Neighbours and Home and Away stars Tim Robards, Patrick O'Connor and Sophie Dillman star in new period drama set in Balgownie
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Former Bachelor Tim Robards joins Home and Away favourites Patrick O'Connor and Sophie Dillman in a new film project written by an Illawarra creative.
The trio were on set last week in the Hawkesbury region for Sherbrooke Down: The Road to Cataract, written by musician-turned-filmmaker James Stewart Keene.
It's to be used to secure funding for a longer feature - a true story about the lost village of Sherbrooke at the bottom of Cataract Dam - as well as being entered in festivals such as at Cannes. The first cut will be finalised in March.
"I'm being bold and being ambitious and I'm not scared of that," Keene told the Mercury.
"To have three of the biggest names in Australian television at the moment - I think that tells volumes for the story telling."
It appears to be Robard's first lead acting role after his exit from popular soap Neighbours last August, where he played Pierce Greyson for two years.
He posted images on social media from the set at the Australiana Pioneer Village, depicting a fight scene between he and O'Connor.
O'Connor and real-life girlfriend Dillman, play Keene's great, great grandparents (Matthew and Evangeline) and is set in Balgownie in 1901 prior to them moving to Sherbrooke.
The filmmaker said it follows the male narrative but is to set the scene for the feature film which will center on Evangeline and her hardships.
Keene has teamed up with Steve McNoughton as executive producer and Helal Shmeissem as co-director, with hopes the soapie star trio will also sign on the for the larger film with a bigger budget.
James Stewart Keene at the wall of Cataract Dam. He is working on a feature film about his great, great grandmother Evangeline Keene who lived in the village of Sherbrooke that the NSW government claimed and flooded in the construction of the dam. Picture: Adam McLean