by FIlmInk Staff
Bringing together Australian screenwriting heavyweights, leading Butchulla artists and Queensland creatives, K’gari’s Secret aims to create local jobs and spotlight the Fraser Coast as a destination for Australian screen production, with the support of the Fraser Coast Regional Council.
The teen adventure-drama television series is moving into development, with the producers spotted on K’gari last week undertaking further research and location scouting.
The show’s creators, local actress and producer, Nicole Payten-Betts (Double or Nothing, The Wilds), Gold Coast producer and presenter, Jessica Stafford-Ewing (Double or Nothing, Tough Tested) and Scott Major (Heartbreak High, Neighbours) are now hosting some of Australia’s finest in the K’gari’s Secret Writers’ Room, with Major, who also serves as head Writer and Director of the Series, excited about the collaboration.
“Having the likes of Chelsea Cassio (Home and Away, The Doctor Blake Mysteries), Gemma Bird Matheson (Neighbours, Rock Island Mysteries) and Dru Brown (Double or Nothing, The Suicide Theory) in the room is what will help shape our story with the care and love that it deserves,” he said.
“With our producing partner and Butchulla Songman Fred Leone in the room, we have a special connection between our story and his Country and language, ensuring our cultural references are authentic and accurate.”
Payten-Betts, who is the founder and director of The Allusion Club kids screen training, says the project is an opportunity for local talent to be discovered, with the production team set to host local acting workshops in the new year.
“Queensland is home to so much untapped talent and crew that just don’t get the opportunities that perhaps creatives in major cities do. We’re going to change that, particularly for regional Queensland.”
Scene 11 Productions’ co-founder and long-term collaborator with Payten-Betts, Stafford-Ewing adds the support from industry stakeholders and local bodies like Council and the Butchulla Aboriginal Native Title Corporation (BNTAC) has been phenomenal.
“It really reinforces to us what we felt in our hearts at the conception of K’gari’s Secret; that this is a special story to tell – a human story with Butchulla elements that will not only bring community together but will entertain a wide audience of both young and mature, with a global reach which will showcase Australia and the Wide Bay region.”
Cr Michelle Govers, who was part of the unanimous vote in February says the support from Council was a “no-brainer”.
“What a large-scale project like this could do for our community is wonderful’” she said.
“We are excited to see K’gari’s Secret taken into the next steps of development.”
ABOUT SCENE 11 PRODUCTIONS
Boutique Queensland screen production house with bases on both the Fraser and Gold Coasts, founded by Nicole Payten-Betts and Jessica Stafford-Ewing in 2024. scene11productions.com
Image: Creators/Producers with Butchulla Songman and guide Travis Page during last week’s research trip on K’gari. photo by Dan Filmer
