"THE ASSIGNMENT" Announced

A New Short Thriller from Presidential Productions

Short film THE ASSIGNMENT to be filmed in Melbourne, Australia Ⓒ Presidential Productions

Presidential Productions has announced bold new short film project, THE ASSIGNMENT, a thrilling and edgy new screenplay from Australian filmmaker James Cunningham that reimagines the slasher genre through a contemporary Australian lens.

Conceived during prolonged COVID lockdowns and developed over nearly two years, THE ASSIGNMENT emerges as a tightly-wound genre exercise infused with cinephile reverence and modern unease. Described as “a love letter to the slasher genre,” by its writer, the story blends classic horror sensibilities with an intimate, character-driven narrative rooted in academic theory, male friendship and moral ambiguity.

Set in Melbourne, Australia, THE ASSIGNMENT follows two friends studying criminal psychology at university who are given a provocative hypothetical as part of their studies; to explain how they might commit the perfect murder. What begins as an intellectual exercise quickly mutates into something far more dangerous. The film’s central conceit allows Cunningham to interrogate fascination, complicity, and the seductive logic of violence, while paying homage to genre titans such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and even the psychological serial-killer frameworks popularised in television shows like Dexter.

The project signals a deliberate tonal shift within Cunningham’s body of work, embracing suspense, menace, and erotic tension while retaining his signature interest in masculinity, power and interior psychology. Currently in pre-production, THE ASSIGNMENT is designed as a concentrated cinematic experience; lean, unsettling and precise.

Developed under the Presidential Productions banner, the film continues the company’s commitment to high-concept short filmmaking that privileges atmosphere, performance and thematic ambition over scale. THE ASSIGNMENT is casting for lead roles and is announced as a festival-focused work aimed squarely at international audiences and genre programmers.

For more information, visit presproductionsco.com/the-assignment

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