Lights, Camera, Action: Remy Makes Directing Debut in Wish Granted by Make-A-Wish® Australia and Disney

Make-A-Wish® Australia teamed up with The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand to turn 18-year-old Remy’s directing aspirations into reality, giving her the behind-the-scenes experience of a lifetime on the set of an Australian Original production for Disney+.

Remy is a passionate and creative teenager, diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at 15-years-old. After 10 months of chemo, she spent six months relearning how to walk. She is deeply interested in filmmaking and the production process, with this interest originating from her love of watching and analysing movies and series. Remy was granted the extraordinary opportunity to learn more about the art of directing first-hand on the set of The Artful Dodger Season 2 filming in Sydney.

Remy aspires to become a filmmaker one day, having completed a two-year TAFE course to learn everything she can about production and screen work. Following her wish, she is ready to take her learning to the next level and has chosen to pursue further studies in cinematography. This unforgettable wish experience empowered Remy to continue following in the footsteps of her most admired directors, such as Baz Luhrmann, Wes Anderson, and James Gunn.

Remy travelled from Melbourne to Sydney and spent the day on set at the historic Callan Park where The Artful Dodger was filming. She arrived in style in a limousine and met the cast and crew, learnt about their roles, and took photos with the show’s stars. Most importantly, Remy got to work alongside and learn from Director – Gracie Otto – following her process of setting up and filming a scene.

After shadowing Gracie for most of the day, Remy’s moment to shine came when Gracie passed over the reins and Remy gave a directing note to The Artful Dodger star and renowned actor David Thewlis. Remy shared that her favourite part of the day was this very moment, as Thewlis took on her advice.

Bringing wishes to life is an uplifting experience for everyone involved, creating lasting memories of positivity and hope. Remy’s mum, Traci, reflected on seeing Remy in her element, on set, and seeing how kind everyone was to her.

“I think you can’t really put a price on that,” she said.

Sally Bateman, CEO of Make-A-Wish Australia, said: “We are incredibly proud of our longstanding relationship with The Walt Disney Company. Disney’s unwavering support has been instrumental in helping grant life-changing wishes, making an extraordinary difference to critically ill children. We are so grateful for their belief in the power of a wish and ongoing commitment to helping us make the impossible possible for wish kids around Australia.”

The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Kylie Watson-Wheeler, said: “We’re thrilled Remy was part of making our home-grown Aussie Original, The Artful Dodger, when she visited our set in Sydney. We loved seeing her passion brought to life with the cast and crew and the excitement she has for filmmaking. We are grateful for our long-standing collaboration with Make-A-Wish, with Disney involved in granting a wish every hour of every day around the world. We’re excited to see where Remy’s talent and passion take her next.”

As Make-A-Wish Australia celebrates its 40th year of granting wishes, visit www.makeawish.org.au to learn more about their efforts.

The Artful Dodger Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.