FNQ movie release to showcase talent
AN aspiring filmmaker and actor is hoping a new $6.8m movie studio in Cairns can provide a springboard for global careers ahead of the release of a dramatic Far North feature film.
Lisa Bertoldo, 29, has written, produced and starred in a new full-length movie, Lindy Lou, to be screened early next year, with the entire production made up of Far North talent.
The Mareeba actor, who spent time in Los Angeles before the global pandemic hit, said she was surprised with the “sheer weight of talent” at her disposal during the ninemonth shoot.
Ms Bertoldo said plans to convert the 6500sq m Bunnings Warehouse into a new production facility, complete with a state-of-the-art sound stage, couldn’t have been better timing.
“The new film studio is going to be so good considering the sheer weight of talent we have up here,” she said.
“It can launch careers in the industry and also offers locals an opportunity.”
The Lindy Lou film, directed by Anthony Ring and through Lindy Lou Productions and Ring of Fire Productions, follows a young woman whose life is thrown into turmoil after a tragic loss.
It will be showcased in national and international film festivals and pitched to multiple streaming networks.
The production – which employed more than 55 locals – was born from a $10,000 Regional Arts Development Fund grant, but the movies budget has ballooned to over $400,000 thanks to in-kind donations.
“It takes place in rural Queensland and the film is shot as if you don’t really know what has happened,” she said.
“We got the original grant from RADF in early 2020 and we have filmed all this year.
“And the budget just went through the roof with people donating their expertise and in-kind donations.
“We can’t believe that from $10,000 we have got 55 people on board, two music videos with original songs and the entire movie is completely local.
“We are really proud of it and looking forward to showcasing it.”
The trailer has been released on YouTube.
Ms Bertoldo said the new film studio would create an ideal space for Far North TV and film creators, and expected it to be a major attraction for interstate and global productions choosing the region as a film destination.
“I want to see it create jobs for Cairns people as well,” she said.
“Hopefully when productions come here they can employ as many locals as possible because the talent is certainly here.”
The Far North has proved a happy location for a number of recent productions.
This Little Love of Mine, which rated number one on Netflix in the UK, and Network Ten and Netflix series Dive Club, filmed in Port Douglas, were both massive hits.
Construction on the Cairns film hub is set to begin early in 2022 and be completed by the middle of the year. The complex will have a sound stage and support facilities including production offices, construction, wardrobe, and hair and makeup departments.