Horror story unfolds

USUALLY an idyllic holiday destination, director and producer Kate Whitbread has transformed Lorne into the “perfect” backdrop for a new psychological horror film titled The Unlit.

The storyline follows main character Claire Nash, a woman returning to her hometown to find it has been overcome by witchcraft.

The horror flick has received positive reviews from critics who are dubbing it a “smart Aussie horror”.

Despite Lorne being known as a relaxed surf town, Ms Whitbread said she knew the town would be the ideal place to film as they looked to showcase regional Victoria.

“The film was specifically written to be shot in Lorne and we loved the idea of dark and interesting stories,” she said.

“It is a very diverse community with the beautiful Qdos gallery, and all the area around Allenvale.

“It lends itself to more than surf culture and we really wanted to utilise regional Victoria in a way that had not been seen before.”

While tapping into the horror genre, Ms Whitbread said the film is ultimately following the story of a female character trying to find her place in the world.

Ms Whitbread, who has become an advocate for women in the industry particularly encouraging emerging creatives from regional Victoria, said she portrays “feminism slants” in her work despite the gore.

“Women’s voices are so important and underrated,” she said.

“I encourage female writers, female stories and female protagonists because we have a lot to say and we have started to say it, which is wonderful.

“Being a woman and working in this industry, I have just found my voice a little clearer and that has pushed me further.

“I would be hard pushed to work on anything that didn’t have a female slant.”

The Unlit has been sold internationally with an anticipated release date around September as well as already sparking a sequel that is in its final stages of production and a television series with more filming to take place across regional Victoria.

“We may go back into Lorne, my heart is with rural Victoria – it is a lot easier to shoot isolated stories and you get the community behind you,” Ms Whitbread said. “Everyone in Lorne was so wonderfully supportive and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

The Unlit is currently being shown across regional Victoria with remaining dates appearing online.

To find out more head to The Unlit Film website.