Emerging talent recognised as West Coast Visions film project announced

A feature film script set in an apocalyptic world has been selected to receive $750,000 in production funding through a special Western Australian Government initiative for emerging filmmakers.

Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said ScreenWest's West Coast Visions initiative was designed to uncover, inspire and develop up and coming filmmakers.

"West Coast Visions creates a pathway for WA creative teams by providing significant funding towards a low-budget feature film," Mr Day said.

"I congratulate producer Liz Kearney and writer/director Zak Hilditch on being selected for West Coast Visions 2011 with their project 'These Final Hours'.

"'The film is an apocalyptic thriller that follows James, who while making his way to the party to end all parties on the last day on Earth, ends up saving the life of a little girl searching for her father, who ultimately leads him on the path to redemption."

West Coast Visions is highly competitive and three finalist teams faced two days of interviews:  the assessment panel noted that 'These Final Hours' is a 'well-developed and crafted script; that it's a real page turner that has a unique take on the apocalyptic world'.

Zak Hilditch won the Young Filmmaker of the Year at the 2006 WA Screen Awards.  He has made three independently-funded feature films, 'The Actress', 'Plum Role' and 'The Toll' which premiered at the CinéfestOZ Film Festival.

Liz Kearney has worked in a variety of production roles on local TV series and feature films including 'Cloudstreet', 'The Circuit', 'Needle', 'Wasted on the Young' and 'Bran Nue Dae'.  She and Zak recently completed shooting the short film 'Transmission' which was funded through Screen Australia's Springboard initiative and will be delivered in July 2011.

The creative team also includes Robert Connolly ('Balibo', 'Romulus My Father',

'The Boys') as executive producer and mentor.  The project aims to begin filming in 2012, subject to further development and full financing.

The Minister praised West Coast Visions as an important initiative. 

"West Coast Visions has resulted in an increase in the level of feature film production in WA, with more films being made and more experienced local creatives and crew," he said.

Projects made through West Coast Visions include 'Blame', 'Wasted on the Young', 'Stone Bros' and 'Last Train to Freo'.  Blame will be released in cinemas in Perth on June 16.