Sydney based film student Gary Lonesborough will be directing a short film in the Bega Valley in June and has started a crowdfunding campaign this week to make sure it happens.
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“I want to film in Bega because it is a big part of who I am and the locations are perfect for the film,” he said this week after a shotgun visit to the Bega Valley from Sydney last week with his team in tow to scout locations for the film.
“This could very well be the last film I ever get to direct so I want the film to be as perfect as possible and to get the landscape I want, and I can only find that in Bega.”
Mr Lonesborough will be working alongside other Sydney Film School students on set and in post-production as part of his Advanced Diploma in Screen and Media.
“The whole point of the website is to raise extra money for the project because I’m being extra ambitious by shooting six and a half hours away from Sydney,” he said.
“I calculated that just transport and accommodation would cost half of our budget.”
The film will be a “post-apocalyptic survival film” titled The Children and will follow the journey of Laura and Jacob as they do everything they can to survive the barren and isolated NSW countryside.
“The film explores the strength of a sibling relationship, which was inspired by my relationship with my brothers and sister after my mum passed away,” Mr Lonesborough said.
“The setting is that due to the immense pollution, the earth can no longer produce fruit and vegetables, causing the majority of the population to die of starvation, scavenge what they can, or resort to cannibalism.
“When I was coming up with the concept I wanted to deal with something that would actually happen,” he said.
The majority of the short film is set with an ocean backdrop and post-production will require the use of Additional Dialogue Recording, which will also put a strain on his budget.
“When I was writing the script I had Gillards Beach on my mind because it’s very isolated and it’s a long beach,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to shooting around Bega and showcase the beauty of the South Coast.”
The crowdfunding website will be open until June 10 for donations.
Mr Lonesborough will be shooting The Children over the week of June 29, and the film will be shown at the Sydney Film School end of year festival at the Chauvel Cinema in Sydney after which he hopes to enter the film in short film festivals around the world.