Danielle Baynes is an award-winning actor, writer and director based in Sydney, Australia. With a passion for performance-driven narratives, Danielle’s work often explores coming-of-age, connection and identity. Danielle was nominated for an Australian Writers’ Guild Award (AWGIE) and Australian Directors’ Guild Award for her debut short film, COLD HEARTS. Co-written and co-directed with Yolanda Ramke (CARGO, TROPPO), Cold Hearts won Best Narrative Short and Exceptional Emerging Artist awards at the Hollywood Film Festival. Her second short film, COMMENTS, won the Audience Award at Freshflix Film Festival 2022 and was launched as a social impact campaign in support of the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. It is now used in schools around the world as a visceral education tool on the impact of cyberbullying. Danielle is currently in development as creator of new teen sci-fi series, SECOND TIME, produced by Thumper Pictures with support from Screen Australia. Danielle’s third short film, GHOST GEAR, premiered at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival in 2023. Shot entirely on Bruny Island, Tasmania, the film was the recipient of the BRUNY20 Artist fellowship. Danielle is currently developing her feature debut, another feature horror with co-writer Mohini Herse, SKINFIT, and has just completed production on her fourth short film, THE DOG, starring Kate Walsh.

“COMMENTS developed out of a feeling of fear and deep empathy. Fear of the challenges teenagers must tackle because of social media, and empathy because I only just made it out unscathed. I am part of that odd generation who experienced some life without the internet, but had early versions of social media in the very formative high school years, and became addicted in my 20s. I talked to a lot of teen girls, teachers, parents and researchers. The feeling of living a double life and feeling hostage to your device was spoken about a lot. Stories of bullying came up a lot. The difference between then and now lay in the weapons of choice; the apps, the message threads, the fake accounts, the digital blackmail. The anonymity offered to online perpetrators was unprecedented. What I found even more complex was the confluence of the online tools being the source of pain but also the balm for the wounds. Social media is not an addition to young people’s lives; it’s an extension of their reality. Isolating yourself from the network, or deleting the apps is not the simple solution. There’s no real permanent escape from the internet. The film examines the relationship between resilience building and the online rabbit hole. It asks, how can you find resilience as a young person when the internet is both barrier and balm? I hope anyone struggling with similar experiences knows that there is always someone in their life who is there to help.”

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