The high tech thriller Wasted, will receive $750,000 in funding from ScreenWest, the Western Australian film and television funding agency, as the third project to benefit from the West Coast Visions low budget feature film initiative.
ScreenWest Chief Executive Ian Booth said Wasted had all the elements of a great feature film with a talented Western Australian filmmaking team and nail bitting script.
‘A high profile panel selected Wasted for its strong market appeal and cutting edge storyline,’ Mr Booth said.
Dendy Films General Manager Andrew Mackie provided feedback to the funding panel on the market potential of the applications, saying Wasted captures the zeitgeist of cutting edge youth culture today.
‘The YouTube generation meets Saw in Wasted, a voyeuristic teen, tech, thriller with global appeal,’ Mr Mackie said.
Other panel members included internationally renowned director Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career, Charlotte Gray), screenwriter Andrew Bovell (Lantana) and producer Vincent Sheehan (Little Fish).
Wasted is written by local writer Ben C. Lucas who will also direct the film with Western Australian producers Aidan O’Bryan and Janelle Landers from WBMC.
Ben is currently filming a documentary for the joint ScreenWest, SBS and South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) ‘Generation Y’ project.
‘I’m still coming to grips with the news – I’m thrilled that ScreenWest is backing this film. I want to ensure this project is the best and most competitive film product we can produce, not just for Perth but for everywhere. We’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us.’ Mr Lucas said.
Wasted synopsis: When a high school party goes dangerously off the rails, one teenager finds that revenge is just a computer click away.
The film joins a thriving production slate in the State – WA has almost reached a sustainable level of 100 hours worth of production per year.
The current record production slate is a culmination of ScreenWest’s strategic vision over the next five years to increase WA production by 50% and create a sustainable and thriving work environment for crew.
The first West Coast Visions film Last Train to Freo, received rave reviews and four Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award nominations and the second West Coast Visions film Brace, is currently in pre-production.
[release from ScreenWest]