LEETON actor Jake Speer’s hopes of bringing his new film to Leeton have been given a cash boost from his home town.
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Mr Speer is planning to film his latest project Inside Water in town next month, as well as outlying areas in the shire.
In order to do so, he will need to bring the cast, crew and everyone in between. A crowd funding campaign has been going for several weeks and now Leeton Shire Council has jumped on board with a $15,000 grant.
Council has asked the money be used towards costs incurred while filming in Leeton such as accommodation.
When voting on the matter, some councillors were unsure considering the tight budget they are currently operating under.
However, the idea of promoting Leeton to a wider audience won out, five votes in favour and four against.
Councillor Michael Kidd said Mr Speer is a Leeton local who has been loyal to the shire over the years.
“There are major benefits of staging a filming project like this in Leeton - it could put Leeton ‘on the map’ both nationally and internationally,” he said.
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“The film being set in Leeton shire will also foster creative development and skills (here), with Jake offering to mentor a local intern in film making as part of council’s sponsorship agreement.”
Inside Water was written by Mr Speer and tells the story of a young farmer who has inherited a failing sheep farm in the wake of his father's suicide and must protect his family and his scarce water supply from a rising threat.
It is set against the back drop of the harsh Australian landscape during a time of global economic and social collapse.