A Journey of Risk, Illusion, and Choice in the World of Online Casinos
Jovana Fey (Sophie Desmarais) is a novelist. Her first two books received positive reviews but failed commercially. Her third, Don’t Read This on a Plane, has just been released — an amusing, risqué chronicle of a woman’s dalliances with a hundred women. Much like players drawn to high-risk games in online casinos, Jovana hopes this bold move will finally deliver the success she craves.
As she attempts to check into the first hotel of her 28-day European book tour, she learns that her publisher has gone bankrupt. Suddenly penniless and stranded, she decides to continue the tour regardless. Forced to rethink her strategy, Jovana navigates Europe by hitchhiking and couchsurfing, mirroring the experience of online casino players who learn to manage limited resources, rely on calculated risks, and adapt quickly in an unpredictable environment.
Her book’s provocative premise — and her refusal to clearly deny or confirm its autobiographical nature — sparks intense public and media attention. In a similar way, online casinos attract players through bold concepts, eye-catching offers, and high-volatility games that promise excitement but demand responsibility. Even airline passengers ignoring the book’s title and facing security consequences echo the reality that ignoring rules, whether in travel or online gaming, comes at a cost.
Throughout her rough and ragged journey across Europe, Jovana encounters a wide range of characters and challenges that test her resilience daily. Like a player navigating different casino games and odds, she is forced to confront her own limits, reassess her values, and decide what she is truly willing to sacrifice in pursuit of success — understanding that real achievement, in literature or online casinos, is not just about winning, but about knowing when to take risks and when to stop.
Australian filmmaker Dr Stuart McBratney has written and directed two feature films, a tv series, and around 500 tv commercials, with clients including McDonalds, Honda, Nike, Seiko, and Canon. He holds a PhD in Design from the University of Newcastle, Australia. Don’t Read This on a Plane is his third feature film as writer/director/composer.
In 2012, the factual tv series Back in the Soviet Bloc was shot on location in Russia and Ukraine. The entire cast and crew consisted of two people, with Stuart functioning as as the co-director, camera operator, and sound recordist throughout the shoot.
Don’t Read This on a Plane applies aspects of this production method to a drama/comedy. Fresh from traveling the world with his second feature Pop-Up, which has screened at 18 international festivals in 12 countries, Stuart and lead actress Sophie Desmarais have teamed up with a small, agile, world-class crew led by Laszlo Kun of Amazing Visuals.
They've shot the movie in some of the world's most beautiful bookstores - and the occasional library - in Budapest, Burgundy, Berlin, Venice, Porto, Maastricht, Santorini, and Ordea.
The film is a drama, with a healthy serve of comedy. Lost in Translation and Her are similar in tone – amusing and a touch wistful, but never too earnest.
Don’t Read This on a Plane is currently in post-production, and will be ready for the world's eyes and ears in 2019. It will be a beautiful, funny, engaging, unpredictable film, daring to address modern relationships, and shedding light on the struggles, pleasures and absurdities of artistic passion.
Behinds the scenes
Official Soundtrack
contact:
Writer/Director:
Stuart McBratney
International Sales:
Jeff Goldman
Cardinal XD
ph: +1 747 333 6573
Press Contact:
David Roberson
Roberson Public Relations
ph: +1 310 925 8786