by FilmInk Staff
A new 11-part Australian online drama series redefining the vertical format
Onehouse Story Co. proudly presents their ambitious new online series, DUSTLANDS. Created and written by series lead Jack Hayes, alongside co-writer and co-lead Isobel
Kilmartin, DUSTLANDS is a character-driven thriller made for the vertical format, aiming to bring a more grounded, cinematic style of storytelling to a space often dominated by melodrama. Set in rural Victoria, it explores loneliness, the desire for connection, and the consequences of keeping secrets.
Unfolding across 11 shortform episodes, DUSTLANDS follows a lonely dealer (Hayes) and a grieving carer (Kilmartin), who, after a chance hookup, are pulled into a quiet criminal underworld as secrets begin to unravel. The series was created and produced with a budget of just $12,000, crowdfunded by the generosity of friends, family, and strangers alike, and was filmed over seven days across a two week period in regional Victoria’s Red Hill.
Hayes was motivated to create DUSTLANDS after noticing the boom in online shows and their extensive reach around the world, and wanting to challenge expectations and push boundaries within the format.
“A lot of them seemed to follow a very specific tone and style,” he says. “It made me wonder if we could do something different. Could we make a series that had the look, performances and storytelling of prestige television, while still keeping the hooks, pace and accessibility of a short-form online series? With DUSTLANDS, I wanted to put the audience back at the forefront, I wanted to create something that I would have loved to watch growing up.”
Prioritising tension, restraint and performance over spectacle, DUSTLANDS introduces powerful new voices in film both to and behind the screen, with more than 20 young and emerging cast, crew, and filmmakers making their mark on the ambitious new project in an industry that is notoriously hard to break into.
Kilmartin reflects on this, noting “DUSTLANDS is a testament to the liberation of standing up for ourselves as creatives and breaking the confines that can, at times, feel entrenched in the Australian industry. It is proof of what can happen when you give people the freedom to contribute, challenge and follow the work wherever it leads.
“Jack’s and my shared vision gave it a foundation, but it was the generosity, talent and courage of Fin [Finegan Sampson, Director], Cam [Cameron Mitchell, DOP] the cast and the crew that allowed it to become something none of us could have made alone.”
DUSTLANDS is already speaking for itself. The series has been selected for multiple film festivals including Melbourne Webfest, with more to be announced soon, and the official trailer premiered to a sold out launch event in Melbourne last week.
For Sampson, the chance to tell a distinctly Australian story in the online space drew him to directing the project. “The characters felt layered and deeply human, and I could see so much room to explore the nuances of their relationships: what they share, what they misunderstand and what they choose to hide,” he says. “I hope DUSTLANDS shows what is possible for drama in the online space. There is an audience for Australian stories with complex characters and emotional depth, and I would love this series to help make more room for them.”
Episodes are set to be released weekly, available in vertical format on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. DUSTLANDS will also be available to view in full frame via YouTube.
Watch the first episode ‘The Boot’
Watch the second episode ‘The Puddle’
