An elite sprinter-turned-filmmaker is relishing the success of years of hard work with her first feature film due for release on the world’s largest streaming service.
Following its recent premiere at the Gold Coast Film Festival, The Edge will be available to stream on Netflix from June 20.
It’s been a labour of love for Sunshine Coast local Jane Larkin, who is the director, screenwriter, producer and one of the lead actors in the production.
Filmed on location around the Sunshine Coast, the movie explores the raw truths behind Australian competitive sport through the lens of three young women.
Larkin, who featured in the Aussie phenomenon Boy Swallows Universe, began working on the movie four years ago through her own production company, 3Lite Productions.
However, the seed for the movie began much earlier, with the former Australian sprinting team member working on the first draft of the screenplay at the age of 15.
“I was a young female sprinter watching sports films dominated by male protagonists and I wanted to see myself represented on screen,” she said.
“I’ve poured my heart and soul into this film, which is grounded in truth, in lived experience, and in values I believe in.
“That is what makes it a success to me and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved.”
The Edge stars powerlifter, First Nations woman and cancer survivor Lily Riley and Japanese Paralympic swimmer Mei Ichinose, plus Olympic gold medallists Sally Pearson and Leisel Jones, Tokyo Olympian Riley Day and Paralympian Braeden Jason.
Larkin said having previously trained among First Nations athletes, Paralympians and LGBTQIA+ teammates, she wanted to see these stories told.
The film also explores loss and the unseen struggles behind the spotlight such as mental health, body image, identity and sexual abuse in sport.
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Scenes for the film were shot at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Glass House Mountains.
Larkin said she was she was “thrilled” to strike an Australasian licensing deal for the independent film.
The deal will see the film broadcast to an audience of more than 7.4 million Netflix subscribers in the Australian and New Zealand regions.
“I’m incredibly excited for everyone to see the film on Netflix as it’s one of the leading streaming services in Australia and, at its heart, The Edge is an Australian story,” she said.
“It’s so thrilling to have the reach that Netflix can provide.”
Larkin has also starred in Ron Howard’s Thirteen Lives and completed UniSC degrees in arts, education and communication before gaining her Doctor of Creative Arts.
She was also a finalist in the UniSC 2023 Outstanding Alumni Awards.
The movie release is not the only exciting news for Larkin this month, as she prepares to welcome her first child on June 19.
