From a young age, I participated in dance, music, and sports classes. With my parents’ support, I was able to explore a range of activities to discover where my true passions lay.

I had the privilege of a path, the support to pursue my dreams, an education, and the freedom to still be a teenager while doing it. It’s a privilege I now understand is not afforded to every girl. For millions, that path is chosen for them before they’ve even had the chance to take their own first step.

As an ambassador for Plan International Australia, I’ve come to see just how fragile a girl’s childhood can be.

This year, for International Day of the Girl, we’re confronting one of the most prevalent injustices a girl can face: child marriage.

Plan International’s new report ‘Let me be a child, not a wife’, helps us understand this reality. Every year, 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday. That’s one girl every three seconds.

It’s a number so big it’s almost impossible to imagine, but behind it are individual lives and dreams, stolen too soon. This isn’t a problem that’s just rooted in the past. In our digital age, it’s taking on new and complex forms.

The report shows how social media can create a false sense of choice, where online relationships quickly lead to pressure from family to marry, often to protect a girl’s ‘honour’. It’s a reminder that while the tools may be new, the traditions that trap girls remain.

The report gives a voice to these girls, like Juna from Nepal.

Married young, she describes her experience as leading to a “dark future,” a life where she was deprived of everything.

Her story is echoed by so many others who speak of being dominated by older partners, of the immense weight of adult responsibilities, and the quiet, crushing toll it takes on their mental health.

But what gives me hope is the incredible strength of these girls, and the very real impact of the work being done in communities around the world.

I think of Kanada, a young woman from Cambodia. Married at 17, she felt her world shrink.

But through a Plan International skills-training program, she built a new path for herself. She became the only female motorcycle mechanic in her community.

Despite the doubts from others, she persevered, opened her own repair shop, and is now proud to run her own business. She’s not just earning an income; she’s showing every girl in her village that their future isn’t written for them.

Kanada’s story shows that when a girl is given a choice, she doesn’t just change her own life – she can change her entire community.

This is what Plan International’s work is all about. It’s about creating those choices. It’s about funding skills training, supporting girls to stay in school, and working with families and community leaders to challenge the harmful norms that allow child marriage to persist.

This International Day of the Girl, we have a choice too.

We can be overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, or we can be inspired by the courage of girls like Juna and Kanada.

We can add our voice to the growing global call to let girls be girls, not brides.

This article was written by Plan International Australia Ambassador, actress and gender equality activist, Phoebe Tonkin.

Australian actress Phoebe Tonkin has spoken out about her role in Transfusion, the highly anticipated Stan Original Film premiering exclusively on Stan on January 20.

The movie stars Sam Worthington (Avatar: The Way of Water) who plays Ryan Logan, a man struggling with PTSD after retiring from the SAS. Phoebe stars as his wife, Justine.

In the film, Ryan and his son Billy attempt to reconnect after a devastating loss. On his last chance with the law, Ryan is thrust into the criminal underworld by a former SAS brother (Matt Nable) to keep his son from being taken away from him.

In an exclusive interview with 9Entertainment, Phoebe discussed the significance of the movie and how Sam’s own children – Rocket, Racer and River – proved to be an “invaluable asset” to her while making the movie.

“It’s a movie about grief, PTSD and the lengths that a father will go to in order to protect, support and to love his son,” Phoebe explained.

“Sam is a beautiful actor, and he was really imperative to me because I don’t have kids.”

Phoebe revealed that her sister gave birth to her nephew the day she started filming.

“I’m an auntie now, but really my only other experience with children – well, one of my experiences with children – is [with] Sam and Lara’s kids,” she admitted.

“Sam is a father and really understands the love that you have for your children, that undying love.

“It was definitely an invaluable asset having him be able to bring that sense of honesty and truth about the love he has for his children, [to his role] with his child in this movie… It was very, very helpful.”

Phoebe also spoke about the significant themes of grief and PTSD throughout the movie.

She said that while there are a lot of American films about soldiers returning from war, there isn’t many based in Australia.

“That was something that really interested me from the get go – that unique story that has happened a lot in Australia, but just isn’t talked about that much,” she said.

“There’s also a lot of Australian men who will be able to resonate with the vulnerabilities of Sam’s character.”

She said that the power of grief is an incredibly important topic that needs to be delved into.

“Any opportunity to show the vulnerabilities of being human, and the struggles just to put one foot in front of the other,” she continued. “…Especially for a father trying to take care of his only living child.

“I think there is something very inspiring for anyone who will do anything to protect and care for their loved ones.”

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“There are a lot of American movies about soldiers that have come back from the war and we do forget that there are a lot of Australians that also came back and are dealing with the effects of PTSD,” Phoebe Tonkin tells me of her new Stan Original Film Transfusion.

The local legend plays a pivotal role in yet another Stan OG after previously playing Gwen in both seasons of Stan’s award-winning series Bloom.

In her latest role, Phoebe portrays the deceased wife of a troubled veteran (played by Sam Worthington) suffering from trauma and PTSD after retiring from the Special Air Service regiment (SAS) of the Australian Army.

The film stars Phoebe and Sam along with Matt Nable who also serves as writer and director.

Before the film lands on Stan on January 20, I jumped on a Zoom chat with Phoebe to discuss the “powerful, beautiful and tragic” new film along with method acting, her friendship with Lara Worthington and filming Down Under.

Hey Phoebe! So great to chat to you again. Transfusion is such a heavy movie, what drew you to this project?
Hey! I thought it was a really interesting portrayal of grief and pain. I thought it was a unique Australian story, seeing this very strong male figure be really, really vulnerable. And I think that vulnerability is incredibly powerful and not necessarily always seen, especially in Australian cinema.

I was drawn to playing Justine because I thought the idea of this great loss and the pain and guilt that then trickled down into both my husband and my son was really powerful. And I just was really excited to work with Matt Nable. I think he’s incredibly talented as an actor. I think his performance in this is extraordinary, as is Sam Worthington’s.

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As CHANEL unveils a new era in the form of its sustainably minded beauty collection, N°1 de CHANEL, brand ambassador Phoebe Tonkin is ready to tackle her next phase, too.

Like many young Australian actors, Phoebe Tonkin moved to Los Angeles at age 20 to try her luck. It didn’t quite turn out how she expected. “Everyone who gets into acting has these big aspirations of the different roles they’re going to play and the experiences they’re going to have. I definitely didn’t move to LA thinking I was going to end up in Atlanta for seven years playing the same character for 10 and a half months of every year. It was amazing and I was grateful, but it’s a funny thing to sign a contract when you’re 21 that more or less eats up your entire twenties.”

“Sometimes I’ll read stuff in America and I’ll know it’s good, but it’s just not my language, it’s not how I grew up. Then I’ll read an Australian book or script and it’s in my bones. I can smell where it took place, I can taste the foods being described.”

Now 32, Tonkin has spent her time since her The Vampire Diaries/The Originals era ended being a little more selective about her projects, which last year included roles in the Damien Chazelle-directed Babylon, starring Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, and Transfusion with Sam Worthington, which was filmed in Australia. “I love working in Australia. I think there is a specific storytelling that happens. Sometimes I’ll read stuff in America and I’ll know it’s good, but it’s just not my language, it’s not how I grew up. Then I’ll read an Australian book or script and it’s in my bones. I can smell where it took place, I can taste the foods being described. And I actually bought a place in Australia last year because I love working here. I definitely want to keep coming back and making stuff.”

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Young Aussie actress Phoebe Tonkin makes an auspicious behind-the-camera debut with the short film Furlough, which will have its Aussie premiere at Flickerfest.

“I’m in Los Angeles right now, where the rate is terrible,” Phoebe Tonkin tells FilmInk. “One in five people are getting COVID. It’s insane. And then you add civil and political unrest to the mix…if work arises in Australia, I’d love to do it, but my life is here now, and my house is here. I don’t know if I’ll just go back, but it would be nice to escape everything right now. If there was a film or series offer, it would be tempting.”

The “born and raised” Sydney actress might be in the wrong part of the world now, but with roles on popular US TV series like The Secret Circle, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, The Affair and Westworld, her career currently demands that she reside in what is essentially the COVID hotspot of the world. First finding fame on Australian TV series like H2O: Just Add Water, Home And Away and Packed To The Rafters, and the popular big screen adaptation of John Marsden’s hugely successful YA novel Tomorrow, When The War Began, Tonkin has lately snuck back home for Aussie TV projects like Bloom and Safe Harbour, and also to make her directorial debut with the short film, Furlough. Shot in The Hunter Region two hours outside of Sydney (with post completed in New York City), the film follows a day in the life two teenage sisters (Markella Kavenagh and Milly Alcock) who embark on a wild adventure in search of freedom and new experiences. Produced under the high profile auspices of Dollhouse Pictures (the production company formed by Krew Boylan, Rose Byrne, Jessica Carrera, Shannon Murphy and Gracie Otto), Furlough will have its Australian premiere at Flickerfest.

Have you always wanted to direct?
“I started acting at fifteen and I’ve worked with all these incredibly inspiring directors, so I feel like I’ve been learning by osmosis. I’ve always liked to write. I’ve always been a storyteller. I’ve always liked the storytelling aspect of acting too. I’ve been tinkering on a few different ideas over the years, but a lot of those just felt a little out of my means and resources. The story that eventually became Furlough has been on my mind for a while, and it felt a little bit more achievable. It was just about taking that jump. I’m lucky to have known [producer] Jess Carrera for many years, so I just reached out to her on the off chance that she would want to produce it with me. Thankfully she said yes, so I couldn’t turn back.”

This is a film that really forefronts young women…
“I have always been fascinated with my experience as a teenager, and it’s such a pivotal time for young women. They’re really pushing boundaries. I also felt like I’ve seen a lot of stories about lost, rebellious boys. Sometimes we fall into the trope of trying to either represent women as either really strong or really feminine, but there are a lot of very complicated, flawed, messy young women. I wanted to see a representation of that. The first line in the script that I wrote includes the C word because I immediately wanted to not portray these girls any differently than how young boys are portrayed in these sorts of films. These are like the girls that I grew up with. That was the catalyst for writing this. I wanted to tell this story about these two troublemaking young girls who are really pushing the boundaries, but then you eventually understand the greater purpose for why they’re pushing these boundaries and trying to have really normal, if somewhat dangerous and naughty, experiences.”

Your young actresses are great…
“I just got so lucky that the two actresses that I wanted for this were as enthusiastic about being in it as well. Markella and Milly are the next generation of really strong, talented Australian actors. I feel very lucky to have worked with them early on in their careers, even though they were both established beforehand. I was very lucky that they were available when I needed them.”

Did you hand pick them or did they audition? How did the casting process happen?
“I had seen some of Markella Kavenagh’s work prior, and I was so intrigued by her. I’d seen her in the TV mini-series Romper Stomper, and I was so impressed by her performance. She was just so young and honest and raw. We followed each other on Instagram, and I just reached out and asked if she had time to jump on. I told her about the character and the story and my vision for it, and she jumped on immediately. I wasn’t as familiar with Milly, but I was presented with some of her work, and I was just so taken aback by the strength of her talent. So she was the only other person that I had in mind for that character. They didn’t know each other beforehand, but we all lived together over the duration of the film and they became so close. That was really beautiful. Their chemistry was really authentic because they got very close while we were filming.”

Which parts of the directing process came to you the most intuitively? And where was your biggest learning curve?
“Pre-production was the biggest learning curve. The logistics of putting together a short film are so tricky. With such a little budget, you’re really scratching for resources and favours and things like that. But I definitely knew what I wanted for this film, and the greatest advice that I received is to surround yourself with people that you really trust that share your vision. Our amazing DOP Giovanni C. Lorusso shared my vision, and I completely trusted him. We were like one mind throughout the process. It was a fun, collaborative project and experience. Being on set, however, was something that I knew so well, because I’m always on the other side of it. I know what works because I’ve been on so many sets for so many years. That element felt the most natural for me. I know how I like to work with directors. Everyone has their own opinions, but I felt the strongest when I was actually on set directing.”

Which part did you find the most difficult?
“The hardest part was post-production because that was completely foreign to me. That was the most learning that I had to do, because that really is about dealing with grading and exporting and all of those things. But again, I had this amazing editor called Max Bowens, who was so incredible. I trusted him wholeheartedly.”

So, the film is playing at Flickerfest obviously, but is it going to be playing anywhere else?
“This will be the Australian premiere. It’s screened at a couple of festivals here in the US, like HollyShorts and Raindance and The LA International. But obviously with COVID this year, they were all online. That was bittersweet, but I was so grateful to have people be able to view it at those festivals. Flickerfest is doing something in person though, which is great. In any other year, I would be there in a heartbeat, so it’s a bitter pill to swallow that I can’t be there.”

I imagine it wouldn’t have been as nerve wracking for you to have it play online as opposed to being there in the flesh and watching it in front of a live audience, right?
“Yes, but there’s also an energy that undeniably comes with watching a film and being able to invite all the collaborators and all the people that were part of it and being able to experience watching it together on a big screen. There’s obviously a vulnerable, scary feeling that comes with that, but I was so excited to share this film with all the people that were part of it in person, and honestly, to see it on a big screen… I’ve seen it on a big screen once, when I was grading, which was great. I’ll have to find someone with a big television so I can screen it as if it’s a premiere.”

Will your family in Australia be able to go to Flickerfest to see the film?
“I hope so! But up until recently, I assumed that Flickerfest would be an online festival. But it’s so good to know that they’re confident enough about the state of COVID in Australia that it will be happening in person. That just feels so foreign to me, because I’m in the worst part of the world right now. You can’t even go to a grocery store without being in a pretty risky situation. So the idea of a movie screening just feels very foreign right now.”

Do you plan on doing more directing? Do you have anything in the pipeline?
“I had planned to keep working towards something else, perhaps a feature. There are still things that I’ve been thinking about but, obviously this year, even as an actress, it’s been hard. It’s a really difficult climate right now, and there are a lot of risks when it comes to production. In an ordinary time, I’d be thinking about directing opportunities, but like everyone else right now, I’m just sitting at home and hoping that things start getting a little safer and opening up and that opportunities start arising again.”

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We’ve all had to adjust our routines since the pandemic — with many people pivoting professionally. Phoebe Tonkin is no different.

When Hollywood productions halted in March because of the novel coronavirus, the actress and environmental activist used the downtime to revisit an idea she’d previously put on the back burner.

Earlier this month, Tonkin teased the new project on her Instagram account alongside a photo with the word “LESJOUR!” in red. The mysterious post left Tonkin’s 6.1 million followers Googling what the word might mean.

The answer is officially out of the biodegradable bag. On Thursday, Tonkin launched Lesjour!, a sustainable loungewear collection. It consists of six pieces (four tops and two pants) in two colorways (black and red) with each piece sold separately for $198. The sets, fashioned from earth-friendly material, are exclusively available for preorder on lesjour.com in sizes XS to XXL.

Although Tonkin had long contemplated creating a sustainable fashion line, its aesthetic was ultimately inspired by her off-duty wardrobe and pandemic lifestyle.

“I felt like I was changing four times a day but in the same variation of pajamas,” Tonkin told The Times over Zoom in mid-October while clad in a red Lesjour! top, which she paired with gold hoop earrings by Oma the Label. “Then the pajamas would elevate to sweatpants to go to the grocery store and then I’d come back and put something else on.”
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