From Backyard Movies to Baz: Meet Noosa Filmmakers Bramm and Paje Nucifora

Long before Bramm and Paje Nucifora were building film sets, chasing down vintage American props or getting their work in front of Baz Luhrmann, the two brothers were making movies in their backyard.

Growing up in Noosa, Queensland, filmmaking was less a career ambition than simply how they entertained themselves.

“Our mum always said that boredom breeds creativity, so we were constantly finding different ways to entertain ourselves and create things,” the brothers tell The Hollywood Reporter Australia.

“I don’t think we ever actually realised back then that it could become anything more than a bit of fun.”

Years later, those childhood experiments have evolved into Doonan Productions, the independent production company through which the brothers are developing their own narrative projects.

Bramm primarily works behind the camera as a writer-director, while Paje has pursued acting alongside writing and producing. Their first Doonan Productions short, The Job, was released earlier this year, directed by Bramm and co-written and produced by the brothers, with Paje starring.

But the path between backyard movies and launching their own company wasn’t entirely conventional.

Before committing themselves fully to narrative filmmaking, the pair worked in creative direction on Double Date, gaining experience in the fast-moving world of online content and working alongside Australian creators Jasmin and James.

“We genuinely think they’re two of Australia’s greatest creative content minds,” the brothers say. “Working with them taught us a lot about ideas, storytelling, understanding what keeps an audience interested and probably most importantly, actually getting things made.”

They say much of the mentorship and advice they received during that period continues to influence how they approach filmmaking today. When Double Date ended, the brothers decided it was time to take those skills and turn their attention fully towards film.

Their next lesson was one familiar to almost every independent filmmaker: making something is only half the job. Getting somebody to see it is another challenge entirely.

“Our dad always told us, ‘You can’t sell a secret,’ so you’ve got to get out there and do the work yourself,” they say.

That hustle eventually put The Job in front of one particularly significant Australian filmmaker: Baz Luhrmann.

“Having someone like Baz view our work and be so encouraging meant a lot to both of us,” they say. “As young Aussie filmmakers, Baz has always been a huge inspiration.”

For two filmmakers who admire the director’s ability to create extravagant cinematic worlds, the encounter carried particular weight.

“To have one of your idols appreciate something you’ve poured your heart and soul into has to be one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

Now they’re attempting to build a world of their own.

The brothers’ next short, Dog Day, is an ambitious 1970s-set American crime thriller being made from Queensland.

Rather than simply dressing a contemporary location with a few period details, Bramm and Paje say they’re determined to make the world feel authentic — even sourcing original vintage wardrobe and props from the United States.

“Finding locations to bring 1970s America to life in Queensland at times hasn’t been the easiest,” they admit. “We’re very particular about the small details.”

The decision to look backwards is also deliberate.

“As technology and AI consume such a large portion of our lives, we feel there’s a growing longing for nostalgia,” they say.

“Setting Dog Day in the 1970s gives us a fun way to explore what life might have felt like back then.”

Joining the project is actor George Burgess, a longtime friend of the brothers who became involved after reading the screenplay.

The relationship began with the three reading opposite one another for auditions before developing into a friendship and eventually a creative collaboration. The brothers describe Burgess as both a mentor and someone who has encouraged them to think bigger about what the next film can become.

For now, they’re building that career from Queensland.

“We love being based in Queensland and it’s been a great place for us to start building what we’re doing,” they say, although their ambitions extend considerably further.

America, in particular, has long held an attraction for the pair, and they are open to following opportunities both within Australia and internationally.

Ultimately, though, the shorts are intended to lead somewhere bigger.

“The ultimate goal is to work towards a feature film,” the brothers say. “With each new short film, we aim to take a significant step closer to making that first feature.”

Their target is to have made it within the next five years.

For two brothers who once picked up cameras simply because they were bored, the scale may have changed. The impulse hasn’t.

Every project, they say, needs to take them another step forward.