Morgana Documentary About

About the film

Morgana in bed A lonely house-wife’s plan to end it all takes an unexpected turn when her last hurrah begins a radical journey of sexual exploration and personal re-invention.

After 20 years as a dutiful housewife stuck in a loveless, sexless marriage, Morgana has had enough of her dreary life. Desperately lonely and starved of intimacy, she books a male escort for one last hurrah before ending it all.

Her final night takes an unexpected turn when her relationship with the escort opens up a new world of personal and sexual freedom. After hearing about a competition for first time erotic filmmakers, Morgana directs and stars in a film about her own story, ‘Duty-Bound’. Unexpectedly her film wins, catapulting her into the international Feminist Porn community and taking her from Australia to Berlin.

Life merges with art as Morgana uses erotic filmmaking as a tool for creative catharsis, while struggling with demons from her past.

Filmed over five years, this inspiring and uplifting documentary film takes you on a wild ride that is both intimate and universal.

Who is Morgana Muses?

Morgana with tattoo Australia’s internationally acclaimed 50+ erotic autuer, MORGANA MUSES is the age-positive, sex-positive creative director and performer of Permission4Pleasure. She shares her journey of sexual exploration with audiences through her award winning films.

Sex and sexuality were never discussed during her upbringing they were considered completely taboo. At the tender age of 47, two years after leaving her marriage, Morgana decided to embark on her journey of sexual exploration and learning, breaking out of the role that had been imposed upon her.

In 2012 she was the recipient of the Petra Joy Award for first time film-makers with her entry ‘Duty Bound’, which detailed her own experience hiring a male escort. Since then Morgana's films have screened all over the world in leading erotic festivals such as Cinekink, New York, The Porn Film Festival Berlin and even winning Feminist Porn Awards ‘Heart Throb of the Year.

She continues to pick up accolades for her work including ‘Best Fetish Film’ for ‘Having My Cake’and ‘Hottest Artful Porn Award’ for ‘Labia of Love’at the Toronto International Porn Film Festival.

About the directors

Portrait of Director Isabel Peppard ISABEL PEPPARD is a highly skilled multi-disciplinary artist who works across the mediums of film, sculpture and stop-motion animation. Her multi-award winning work has screened at top-tier festivals including Melbourne International Film Festival, Sitges and Annecy, as well as at art institutions such as GOMA (QLD), MOMA (Rio De Janeiro), and ACMI (Melbourne). Her short film ‘Butterflies’ (starring Rachel Griffiths), won the Dendy Award at the Sydney Film Festival and was broadcast nationally on SBS Television.

Isabel regularly exhibits at the Beinart Gallery, an international surrealist art collective, is currently writing a live action/animation hybrid horror feature and is developing a short stop motion animated Virtual Reality project. Isabel’s work uses gothic fairytale and handmade symbolic elements to tell humane stories of existential horror and personal transformation.

Cast and crew

Directors/Co-producers: Isabel Peppard, Josie Hess

Producer: Karina Astrup

Editor: Julie-Anne De Ruvo

Cinematography: Josie Hess, Isabel Peppard

Miniatures Cinematographer: Gerald Thompson

Miniatures Design and Build: Isabel Peppard

Visual Effects: Louis Nikolovski

Music Composer: Jordan Gilmour

Supervising Sound Editor: John Kassab

Re-recording Mixer: Doron Kipen ASSG

Sound Mixing Facility: Music and Effects

Additional Sound Editor: Damian Candusso

Dialogue Editor: Rick Lisle

Additional Dialogue Editor: David Williams

Titles and Subs: Play On Play Studio

Conform: Suemi Akita

Colourist and Online Editor: Marcus Herrick

Post-Production Facility: Blue Post

Production Company: House of Gary

Executive Producers: Jessica Carrera and Rob Zippling

Associate Producers: Patricia Piccinini, Lisa Carrodus, Rebecca Thompson, Deborah Chadwick, Judith Peppard and David Evans.

Awards and Nominations

Gold Coast Film Festival 2020: WINNER “Best Australian Independent Film Award”
Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival 2020: WINNER “Best Documentary Audience Award”
Sydney Film Festival 2020: NOMINATED “Best Australian Documentary”
FIC Monterrey International Film Festival 2020: NOMINATED “Best International Feature Documentary”
FIDBA International Film Festival Buenos Aires 2020: NOMINATED “Gender and Generations Award”
OMovies International Film Festival 2020: NOMINATED “Best Feature Documentary”
ATOM Awards 2020: NOMINATED “Best Documentary Biography”
Australian Screen Industry Network Awards 2021: NOMINATED ”Best Documentary”

Funding and Investors

Kickstarter - Crowdfund Campaign
Documentary Australia Foundation - Funding Campaign
Queer Screen - Completion Fund Grant
Screen Australia - Producer Equity Program