Luna and the Brain Tuna

short film

Co-Production Designer

Roles:

Production Company:

Cosmic Scream

Where to watch:

Currently in festivals

Year:

2024

Genre:

Comedy, Drama, Magic Realism

Run Time:

11 minutes, 29 seconds

Luna and the Brain Tuna puts the audience inside a sticky moment - how do you tell your child that you might be dying?

Especially when your kid is a dreamer, prone to wild leaps of imagination. This whimsical and heart-warming short film follows Luna Larson, an 8-year-old who uses her boundless imagination to make sense of her father’s recent brain tumour diagnosis.

As single Dad Leo struggles with the tough conversation, Luna retreats into her mind and they are both transported on a journey of discovery and wonder. Through Luna’s eyes, we see a small orchestra performing inside her father’s chest, led by Tim the Timpani Player, who struggles to keep up with the rest of the band. They contemplate the cave in Leo’s skull, where a mysterious shape called the “Brain Tuna” swims in the dark. They meet the greatest fisherwoman in the world - Leo’s surgeon.

In navigating these imaginative worlds, Leo must work with Luna’s unique logic to make his daughter understand the gravity of the situation. Or at least find some strength to face his illness.

With a colourful handcrafted aesthetic and a heartfelt message, Luna and the Brain Tuna is a short that both children and adults will cherish. It celebrates the beauty and complexity of life, inviting us to embrace the unknown and find joy in the journey.

Film Excerpt

Festivals & Awards

Official Selection, South by SouthWest (SXSW) Sydney, World Premiere, Australian Premiere, 2024.

Official Selection, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide, South Australian Premiere, 2024.

Official Selection, Shortsfest Aspen Film, Colorado, United States Premiere, 2025.

Official Selection, Aesthetica Short Film Festival, York, United Kingdom Premiere, 2025.

Official Selection, Down Under Film Festival, Berlin & Copenhagen, Germany & Denmark Premieres, 2025.

Official Selection, Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival, Taipei, Taiwan Premiere, 2026.

Festivals:

Winner, Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival, Best Dramatic Short Award, 2026.

Festival Awards:

Nominee, Australian Production Design Guild (APDG), ‘Production Design for a Short Film Award’, 2024.

Awards Contender, Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, 2025.

Other:

Film Stills

The Team

A film by Aaron Lucas

A Cosmic Scream Production

Luna and the Brain Tuna is supported by Screen NSW

Co-Writer/Director Aaron Lucas

Co-Writer Mark Rogers

Producers Hugo Koehne, Henry Koehne, Jayden Rathsam Hua

Executive Producers Hugo Koehne, Henry Koehne, Richard Harris, Timothy White

Starring Ewen Leslie, Harriet Gibara, Heather Mitchell, Leah Purcell and Toby Blome. With Emma Harvie, Charli Lucas, Mason Phoumirath, Joshua Morel, Terry Lockley, Robert Tielenburg, Trevor Jones, David Anderson, Ade Akisanya and Alexander Gold

Director Of Photography Lucca Barone-Peters
1st Assistant Director Michael “Mick” Gosden
Costume Designer Gen Graham
Production Designers Aracourt Studio - Ara Nuri Steel, Courtney Westbrook
Puppet Design Indi Redding
Hair and Make Up Designer Helen Tuck
Sound Recordist Dylan Mitchell Frost
Casting Director Lucy McLaughlin
Editor Grace O’Connell
Colourist Ben Packer
VFX Jimmy Buckle
Storyboard Artist Dan O’Donnell-Smith
Original Music James Mountain
Sound Design and Mix Tarek Soltani
Trumpet Kit Dellow-Jones
Trombone Ben Herlihy
Strings Jayden Rathsam Hua
1st Assistant Camera Trudi Gultom
2nd Assistant Camera Irisha Adnyana
2nd Assistant Camera Hiruni Dharmasena
Gaffer Deniz Celik, Mirco Guidon, Kaan Cansiz
Best Person Kaan Cansiz, Nova Nguyen
DMX Tech Nate Haslem
Lighting Assistants Markus Sternecker, Nick Severino, Yuki Hikage
Key Grip Damian Heckendorf
Grip Assistant Gianni Barone-Peters
Steady Cam-Op Aaron Bull
Head Rigger Malcolm Hill
Rigger Martin Falwasser
2nd Assistant Director Keelan Betts
Script Supervisor Eloise Walker
Acting Coach Chelsea Zeller
Production Runners Mikaela Cherote, Joel Gosden
Costume Standby Siobhan McMullen
Hair and Make Up Assistants Abbey Hardwick, Elvi Aaltonen
BTS Photographer Ravyna Jassani
Art Assistants Rhory Mackellar, Zoe Fraser, Ravyna Jassani, Spark Sanders Robinson, Dani Turnbull, Wendy Marriott, Jane Chen, Daniel Mackenzie, Jacqueline Chapman, Miki Weingarten, Samuel Herriman, Joyce Tang, Elena Hale, Nicole Ng, Saxon Blackett, Emma Jason, Sheree Tam, Kate Wilson, Veronica Silver, Emma Jonas Moralee
Background Actors In French Restaurant Sally-Ann Lucas, Sal Hay, Mark Rogers, Jayden Rathsam Hua, Steven Coursey, Mason Phoumirath, Joseph R Tanti, Alex Herlihy, Kirsten Felice, Ann Earle, Carolyn Neumann, Robert Tielenburg, Trevor Jones
Location Scout Big House Locations
Location 1 (Disney Studios) Morgan Hunwicks
Location 2 (Beverley Park) Robert Hallett
Camera Equipment (Panavision) Sue Garnsey
LX Equipment (Renegade LX) Scott Leeson
Access Equipment (Botany Access) Juliet Peters
Radio (Motorola Solutions) John Wakefield
Catering (Feedwell)
Screen NSW Investment Managers Amelia Rowe, Lauren Edwards, Charlie Falkner
Special Thanks Timothy White, Ewen Leslie, Sophie Beaumont, Kate Stathis, Jennifer Blau, Sally-Ann Lucas, Martha Lucas, Jessica Mitchell, The Editors
Sponsors Haymes Paints, Reverse Garbage, Panavision, Safcol, Disney Studios, FlickSwitch, Renegade, Feedwell, Botany Access
Screen NSW Presents A short to feature fast track film financed with the assistance of Screen NSW

"Courtney has a phenomenal work ethic and I always felt she was two steps ahead. She ran a small team of art department creatives and I always felt like everything was completely under control throughout the entire process. She really went above and beyond for our film, and I was really happy with the final result, which was both on brief and better than I could have imagined. Not to mention, she’s just a lovely energy to have on set. I would work with Courtney again in a heartbeat."

—Aaron Lucas, Director, Luna and the Brain Tuna

Poster

Key Art Eloise Walker

Behind The Scenes

Photo Credit Ravyna Jassani

Photo Credit Courtney Westbrook

Photo Credit Ravyna Jassani