A Tasmanian-made feature film that transformed the island into the Scottish highlands has sold out its premiere screenings.
Ancestry Road premiered in Melbourne on Thursday night before its Tasmanian debut on Friday at the State Cinema, with both Q&A sessions completely booked out.
The film, which took just under four years from conception to cinema, was shot entirely in Tasmania over 17 days with a crew of just 12 people on a budget of around $250,000.
“The movie was actually finished almost a year ago, but we had to wait a long time to get all the distribution things into place,” Director Glenn Triggs explained during the post-screening discussion.
The production featured several first-time actors alongside experienced performers, including local Hobart child actor Finn Bertschi, whose voice was dubbed by a Scottish child to maintain authenticity.
The film’s breakout star is retired chef Bill Munro, who had never acted before when his wife spotted a casting advertisement and encouraged him to audition.
Munro initially thought he was trying out for a minor extra role, but ended up landing the lead character of Stephen, appearing in more than half the script.
The cast worked extensively on Scottish accents, with actress Jessica Stanley spending around 100 hours practising her accent before filming began.
The movie was shot throughout Tasmania’s Midlands, with the majority of the movie shot on Bowhill Road west of Oatlands with the help of local property owners.
Peter and Ruth Gee, the owners of the Bowhill Grange BnB, had their property’s three farm cottages transformed into the main sets for the film.
Farmland surrounding Bowhill Grange, owned by the Fish family, provided the perfect Scottish backdrops for the film, while the climax of the movie takes place in a nearby dam owned by the Agnew family.
Oatlands locals helped source vintage cars, horses and other props for the movie, while many residents appeared as extras in the film.
Other shooting locations included Oatlands District High School and The Book Cellar in Campbell Town.
Filming conditions proved challenging, with temperatures dropping to minus four degrees during night shoots.
The film, dedicated to Triggs’ late mother, draws on personal experiences and local characters.
Cast member Anne Cordiner, whose husband died after the filming, said the movie “gives you hope” and has brought her “huge comfort”.
Local composer Heath Brown spent four to five months creating the soundtrack specifically for the film.
Ancestry Road will expand to additional cinemas following the positive reception, with DVD and Blu-ray releases planned for later this year and a Channel 9 television broadcast scheduled for early next year.
See the trailer:
