8 February 2010 REGIONAL VICTORIA, THE PERFECT SETTING FOR RED HILL

The wonderful landscape of Victoria’s Gippsland region will shine on screen in 2010 as the buzz surrounding Australian feature film RED HILL, filmed entirely in and around Omeo, continues to grow.

RED HILL, written, directed and produced by Patrick Hughes, with producer Al Clark, has been selected for the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival, which starts this week. The feature film stars ex Home and Away talent Ryan Kwanten, who is perhaps better known for his current work on the hit US vampire TV series True Blood.

RED HILL filmed in the Gippsland region for two months in mid-2009 with the support of Film Victoria’s Regional Location Assistance Fund. When scouting locations, the creative team looked for the perfect backdrop for modern-day western set in high-country Victoria.

Film Victoria CEO Sandra Sdraulig said RED HILL was another example of a production that used regional Victoria’s locations to dramatic effect with the help of film-friendly councils and communities. "Local productions like RED HILL highlight not only the diverse and accessible range of regional locations available in Victoria, but also the support and enthusiasm shown by our regional councils and local communities.

"We encourage regional councils to take advantage of the significant economic and cultural benefits of filming in regional Victoria. Through our Location Victoria initiative, six regional councils collaborated to develop the Film Gippsland website, a promotional website showcasing the region’s diverse filming locations."

Patrick Hughes said the film was indebted to Gippsland Shire for its assistance. "Shooting films is never easy, but one of the most important elements of success is the level of support shown by local councils, and how warmly the cast and crew are welcomed by the community. In this case the shire, the town and its people exceeded our expectations."

Ms Sdraulig also noted that international productions were attracted to regional Victoria’s amazing locations, which can double for virtually anywhere in the world.

"International blockbusters like Warner Bros’ visually haunting WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and the highly-anticipated HBO mini-series THE PACIFIC, which both filmed scenes in regional Victoria, have been attracted to our winning mix of fantastic locations, film-friendly regional councils, talented crew, excellent services and financial incentives."

RED HILL will compete for the Berlinale’s Panorama Audience Award on 21 February, and will be distributed in Australia in mid-2010.

For more information about Victoria’s great film locations, visit www.filmedinmelbourne.com.au.