Film-making couple Erin Scott and Luke Saliba “can’t wait” to show Geelong to the world in their new movie, Paper Champions.
“We hope that by showing off our city and local businesses more opportunities will open up for all those who live here in the film industry,” Erin said.
The Highton 25-year-old and her fiancee will begin filming next Monday after scouting sites across Geelong.
A local mother told Erin her 12-year-old son was thrilled about their street appearing in the film, she said.
“I know if I was 12 and there was a film in my street I’d be so excited.”
The Australian-New Zealand romantic comedy follows amateur wrestler Rey’s (Saliba) journey to rediscover his self-confidence after meeting Holly, former Home and Away actress Tessa de Josselin.
Gary Sweet, who starred in Aussie series House Husbands and Stingers, also plays a lead role.
Paper Champions follows the producer couple’s short film Rey, which showed at festivals worldwide.
Erin said they had secured a distribution deal for their new film and private investors, whose identities she declined to reveal.
“They could see how passionate we were about doing this.”
She wanted the film to have a distinctly Aussie and Kiwi flavour.
“We want people to watch this film and think, ‘hey that’s my cousin, that’s aunty or, even, that’s my workplace’,” she said.
“Or, ‘Oh my god! I know that milk bar’ or ‘I had my engagement party in that hall’.”
