Clowns, Graveyards, Halloween & Aqua: “Boys In The Trees” Stars Toby Wallace And Mitzi Ruhlmann Say 'Yeah' Or 'Nah'

“I thought this year we could all dress up as clowns… but that’s probably not a good idea anymore.”

Boys in the Trees is the new film from Aussie filmmaker Nicholas Verso, and it’s a melancholy jaunt through the memories of two teenage boys, Corey and Jonah, as they reconnect over one evening.

It's also set during Halloween, meaning the remembrances are all taking place in cemeteries, empty storm drains and abandoned school hallways, after dark, with our characters decorated in suitably creepy clown masks, werewolf costumes and pallid face-paint.

To some nervous viewers – already terrified by the clown plague of ’16 – this will be a whole bowl of ‘nope’.

But young stars Toby Wallace - playing Corey - and Mitzi Ruhlmann - as his graveyard-hopping classmate Romany - were all too willing to commit to Boys in the Trees and its late-night shooting schedule, clown plague be damned.

We caught up with Toby and Mitzi ahead of the film’s release to talk clowns, graveyards, Halloween and, erm, Aqua, as well as what it was like to receive a rapturous, ten-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. (Like, what do you even do with your hands?)

Boys in the Trees arrives in cinemas October 20.

Photo: Mushroom Pictures.