Australian Indie Comedy Her Last Laugh Has One Night in Brisbane

Sisters Willow and Annika Lim inherit their late mother's casting agency, Laughing Lims, with a catch in the will: make the business profitable within a year, or it passes to their estranged uncle Stephen. That is the setup for Her Last Laugh, an Australian independent dramedy written, directed and produced by Sydney filmmaker Joy Hopwood, blending comedy, family drama and the unpredictable world of show business.

The film comes to Reading Cinemas Newmarket for a single night, Saturday 7 November, at 6pm. The session runs to about 8:15pm and includes a Q&A after the screening with Hopwood and cast members Peter Thurnwald and Christina Kim. Thurnwald plays Ryan Knoxwell, and Kim plays his mother, Susie Knoxwell. The cast also includes Ana Thu Nguyen, Kya Stewart, Lyanna Kea, Tiana Hogben and Tony Goh, alongside John Waters.

Peter Thurnwald as Ryan Knoxwell and Ana Thu Nguyen as Willow Lim in Her Last Laugh.

Brisbane is one stop on a November run of Australian screenings that includes Melbourne and Sydney, before the film heads to the United States. Cappu Films is handling international sales.

Her Last Laugh is the newest film from Hopwood's company, Joy House Productions. She is an Asian Australian writer, director and producer who has made seven features: The Script of Life (2018, Amazon Prime), Rhapsody of Love (2020, Paramount), Get a Life, Alright (2022, Channel Nine), The Gift That Gives (2024, Channel Nine), It's Our Time (2024, Channel Nine), Her Last Laugh and A Clean Start, which is in post-production. An award-winning independent filmmaker, she has built her career on diverse Australian voices and stories about identity and community. Her Last Laugh carries that thread into a celebration of friendships that can be every bit as complicated as family.

Tony Goh as the estranged uncle, Stephen Lim, at Laughing Lims.

Hopwood also has a television background. She was a presenter on ABC's Play School from 1996 to 1998.

Tickets are $27 for general admission and $20 for children under 18 and carers (ID required at the door), plus booking fees, through Humanitix.

Her Last Laugh, Saturday 7 November, 6pm, Reading Cinemas Newmarket, 400 Newmarket Rd.