General News
14 October, 2024
A history of the Wimmera's cinematic hotspot for blockbusters, indie films
The Dressmaker, The Dry: top movies filmed in Wimmera, Grampians.
The idyllic Wimmera and Grampians are no strangers to the silver screen.
From the Gariwerd National Park to the main street of Minyip, filmmakers have featured the region in many movies.
During a five-day stint in October 2014, Barren was part of an independent short film filmed in Horsham, Halls Gap, and the Grampians.
Barren director and writer Sarah Hickey said she was inspired to film in the region during an 800-kilometre promotional walk she used to help market and inspire the film in 2013.
"...I walked from Melbourne to Adelaide as a part of a research, marketing exercise for the film," Miss Hickey told The Wimmera Mail-Times in October 2014.
"Each night I stopped in a new town along the way and stayed with a stranger who sponsored the walk. That journey was completely documented, and the script was written on the journey and after."
The film, a story about a young mother who experiences trauma and loss and just packs up and walks, is available via www.facebook.com/barrenfilmofficial.
This was not the last time moviegoers would see the Wimmera and Grampians on the big screen.
The Dry, a crime thriller featuring Eric Bana, could be the most famous movie filmed in the region.
Filmed mainly in the Wimmera and Mallee, The Dry turned Beulah into 'Kiewarra' for the film.
While Minyip was home to Kiewarra's pub, Hopetoun's Neighbourhood House featured heavily in the film as the local school.
Minyip is no stranger to showbiz, with The Flying Doctors still attracting tourists to 'Cooper's Crossing'.
Other films to showcase the region include:
The Dressmaker (2015)
Starring Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, and Hugo Weaving, The Dressmaker features scenes shot at the Longerenong Homestead in Horsham and recruited many extras from the area.
The film was shot in Horsham, You Yangs near Geelong, and Melbourne's Docklands studios, requiring a fleet of hired cars to shift 100 crew members across the state.
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's picture book classic required a stunning backdrop that gave viewers a sense of fantasy.
Where the Wild Things Are was filmed across many locations in Victoria, with one scene taking place atop Mount Arapiles.
Lake Mungo (2008)
Joel Anderson's documentary-style psychological horror was partly filmed in Ararat.
The film tells the story of a family haunted by the ghost of their sixteen-year-old daughter, who drowned in a dam in Ararat.
Just a Farmer (2024)
The newest addition to the list, Just a Farmer was filmed in Tatyoon by Leila McDougall.
Focused on the relationship between a newly widowed mother and an alcoholic father-in-law, Just A Farmer was won several prestigious film awards across the world.