by FilmInk Staff
The Film Sunshine Coast Backlot at Woombye is set to transform into a striking dystopian landscape for the production of the horror-fantasy film OUTSET, the most ambitious screen project undertaken by the Australian Performing Arts Conservatory (APAC) to date.
Produced by APAC and proudly supported by the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, OUTSET is an epic multi-universal adventure set in a near future where legendary beings, humans and warriors collide in a battle for survival. The original story was created and developed by filmmaker Mirko Grillini.
The production marks a significant milestone for APAC and the Sunshine Coast screen industry, becoming the largest film project ever produced at The Film Sunshine Coast Backlot in Woombye. Over 5 days of filming, the set includes 15 cast members, 25+ crew members, and Sunshine Coast Screen Cadetship students.
Designed as a professional training production, OUTSET provides APAC students with first-hand experience of working on a large-scale film set while also offering valuable upskilling opportunities for Sunshine Coast Screen Collective crew members and cadets. The initiative aims to strengthen the region’s screen workforce in preparation for the opening of the Sunshine Coast Studios and the increasing demand for skilled local practitioners.
Set amongst the region’s picturesque bushland, The Film Sunshine Coast Backlot provides the ideal backdrop for the story, which follows heroine Tallulah on her desperate quest to discover a passage to a new world.
The film is being shot on location by Aesop Media and marks the fourth production directed by Mirko Grillini at the Woombye property. Production design and costume design are led by Amanda Grillini, a born-and-bred Sunshine Coast artist whose work helps bring the film’s distinctive world to life. Also joining the team, Sunshine Coast’s Make Up and Prosthetics training institution “The Art of Make Up Society”.
The production proudly employs an entirely Sunshine Coast-based crew and features local actress Beverley Marcusson, who also contributed to refining the screenplay’s Indigenous character to ensure greater cultural authenticity.
The majority of the cast are final-year of the Bachelor of Screen and Stage (Acting) students at APAC, for whom OUTSET serves as their final screen assessment. By immersing students in professional production environments, APAC and the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective continue their shared commitment to industry-focused, practical training at a time when Australia’s screen sector is experiencing unprecedented growth and demand for skilled performers and crew.
Beyond its educational outcomes, OUTSET has been developed with the international film festival circuit in mind, providing an opportunity to showcase the talent of the Sunshine Coast’s emerging screen practitioners while highlighting the region’s exceptional filming locations.
APAC’s screen productions have enjoyed remarkable success in recent years, collecting more than 20 awards in major international film festivals over the past four years, competing in open competition rather than student categories.
OUTSET demonstrates how education institutions like APAC can collaborate with industry such as the Screen Collective, to develop local talent, strengthen workforce capability, and accelerate the growth of the Sunshine Coast’s creative sector.
