Spirals

A journey of re-membering

Match Lab

Creative Team

The Spirals’ team brings together experienced creatives and community collaborators to ensure the film is emotionally resonant, culturally respectful, and grounded in place.

Spirals begins production in 2026.

Kari Hill
Writer & Key Creator

Kari is an emerging screenwriter based on Wadi Wadi, Dharawal Country (Wollongong). With a Master of Journalism and a deep passion for heart-led storytelling, Kari has written for various publications and led community-based creative projects. Spirals is her screenwriting debut, inspired by her own lived experience of grief. She is committed to cultural authenticity and storytelling that heals.

Sharon Lewis
Director

Sharon is an award-winning filmmaker with over 20 years’ experience across production, education, and industry leadership. She has worked on music videos, short films, TVCs, and features, with strengths in scriptwriting, cinematography, and post-production. Her acclaimed short film, Frances, explores women’s experiences during the housing crisis with compassion and impact. As founder of Eye Candy Film Productions and Vice Chair of Screen Illawarra, Sharon advocates for regional voices and emerging talent. As director of Spirals, she brings her trademark empathy and visual precision to a powerful story of grief, healing, and reconnection with Country.

Rick Jones
Cinematography

Richard has spent more than twenty years behind the camera, shooting feature films, documentaries, music videos and short films. He founded Immersion Imagery in 2005 and has worked as Director of Photography on feature films including The Girl Who Lived and All Night Gaming.

His cinematography has reached audiences through the BBC, ABC and National Geographic. His recent narrative work includes Diamonds & Rust, Frances and Linda, with Frances earning him Best Cinematography at the International Short Cinema Festival in 2024. Linda has also received multiple festival selections and awards.

Alongside cinematography, Richard produces across the company’s slate and directs selected projects. His most recent work includes the VR short E.C.H.O., which he wrote, directed and animated.

Antonio Barea
Producer

Antonio Barea is a Wollongong-based actor, writer, and producer with a background in theatre, television, and independent film. His recent producer credits include Turner (2025), Youth (2024), and as Script Supervisor on the AACTA award-winning Finding Addison (2024). He serves on the boards of both Screen Illawarra and Wollongong Workshop Theatre (Vice President), where he has played an active role in securing government funding from organisations such as Screen NSW, Create NSW, Creative Australia, and Wollongong City Council. He brings strong logistical expertise, deep community connections, and a passion for socially resonant storytelling to every production.

Adriana Mazevski
Production Manager

Adriana is a lively and passionate creative; an actor, producer and writer based in Dharawal Country, Illawarra. She has been avidly involved in numerous local projects over the last few years taking on different roles, most recently in Namaste (2026), The Things We Bury (2026), Prefer Not To Say (2025), Turner (2025), Safe Haven (2024), and Youth (2024). She was also the lead producer on Faye (2026) and Birdwatcher (2026), both commissioned through Screen Illawarra for the Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival. Adriana also made her directorial debut on the documentary Finding Your Path (2026), which is currently in post-production. Adriana was awarded Best Performance for her role in The Things We Bury in the Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival 2026, with the entire team honoured to take home Best Film in the Open Category. To elevate her practice in the screen industry, Adriana plans to continue to immerse herself in the production space, learn, and challenge herself further and grow with authenticity, drive and spirit.

Dr Aunty Barbara Nicholson
Aboriginal Consultant

Aunty Barb is a Wadi Wadi Elder, knowledge holder, educator, poet, and community leader. A recipient of a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the University of Wollongong, she has dedicated decades to social justice, education, and cultural preservation. Aunty Barb brings deep cultural guidance to Spirals as Aboriginal Consultant, ensuring respectful engagement with Country and sacred sites, including Mount Kembla (Grandfather Djembla) and Mount Keira (Grandmother Djeera). Her lifetime of advocacy includes roles with Link-Up, UOW, and the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee. Her wisdom, insight, and warmth enrich every aspect of this project.

Lily Piper
Costume Designer

Lily is an emerging filmmaker who is passionate about creating stories that showcase young, local talent. A recent graduate with a Diploma in Screen and Media, and Co-Founder of Kismett Studios, Lily has contributed to recent projects in the Illawarra including Magpie (2026), Diamonds & Rust (2025), and Dear Ocean, I Love You (2024) which won best film that year in the under 25 category at the Wollongong Short Film Competition. With most of her experience behind the scenes being in Costume and Production Design, Lily is passionate about sustainable practice, upcycling materials and costumes for the projects she’s worked on. She believes the visual aspect of film to be a powerful component in supporting storytelling and is very excited to be working on Spirals as the Costume Designer, assisting the character development and passage of time, enhancing the themes of grief and growth through costuming.

Matt Bonnici
Production Design

Matt is deeply passionate about the art of design and thrives on crafting immersive, emotionally resonant spaces for the screen. 
Featured credits include the AACTA-nominated Best Indie Feature Streets of Colour (2023), which also earned a nomination for Feature Film Production of the Year at the 2024 Screen Producers Australia Awards. 
More recently Matt collaborated with leading designers Fiona Donovan (APDG) on Kriv Stenders’ feature film The Correspondent, and Emma Fletcher (APDG) on the BBC Studios series Return to Paradise.  
He strongly believes in the power of good design to enhance storytelling and is looking to continue to immerse himself in the Australian and international screen industries to challenge his growing creative skills.

Matthew Richardson
Sound Recordist & Design

Matthew is an experienced sound recordist, designer, and educator with extensive experience in on-location audio and post-production sound. His credits include multi-award-winning films Frances and Over. Recently, he worked on Linda, Diamonds and Rust, and The Quiet Tide. Having also completed the final audio mix and sound design for Frances, crafting its nuanced sonic landscape with precision and sensitivity.
In addition to his professional work, Matthew is a dedicated Screen and Media teacher at TAFE, where he shares his deep knowledge of sound production and storytelling with the next generation of filmmakers.

Ruby Hill-Nguyen
Costumes Assistant

Ruby is a talented, emerging visual artist, self-trained taxidermist, seamstress, musician and innovator. She is looking forward to being part of the Spirals team.