by FilmInk Staff
Australian filmmaker Serhat Caradee (Cedar Boys, A Lion Returns) has wrapped production on his third feature film, Valley Dogs, following a location shoot in regional NSW.
After the staggering cinematic one-two punch of the gritty crime thriller Cedar Boys and the powerful family-themed drama A Lion Returns, Australian writer/director Serhat Caradee is back with the equally bracing Valley Dogs, which comes with the backing of executive producer Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Breaker Morant).
At the centre of the film are two powerful lead performances from up-and-coming actors Mojean Aria (Beast, The Correspondent) and Anna-Maree Thomas (Evil Dead Rise), whose boldly etched and deeply nuanced characters navigate a volatile world shaped by loyalty, masculinity, and the lingering psychological impact of war.
A tough, uncompromising and highly topical tale, Valley Dogs tracks two ex-Special Forces soldiers who head to rural NSW to visit a war buddy whose helmet-cam footage and testimony over an incident in Afghanistan sent them to prison in Australia. Soon, the quiet rural idyll will explode with revelations, recriminations and perhaps even a shot at redemption.
As Australia continues to wrestle with confronting conversations around alleged war crimes and the moral consequences of conflict, Valley Dogs taps directly into the national psyche, exploring how these issues reverberate far beyond the battlefield and into everyday life.
Shot on location near Braidwood, NSW, Valley Dogs combines raw emotional authenticity with a tightly wound narrative and a compelling female protagonist at the heart of characters grappling with fractured identities and ideological extremism.
Creating a commercially compelling package for both domestic and international audiences, the film explores timely themes which will resonate in the current global market.
Produced by Caradee and Liz Burton, Valley Dogs also stars Andrew Cutcliffe, Elliott Mitchell, Tony Llewellyn-Jones and Linden Wilkinson, with Production Design by Ella Wilkinson, Cinematography by Simon Koloadin, and Costumes by Bronte Hunt.
Currently in post-production, Valley Dogs is targeting a 2027 release, with distribution in Australia/New Zealand through Screen Inc.
