THE hugely popular, gay-themed web drama “The Horizon” on the weekend filmed an episode in the region including at the Narooma Oyster Festival.
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The show’s YouTube channel gets up to 60,000 views a day from around the world and its episodes have been viewed 36 million times in the last five years.
Based in Sydney, The Horizon has Far South Coast connections as lead character Jake currently played by Paul Layton and his sister Randy played by Gemma Scoble are originally from Bega.
Joining them on the trip are Jake’s boyfriend Micky also from Bega played by Matthew Clarke and his ex-girlfriend Millie played by Sarah Louella.
The plot is that the “Bega Four” as they are known in the city travel down to Bega so the two boys can come out to their parents, with those scenes filmed at Stony Creek Farm on the Brogo River.
Director Boaz Starke said the crew also got a number of stock shots at Bega including one of the town entrance signs and shot of Kisses Lagoon.
Filming switched to the Narooma Oyster Festival where the four characters wander through the crowds and then discuss the results of their dual confessions over wines at the Quarterdeck restaurant.
The show received a grant from the NSW Tourism Board to film on the coast and Eurobodalla Shire Council’s economic development officer provided support for the cast and crew of around 15 people.
The director said the show was about exploring topics that interested the gay community, including living with HIV.
There were plans to work on a television pilot but the show had trouble attracting advertisers, as the mainstream was yet to accept its gay themes.
It received sponsorship from the ACON Aids Council of NSW, Frontier Media and fashion retailers House of Priscilla and General Pants Co.
The Narooma episode would only air next year as a hectic filming schedule will see the cast and crew head to Los Angeles in the next few weeks.