An elite sprinter-turned-filmmaker with a University of the Sunshine Coast doctorate in creative arts has sold her first feature movie to global streaming giant Netflix.
Dr Jane Larkin’s movie The Edge – shot in part on the UniSC campus on the Sunshine Coast and set in the world of competitive sport, will screen on Netflix (Aust-NZ) from Friday 20 June 2025.
Dr Larkin said she was thrilled with the Australasian licensing deal for the independent film, which would be broadcast to a Netflix audience of more than 7.4 million subscribers in the Australian and New Zealand regions.
Dr Larkin, who graduated with her fourth UniSC degree in 2023, was the director, screenwriter, showrunner (producer) and one of three lead actors in the The Edge, which premiered nationally at the Gold Coast Film Festival last month.
“It’s about three young women – an Aussie sprinter, a First Nations powerlifter and a Japanese Paralympic swimmer – who are navigating life, love, education and controversy,” she said.
She formed her own production company 3Lite Productions to develop the movie with investor support four years ago.
“I’ve poured my heart and soul into this film, which is grounded in truth, in lived experience, and in values I believe in.
“That is what makes it a success to me and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved.”
She also wrote the successful screenplay, after starting a first draft at age 16.
“I was a young female sprinter watching sports films dominated by male protagonists and I wanted to see myself represented on screen.”
It’s not the only exciting news for Dr Larkin this month – she expects to be watching the Netflix screening from the comfort of home on the Sunshine Coast with her new baby girl by her side. Her firstborn is due days before the movie airs.
Dr Larkin, who previously worked on film sets and was cast in Netflix shows such as Ron Howard’s Thirteen Lives, completed UniSC degrees in arts, education and communication before gaining her Doctor of Creative Arts and becoming a finalist in the 2023 Outstanding Alumni Awards.
“I also loved being part of UniSC’s High Performance Student Athlete Program (HPSA) when it was introduced in 2017 and made sure I grabbed every opportunity it provided,” she said.
Dr Larkin said the film was motivated by compelling personal experiences.
“I based the character Yui on Mei Ichinose, a Japanese Paralympic swimmer I trained with at UniSC. As she was someone I deeply admired, I asked her to consult on the script and star in the film.
“To find our First Nations powerlifter character Sylvia, I ran a nationwide casting search, determined to cast an authentic Indigenous athlete in the role.
“That led us to Lily Riley, a proud Wiradjuri woman and cancer survivor who is not only one of the strongest women in the world, but has an inspiring story of her own.
“Having three real athletes in the lead roles was powerful but I knew that wasn’t enough. Mei and Lily also took acting classes for a year before we filmed so they’d be fully prepared for the challenge ahead.
“The result was a self-funded, independently produced feature film with authentic female athletes, and brought to life by a team who believed in the story.”
Retired Olympic hurdler Sally Pearson OAM appears in the movie as an official and commentator.
Many current and former UniSC HPSA students had the opportunity to feature as extras in The Edge including Russel Taib, Sarah Bradbury, Riley Thomson, Jessica Haig, Shaun Smith, Aiden Smith and Aston Tagg.
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