Two of the biggest names in the Australian film industry have a chilling reason for heading into the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Lincoln Lewis (Home and Away, Tomorrow When the War Began) and Paul O’Brien (Home and Away, Message Man) will visit for three weeks in April to shoot a feature film, The Gorge.
The locally produced supernatural thriller will showcase the raw beauty of the Kenilworth area.
The Gorge is about a grieving woman and her friends who must survive a night in the woods when an unseen force begins to hunt them. But not all is as it seems.
Lincoln Lewis said that it had been “on his bucket list to shoot a film on the beautiful Sunshine Coast’’.
“Being Queensland born and bred, I’m always stoked when I get the opportunity to film a project in my home state,” Mr Lewis said.
“It’s something that’s been on my bucket list, to be able to shoot a Sunny Coast project.
“The pre-production is a lot of fun for the whole team so now I just can’t wait to get back up to paradise and begin shooting, and also get back to the Eumundi Markets – I love that place.”
The film is being produced by Sunshine Coast-based company Blink Productions in association with Imagination Pictures.
Blink Productions creative director Matt Young said he was thrilled to write and produce a local film backed by two amazing actors.
“The film will be 100 per cent made on the Sunshine Coast with most of the shoot taking place in and around the Kenilworth area due to its dense lush forests and open rural landscapes,“ Mr Young said.
“We will also shoot around Image Flat and Black Mountain as they provide the perfect scenic backdrops for the scenes the film requires.
“The Sunshine Coast has a plethora of locations, from the beaches to the hinterland so it was a no brainer to produce this film in our own backyard.
“I’m hoping The Gorge receives accolades and exposure on the international film festival circuit which will in turn bring more investment to the Sunshine Coast as a destination for film making.“
Joining the cast is local Sunshine Coast actors Nathan Morgan and Holly Axsentieff who will play the lead character Otti, and Brisbane actor Jasmine Barui.
The film is directed by Ryan Butler, a director and editor from Beerwah, and recent winner of The Sunny Coast Showdown’s scripted category.
“Our next film is a feature length movie currently being described as Harry Potter cross Willy Wonka and Star Wars, with plans to shoot most of it right here on the Sunshine Coast,“ Mr Young said.
Sunshine Coast Council Economic Development Portfolio Councillor Terry Landsberg said it was an exciting occasion for the region and indicative of the growing interest our screen industry was attracting.
“As proud sponsors of The Sunny Coast Showdown, council recognises the screen industry is a largely untapped area that would boost our regional economy in the future,” Cr Landsberg said.
“The production of homegrown films like The Gorge has a positive flow on economic benefits for tourism, hospitality and our creative industries.”
The Gorge is expected to hit the film festival circuit later this year.
