By Luke Voogt
Geelong will star on the silver screen with local-made film Paper Champions to feature in the Melbourne International Film Festival next month.
Producer Erin Saliba was “thrilled” the festival had accepted the flick, which features scenes filmed at Geelong West Town Hall, McDonald Reserve in Belmont and Eastern Beach.
“We are excited to have Geelong on display Australia-wide – Geelong has a wide range of versatile locations and landscapes,” she said.
“We love our home town of Geelong and on behalf of the Paper Champions team, we hope that you love the film as much as we do.”
The Australian-New Zealand rom-com follows amateur wrestler Rey’s journey to rediscover his self-confidence after meeting love interest Holly.
Rey has lost his ‘mana’, which refers to strength and confidence in Polynesian culture.
The couple, who tied the knot last November, wanted the film to have a distinctly Geelong, Australian 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’,” Erin said last year.
“Or, ‘Oh my god! I know that milk bar’ or ‘I had my engagement party in that hall’.”
After making Melbourne International Film Festival, Erin thanked Geelong council and the local community for their support.
Council’s arts and culture portfolio chair Trent Sullivan in turn thanked the couple for basing the film in Geelong and congratulated them on making the world-famous festival.
“They certainly have a bright future ahead,” he said.
