Double feature! Two movies filmed in WA to premiere at SXSW
Two films shot in Western Australia are about to premiere in March at the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.
We Bury the Dead, starring Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens), Brenton Thwaites (Titans, The Giver, How to Make Gravy) and Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin) was filmed in 2024 across Albany and the Great Southern region.
Written and directed by Perth native Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours, 1922, Rattlesnake), the zombie thriller follows Ridley’s character as she deals with the apocalyptic aftermath of a military experiment that decimates the people of Tasmania. SXSW will be the world premiere for the film.
“It’s an absolute honour to have the film selected to SXSW this year,” said Hilditch.
“It’s such a cool festival and the perfect place to help launch We Bury the Dead in 2025. I also can’t wait to showcase Albany on the big screen over there in Austin. The town went out of their way to welcome us during the shoot, and this is such an awesome way to pay homage to everyone who helped us along the way.”
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The Surfer, starring Nicolas Cage, had its world premiere at Cannes in May last year – but SXSW will be its North American premiere.
Filmed in Yallingup in late 2023, psychological thriller The Surfer follows Cage’s character as he returns to his childhood home in Australia, only to be humiliated by a group of local surfers in front of his teenage son.
An Australian/Irish co-production, the Stan Original film is directed by Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium) and written by Thomas Martin, with an ensemble cast that includes Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck), Nicholas Cassim (Mr Inbetween), Miranda Tapsell (The Dry), Alexander Bertrand (Australian Gangster), Justin Rosniak (Last King of the Cross), Rahel Romahn (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Finn Little (Yellowstone) and Charlotte Maggi (Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child on Fire).
“We are thrilled to see two Western Australian productions selected for such an iconic international festival,” said Screenwest CEO, Rikki Lea Bestall.
“Both films were filmed entirely in WA with a majority WA crew, and We Bury the Dead was also written and directed by a WA writer/director, Zak Hilditch. Congratulations to both teams!”