by FilmInk Staff
Filmmaker-led rollout will showcase the Aussie creature feature in cinemas before a targeted home-media campaign.
DROBEAR has secured local distribution with Six Foot Four Productions. The rights for theatrical and home-media releases in Australia and New Zealand were acquired from ITN Distribution (USA) for a major indie-first release.
Six Foot Four Productions has acquired the theatrical and home media rights from ITN Distribution (USA), the distributor that took a chance on an Australian film about killer koalas and has supported the project from the beginning. This acquisition enables the film to be premiered in local cinemas first, followed by a release focused on collectors for home viewing.
Why this matters
The film was produced through a tightly integrated network in Adelaide, which included Six Foot Four Productions, Equip-it Gear, Star Avenue Studios, Pulsar Post, and Australis FX. This collaboration managed the entire process from filming to final mastering. By minimising freight costs, long-distance travel, and multiple vendor mark-ups, the team focused their budget on what audiences ultimately see and experience. This integration allowed them to deliver a picture-locked, VFX-finished feature in just six months from the first day of shooting.
Principal photography took place over eight days in April 2025, based at Star Avenue Studios in Dudley Park, with on-location work just outside Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills.
Securing ANZ rights from ITN Distribution expands this model into film exhibitions: a filmmaker-led distribution approach that eliminates intermediaries, allowing independently made films with studio support to maximize their reach and profitability in their home markets. This approach gives filmmakers control over programming, marketing, and spending decisions for their projects. Additionally, Six Foot Four Productions aims to extend this distribution pipeline to partner productions, supporting other independent filmmakers by reducing costs, keeping jobs local, and ensuring they see a return on their investments.
John deCaux, writer–director–producer: “Like many small production houses across Australia, we’ve faced enormous challenges keeping the lights on while telling the stories we believe in. Securing local rights for Dropbear is proof that even in the toughest moments, independent filmmakers can still carve out a place on the big screen.”
The company plans to extend this model to other filmmakers, applying the same end-to-end approach to keep costs low, maintain local jobs, and help more Australian stories reach audiences, both on screen and on shelves.
Release plan
There is no confirmed release date, with the team eyeing a November premiere in Australia to give audiences the big-screen experience first.
Following theatrical, the ANZ rollout will lean into ownership—with streaming increasingly fragmented, horror-comedy fans continue to collect and re-watch—via collector-friendly physical and digital options.
Local investment, lasting impact
Support from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Arts & Culture Grant helped fund the VFX production, enabling Australis FX to assemble and train a local team of artists who completed 365 shots from start to finish. This capability now extends to additional U.S. features and local productions, thereby strengthening Adelaide’s screen workforce.
Jackson Johns, Associate Producer: “Standing up a South Australian VFX unit that could deliver 365 shots in-house changed the game. The grant support let us train locally, turn shots around fast, and parlay that experience into new work on U.S. and domestic shows—proof we can finish effects-heavy genre films right here in Adelaide.”
South Australia is increasingly attracting larger film productions, thanks to initiatives led by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC). As these opportunities grow, Six Foot Four Productions is expanding its integrated pipeline in Adelaide to help develop local talent. This approach provides early-career crew members with valuable experience, including credits on feature films and hands-on work in visual effects (VFX), preparing them for bigger projects in the future.
John deCaux, writer, director, and producer: “The SAFC is doing essential work to bring ambitious productions to South Australia. Our goal is to ensure that local talent is ready when these productions arrive by providing crew members with credible, practical experience on effects-heavy films like Dropbear.”
A DROPBEAR sequel is in active development, with production targeting a late-November / early-December shoot, once again leveraging the integrated Adelaide pipeline.
About the film
Two dodgy outback tour guides stage a fake “drop-bear encounter” for American thrill-seekers, only to trespass into the realm of a flesh-hungry Koala King and his eucalyptus-addicted horde. What begins as a scam becomes a treetop fight for survival.
KEY CREDITS
Studio: ITN Studio
Production Company: Six Foot Four Productions
Executive Producers: Stuart Alson, Nicole Holland
Writer / Director / Producer: John deCaux
Associate Producer: Jackson Johns
Production Designer: Shannyn McKay
Editor: James Gleeson
Composer: Bill Palmer
Principal Cast: Connor Pullinger, Jessica Burgess, Adam Ovadia, Caymond, Kieren Thomas McNamara, Lucas Andrews, and Yoz Mensch as the Koala King
Supported by the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Arts & Culture Grant
