‘Summer’s Day’ To Air On ABC and iview For International Day Of The Girl.

ABC and Screen Australia have announced the five films that will premiere on October 11 as part of their joint funding initiative, ABC ME’s ‘Girls’ season. Timed to coincide with the UN’s International Day of the Girl, the films are all helmed by female creatives and depict what it is like to be a young girl growing up in Australia.   

One of the two dramas selected is Hattie Dalton’s latest short film, Summer’s Day. Shot against the backdrop of the picturesque Byron Shire with an almost entirely local crew, the film follows Summer as she navigates the transition into womanhood, when she gets her period for the first time. Without the guidance of a mother to aid her, she instead charts her way through this pivotal moment with the help of her best friend Mackenzie.

For writer and director Hattie, her goal was “to create a coming-of-age story that would be thought-provoking, true to the experiences of 12-year-old girls, and funny.” As a mother and an aunt, she had become acutely aware of the fact that young, pre-teen girls are inadequately – and often inaccurately –  represented in all forms of media, especially film and TV. Summer’s Day is Hattie’s answer to this lack, “importantly, I [want] the film to create a dialogue between girls, and between girls and their carers, about the themes I cover in my film: issues with body image, what it is to get your period for the first time, especially without a mother-figure to support you. I wanted to show that it’s the connection with friends that can ultimately get us through even the biggest of life’s challenges.”

Summer’s Day will premiere on ABC Me at 6:15pm Wednesday, October 11 2017, with an encore screening at 7:00pm Sunday, October 15 2017 and can be viewed anytime from the 11th of October on iview.