The creators of 100 Bloody Acres are at it again, as production begins on their new horror feature Scare Campaign.
Colin and Cameron Cairnes, along with producer Julie Ryan (Red Dog), have announced the key members of cast.
Meegan Warner (Turn, The Veil), Olivia DeJonge (Hiding, The Visit), and Ian Meadows (The Moodys, The Pacific) have all been confirmed as leading roles in the feature, which starts shooting this week at Beechworth Lunatic Asylum in Victoria, Australia.
Supporting roles have gone to Sigrid Thornton (Sea Change), Cassandra McGrath (Wolf Creek), and John Brumpton (The Loved Ones).
“We have assembled a formidable cast,” says director Colin Cairnes, “including the cream of Australia's next wave of acting talent, along with some Aussie acting royalty.”
It is Ryan’s second collaboration with the Cairnes brothers after the award-winning 100 Bloody Acres.
“I’m very excited to be making another film with the Cairnes brothers and fans of 100 Bloody Acres are not going to be disappointed,” says Ryan. “The brothers are original storytellers and this one has scares a plenty with a number of twists to keep people guessing.
The film also reunites key crew from 100 Bloody Acres including Director of Photography John Brawley, and SFX and Production Designer Justin Dix.
Scare Campaign follows the increasingly extreme attempts of horror themed TV “prank” show to stay one step ahead of its radical online rivals.
“The film will be packed with jolting scares and suspenseful set pieces,” promises Cairnes.
Scare Campaign has received funding from Screen Australia and Film Victoria, with Soundfirm also on board as an investor. “We are privileged to be the beneficiaries of Screen Australia and Film Victoria's support” says Cairnes, “and hope that they continue to display the courage shown in supporting the distinctive genre films we and other filmmakers seek to make.”
Australian distribution for the film will be handled by Bonsai Films and Madman Entertainment, with international sales by Films Distribution. “We learnt a lot from the 100 Bloody Acres release,” comments Ryan, “and we’re aiming to connect with our fan-base earlier via social media throughout the shoot, post and release phases”.
Cairnes also points out that the international audience will be key to the success of Scare Campaign after 100 Bloody Acres proved popular overseas last year.
“This doesn't mean going out of our way to water down the "Australianness" of the film, but it does necessitate our meeting the expectations of a sophisticated, genre-savvy international audience, and respecting their desire for big, bold ideas and polished execution.”