Singer gets debut on the screen

At just 20 years old, singer-songwriter Shelley Quartermaine has made a name for herself. Under the stage name Shelley Q, the talented creative will make her feature film debut in a film titled Darkest Age. Directed, written and produced by Other-Side Films founder Isabella Jacqueline, Quartermaine, pictured, was cast after she delivered an exceptional performance as an extra in the short film of the same name. “Shelley is a stunningly talented young woman with so much insatiable drive to pursue her goals and glean from every opportunity that comes her way,” Ms Jacqueline said. Quartermaine, originally from Narrogin but now based in Perth, has already gained fans through her music, but the Darkest Age was her first involvement in a short film. “I was an extra in one of the scenes and I remember being perplexed by the amount of blood, sweat and tears shed by the team working behind the camera,” she said. “It made me feel as though we as actors have the easy part.” Darkest Age is based on the award-winning 2019 short film by the same name which won big at the New York Film Awards, the Los Angeles Film Awards and the world’s largest online short film festival, TopShorts. It challenges stereotypes and delves into the male headspace. The singer, actor and model said she was excited to bring all her life experiences to the film. “In a cut-throat industry, it can be disheartening constantly having doors shut in your face … something we as actors become use to. But what I love most about acting, is that you can use the pain of rejection, along with any other battles you have in the real world, in your work as a silver lining,” she said. Quartermaine’s career aside from acting, involves modelling, singing and completing a mechanical engineering degree at the University of WA.