BBFF2026 Meet the Filmmaker: Harvey Zielinski
Sweet Milk Lake
After being mistaken for his identical twin by his estranged, dying father, Jake finds himself unexpectedly welcomed into a version of masculinity he has never been offered before.
Written, directed by and starring Harvey Zielinski in the dual roles of Jake and Sam, Sweet Milk Lake is a funny, romantic, uncomfortable and deeply personal, film about identity, belonging and the compromises we make to be seen.
Sweet Milk Lake is the 2026 CinefestOZ Film Prize Winner. We spoke with Harvey about building the award-winning film from a transmasculine perspective, the long road from idea to screen, and the joy of finally handing it over to an audience.
As a trans man who has experienced the challenges of navigating society’s suffocating assumptions and microaggressions towards trans people, it was important to Harvey to create a film that interrogates masculinity from a transmasculine perspective. The film began as an answer to the question ‘What if?’:
What if no-one around the protagonist knew he was a trans man? What if he could escape the narrow definition of transness? What if he could reinvent himself and his past? And what if everyone around him found out?
“Many of the microaggressions Jake experiences are drawn from my own life,” says Harvey. “The constant calibration, scrutiny and risk assessment of being trans often leave me feeling tired and disconnected, as though watching myself from outside.”
The audience is invited to join Jake in watching, and oftentimes judging, himself. The suspense of a hidden secret keeps us at the edge of our seats, wondering, as Jake does, ‘When will they find out?’
But, the story is not all looming doom and gloom. In the midst of the tangles of his lie, Jake finds unexpected connections, joy and adventure. Harvey’s instinctual writing results in a humorous, yet grounded unfolding of events. The audience gets to laugh with the characters, and cringe at their choices. Playful encounters are balanced with hard-hitting moments of truth.
Jake is a complex, flawed protagonist, and Harvey makes sure to defy tropes of tragedy and heroism. He adds, “Jake soon discovers that the price of admission is high, and power can corrupt. Jake’s ‘new identity’ might feel like liberation at first; but the understanding he’s longing for can only be achieved through radical authenticity.”
A film this nuanced takes a village to birth it into life. Harvey highlights the contributions of a skilled team of filmmakers who believed in his vision. From cinematographer Michael Lincoln’s inquisitive, intuitive handheld camerawork that prioritises actor freedom, to editor Maria Papoutsis’s punchy and energetic style, and composer Chiara Costanza’s emotion-laden score that reflects Jake’s psyche.
Alongside the stellar performances of his fellow cast members, Harvey accomplishes an impressive feat playing both Jake and his twin brother Sam. Acting was a gateway into the world of filmmaking for Harvey. “I've loved acting beyond all else since since age eight,” he admits.
Ultimately, Harvey made this debut feature film with the intention of reaching a broad audience, including one that would not ordinarily opt for a film with a trans leading man. In his excitement to share the film with Northern Rivers audiences for the first time, Harvey adds, “The film belongs to the audience now! Every audience. And I just look forward to seeing if and how it resonates; what hits, what moves, what makes them laugh.”
We asked him what he hopes BBFF audiences will experience through Sweet Milk Lake.
“I hope this film entertains, challenges assumptions, makes you laugh and cry. More importantly, I hope it makes you feel seen, in all of your expansiveness. I hope it opens a door, at a time when we so desperately need it.”
The Byron Premiere of Sweet Milk Lake is at Palace Byron Bay on Saturday 17 October.