THE historic goldmining town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is closer to having a Hollywood experience after Western Australian investors provided initial funding for a $50 million film based on the life of CY O'Connor.
THE historic goldmining town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is closer to having a Hollywood experience after Western Australian investors provided initial funding for a $50 million film based on the life of CY O'Connor.
The film, to be based on Robert Drewe's book, The Drowner, is a fictional account of the completion of the Perth to Kalgoorlie water pipeline in 1892.
Producer Stephen van Mil told WA Business News the film's entire $1 million pre-production budget had come from WA investors.
"It's all WA, not even a cracker from the east, I haven't even tried," Mr van Mil said. "I think we've been overwhelmed by the response of the Goldfields.
"Perth has embraced it, the WA government has taken it on board, but the Goldfields, they really live and breathe it."
Mr van Mil was in Kalgoorlie-Boulder early this month canvassing the moneymen at the Diggers and Dealers mining forum.
The positive response led him to modify the investment structure to accommodate 'mum and dad' investors.
"Within that $1 million it was set up for 10 units of $100,000 for sophisticated investors, but we had such feedback and pressure from mum-and-dad investors out here we held aside a unit and we're allowed to take in 20 unsophisticated, small investors," Mr van Mil said.
"That's been filled by Goldfields people, and they've called it the Goldfields syndicate."
High-profile investors include Ausdrill executives Ron Sayers and Gary Connell, Mount Gibson Mining chief executive David Quinlivan, Australian Mines chairman Neil Warburton, and Kalgoorlie accountant and publican Ashok Parekh.
Filming in the Goldfields, which Mr van Mil said would begin in the middle of next year, would result in significant stimulus to the local economy.
"We'll be on location in WA for five months. We're estimating we'll spend about $15 million in that period in the region, so that's nice for the local economy," he said.
Mr van Mil said the $50 million film was a UK/Australia co-production, and discussions would continue with UK-based producer Robert Jones.
Mr Jones has previously produced 30 major international films, including The Constant Gardener and The Usual Suspects.
International screenwriter John Collee had just completed the third treatment of the script, according to Mr van Mil.
Mr van Mil said a 20-year deal had been formalised with Icon Film Distribution for worldwide sales, production and distribution.
He added that negotiations continued with actors Cate Blanchett, Liam Neeson, Emily Blunt and James McEvoy, who Mr van Mil said were all interested in the project.
Discussions were continuing with directors Scott Hicks and Phillip Noyce, he said.
