There are hopes of a wide audience for John V Soto’s action thriller Avarice, which has entered post-production following a four-week shoot in Perth.
Starring Gillian Alexy and Luke Ford, the film follows a woman as she attempts to rescue her husband following his abduction during a vicious home invasion.
Rounding out the cast are Nick Atkinson, Tom O’Sullivan, Priscilla-Anne Jacob and Ryan Panizza.
The script was penned Adam Enslow, Dane Millerd, Andrew Slattery and Soto, who also produces alongside Tim Maddocks for Filmscope Entertainment and Maddfilms, respectively.
Soto told IF that the production, which was supported by Screenwest and Lotterywest, had so far resembled a “well-oiled machine”.
“We completed the Avarice shoot on time and on budget and have captured some wonderful performances with beautiful cinematography,” he said.
“I was blessed to work with such a super talented cast and crew who were almost entirely West Australian.
“All going well, our Australian distributor expects to release the film in the second quarter of 2022.
“Internationally our sales agent has had a lot of interest from major distributors in the film, so 2022 looks to be a busy year.”
The Backlot Films is handling the Australian release of the film, with Epic Films serving as the international sales agent.
According to Screenwest, the project has sparked conversations with a “number of interested, international distributors”.
Maddocks said he had always been convinced of the film’s potential.
“When John pitched me the script at 37 South in 2018, I was intrigued and read the first draft in one sitting and was hooked,” he said.
“Audiences will love this, and when I sent it to Patrick Ewald of Epic Pictures he agreed.
“Since then, it’s all been about finding the right people to join us on the ride, and I couldn’t be happier with the team we’ve pulled together.
“Exploring the depth of talent that WA has to offer has been wonderful.”