Director wants to hold indie film premiere in Tamworth

Thankfully, it was not a local police operation, but in fact the film crew from the independent psychological thriller, Girl in the Shadows, shooting a pivotal scene from 5pm through to the early hours of the morning.

The crew has been filming in and around the district since June, and will wrap up local scenes on Friday, August 4, at Nundle before production returns to Sydney for completion - with suggestions the film's premiere will be staged in Tamworth next year.

The film's director Darren Hawkins said Wednesday evening's scene involved the film's two female leads: Samm Cluff who plays Shelley, a small town cop struggling with PTSD, and her cousin Jennifer, played by Lauren Hamilton Neill. Shelley, who is investigating the murder of a local reclusive hoarder, is also seeking justice for a wrong inflicted on the two women when they were children.

The local film schedule has been a busy one, starting at Moonby House, Moonbi, in late June, before moving to a number of sets in and around Tamworth city, as well as Kootingal, Limbri and Nundle.

Thanks to the friendly reception the film crew has received in and around Tamworth, the city and the surrounding districts have received much praise from Mr Hawkins.

"Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and generous with their time and support for our project," he said.

"One of our aims was to involve the local community as much as possible in the production, without seeming to be taking over the place - we wanted the local community to feel as much involved in the film as we do."

READ ALSO:

Mr Hawkins said one of the many scenes filmed in Tamworth was at the Welder's Dog, and featured a cameo performance by country music star Adam Harvey. Many local faces also appear as extras.

Mr Hawkins said there was a big difference to shooting a film in a regional area compared to working in a metropolitan centre.

"Out here it's a case of the community saying 'how can we help you' rather than 'what can you do for us' in metro areas," he said.

"There have been so many people and businesses across Tamworth and district who have been generous with their time and assistance in many forms - people have offered us their homes for filming while businesses have offered generous deals for their services

"We are an independent production so we don't have a massive budget, and the community's generosity has been a huge support."

So much so, Mr Hawkins said he hoped to hold the movie's world premiere in Tamworth next year.

"We would love to have it coincide with the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January, but that will depend on the post production schedule," he said.

"If not January, then the Hats off to Country festival in July may be better timed.

"Having Adam Harvey in the film has helped tie us into the region - his name, his music."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: