UniSA film and TV tutor releases debut feature film nationally

By Joshua Owen-Thomas

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES Poster for With or Without You showing characters Chloe and Dalu on their journey through the Australian countryside.

UniSA Hollywood film and TV tutor Kelly Schilling marked her feature-length film debut recently with the release of With or Without You.

Schilling wrote and directed the film, which premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October last year before being released in cinemas across the country in May.

The film was shot in Adelaide over five weeks and follows the story of Chloe and her alcoholic mother who, together with a mysterious West African man named Dalu, go on an unexpected journey through the Australian countryside and, in the process, find both healing and love.

Schilling drew on her own life experiences when writing the film, which explores themes including generational trauma, domestic violence, and the relationships shared by mothers and daughters, and hopes her audience walks away with the courage to forgive themselves for past mistakes, among other things.

“Also the courage to fight through their fears to find freedom,” she says, “and to know that no matter who they are or where they come from that they deserve it.”

To her students, Schilling encourages an introspective approach when setting out to write or direct their own projects.

“I would give them the advice to dig into their own truths and authenticity, and let that guide them,” she says.

“Also, to know what they want to say, and why they want to say it.”

While this is Schilling’s first feature-length movie, she’s not new to the business.

“I made my first short film 25 years ago as part of a media production elective course at UniSA, Magill, when studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Professional Writing and Communications,” she says.

“I’ve been writing stories since I could write and telling stories since I could speak.”

Before the release of With or Without You, Schilling had also made various short films and written and directed for some TV series, but this one is special.

“It feels incredible to have the film playing across Australia,” she says.

“It’s a dream come true.” 

Next, Schilling will be working on something entirely different, which she is excited about.

“I’ve just received some development funding from Screen Australia to write the first episode of a TV show I’m currently creating called Bed on Fire,” she says.

“It’s in very early stages with its future yet to be determined.

“It’s still very authentic to me in parts, but is set in a very different world to With or Without You – the world of motorsports.”

With or Without You finished its cinema run on 4 June, but may be coming to streaming platforms in the future. Schilling is also hopeful that the film can gain international traction, and says that a sales agent is currently working on bringing her work to audiences abroad.

Other Stories

• Flat out Fabulous: Barbie puts her best foot forward over the years
• Back into the closet: Is aged care failing LGBTI+ people?
• UniSA film and TV tutor releases debut feature film nationally
• ‘They are like my children’: research reveals 4 types of indoor plant owners. Which one are you?
• From the Vice Chancellor: Some things change, some stay the same
• Achievements and Announcements
• Beanies for babies: UniSA students contribute to Papua New Guinea midwifery project
• Seven honorary awards conferred in April
• Take a trip through time, drawers and hard drives to preserve UniSA’s past
• In Pictures: UniSA April graduations
• The latest books from UniSA researchers June 2025