Rebecca Breeds, Erik Thomson, Adelaide Clemens and Joel Jackson lead the cast of Tim Piper’s feature debut Kangaroo Island, which is in production in South Australia.
Set to premiere at next year’s Adelaide Film Festival, the dramedy centres on struggling Hollywood actress Lou Wells (Breeds) who has hit rock bottom only a few years after being touted as the next big thing.
Broke and aimless, she reluctantly accepts a ticket from her estranged father, Rory (Thomson), home to Kangaroo Island for a family reunion. When Rory’s real agenda unfolds, years of tension resurface, and Lou struggles between continuing to run away from her past or working to repair the damage done.
Written by Sally Gifford, the film is a Pouch Potato production, with Peter Hanlon, Bettina Hamilton, Daniel Rosenberg, and Piper serving as producers. The creative team also includes production designer David Ockenden, DOP Ian McCarrroll, costume designer Anita Seiler, and hair and make-up designer Marie-Lyne Morant.
The shoot is taking place across Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, with financial support from the South Australian Film Corporation and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund.
Kangaroo Island marks return home for Piper, who has spent more than a decade running advertising agency Piro Inc, in New York.
He said the island had become “more character than location” and plays an integral role in portraying the family at the centre of the story.
“I’m thrilled to be back in my hometown and to be working with such a talented cast and crew. Sally has written an incredible script and to be shooting on a spiritual and magical place as Kangaroo Island has been amazing,” he said.
Gifford said the area’s inhabitants served as inspiration for the story.
“Kangaroo Island’s astonishing beauty, amidst its formidable landscapes, is exciting and humbling – humans are merely ‘visitors’ here, we have with the privilege of observing the local animals at home,” she said.
“Observing animals in the wild is why I was inspired to write a story about the human animal, what makes us who we are and how we make our lives meaningful.”
In a statement, Hanlon, Hamilton, and Rosenberg said they were excited to be working with Piper and Gifford on their debut feature project.
“This is a beautiful family story that we are sure will resonate with audiences. To be filming on the otherworldliness that Lonely Planet nominated as one of the world’s most must-visit regions in the world just adds to the magic of this project,” they said.