HOLLYWOOD stars come and go, but regional Victoria has left an indelible mark on the silver screen, writes GEMMA GADD

A long-running favourite with local filmmakers well before The Man From Snowy River was shot at Mansfield in 1982, regional Victoria is enjoying a revival in cinemas from here to Los Angeles, with a slew of international films slated for release later this year and next.

First up is Summer Coda, due to hit screens on October 21, which showcases a bevy of Aussie stars including the stunning orange groves of sun-baked Mildura and the mighty Murray River.

Victoria's Yarra Valley will star alongside Robert de Niro in The Killer Elite, to be released next year, while Mount Macedon will provide the scenery for a list of stars, including Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, to be released later this year.

According to Film Victoria chief executive officer Sandra Sdraulig Victoria, with its wild, varied landscapes, is more than just the perfect backdrop.

"Local, national and international productions love filming in regional Victoria,"Ms Sdraulig said.

"Our diverse locations can double for anywhere in the world, and we have film-friendly, knowledgeable regional councils who support and encourage productions.

"Add to that our skilled crews, great facilities and world-leading film commission services and its easy to see why Victoria is such a great place to film."

One of the latest creations, South Solitary, released last month, use Cape Nelson and Cape Otway to recreate a love story set in 1920.

Ms Sdraulig said that following an extensive search for the ideal location, filmmaker Shirley Barrett chose the state's stunning southwest for its moody and ethereal qualities.

"(She) envisaged the landscape as another character in the film, and the spectacular locations around Portland, Cape Nelson State Park and the Great Otway National Park matched her vision perfectly."

Similarly, when Patrick Hughes needed a setting for his modern day Western, Red Hill, due for release later this year, he looked no further than Omeo in far East Gippsland.

Shot entirely in and around Omeo, the film uses to dramatic effect the town's many original buildings and surrounding high country for a suspense-filled tale of a convict on the run.

And when producer Jordan Kerner looked to recreate 1950s Maine, in the US, for his interpretation of the children's classic Charlotte's Web, it was the trees at Greendale, northwest of Melbourne, that sealed it.

"We had a particular need for deciduous trees to match the northern United States. We found them all over the city and at various farm locations that were close. In fact, we built the farm environment for Charlotte's Web about an hour from downtown," Mr Kerner said.

He joins a long list of directors and producers to fall under the spell of country Victoria.

In Ghost Rider, the open country roads of Bacchus Marsh doubled for Texas; in The Bank Job, a house and surrounding land in Werribee became the Dominican Republic; in Knowing, the green fields of Mount Macedon portrayed Massachusetts; and in The Pacific (made for television) a quarry in Little River stood in for the battlegrounds of World War II.

It's a catalogue that makes Victoria the nation's "most film friendly" state, Ms Sdraulig said.

"Victoria is the screen capital of Australia in terms of local production activity and the success of these locally made films is testament to what can be achieved with the skill and commitment of local screen practitioners, great locations and engaging stories," she said.

FILMS

FILMS shot in Victoria include:

  • Ghost Rider, Bacchus Marsh, Geelong and Little River, 2007.
  • Rogue, Yarra Valley, 2007.
  • Romulus, My Father, Bendigo, Carisbrook, Castlemaine, Maldon and Maryborough, 2007.
  • Charlotte's Web, Greendale, Gruyere, 2006.
  • Ned Kelly, Ballarat, Broadford, Clunes and Little River, 2003.
  • The Man From Snowy River, Mansfield and Merrijig, 1982.
  • Mad Max, Clunes, Geelong, Breamlea, Lorne, 1979.
  • The Killer Elite, in production, Yarra Valley, to be released 2011
  • Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, in production, Mount Macedon, to be released 2010
  • Red Hill, Omeo, 2010
  • South Solitary, Cape Nelson and Cape Otway, 2010
  • Summer Coda, Mildura, 2010
  • The Pacific (television series), Little River, 2010
  • Surviving Georgia, Warburton, 2010
  • Charlie & Boots, Warrnambool, 2009
  • Knowing, Melbourne and Mount Macedon, 2009
  • Van Diemen's Land, Great Otway National Park, 2009
  • The Tender Hook, Longford and Sale, 2008
  • Dying Breed, Dandenong Ranges, 2008
  • Lake Mungo, Ararat and Mildura, 2008