Lorne’s dark side to shine in Aussie horror

THE coastal town of Lorne will appear on the big screen this weekend for the unveiling of a psychological thriller titled ‘The Unlit’.

Directed and produced by the award-winning Kate Whitbread, ‘The Unlit’ shines a new light on the surf town with main character Claire Nash returning home to find it has been overcome with witchcraft.

Showing at the Lorne Theatre on July 3 at 7.30pm and July 7 at 7.15pm, Ms Whitbread said she was excited to return to the township.

“We are very excited to be there – it is such a lovely town and beautiful location,” she said.

“We wanted something spectacular and I always remember the pier which was perfect for the film.”

With the film, Ms Whitbread wanted to showcase the many offerings of the Lorne community aside from the well-known surf culture.

“It is a diverse community with the beautiful Qdos gallery, and all the area around Allenvale, it has different aspects to it,” she said.

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

The connection with the coastal town dates further back with Ms Whitbread’s role as an industry liaison for the Lorne Film Festival leading her to meet ‘The Unlit’ screen writer Darren Markey.

“I came up to help facilitate the regional writers grant, where I met Darren,” she said.

“We realised we were interested in the same type of films and kept a working relationship.

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

“It is a psychological horror but it is also a thriller about a woman trying to find her place in the world.”

‘The Unlit’ has been sold internationally with the release anticipated for around September.

Locals can get a first glimpse into the “smart Aussie horror” by heading to the Lorne Theatre at 78 Mountjoy Parade this Saturday prior to a 7.30pm start.

For more information head to ‘The Unlit Film’ website.