FILMMAKERS plan to return to Lake Boga to complete the filming of their series of the same name after winning Best Independent Pilot in the Drama category at SeriesFest 2025 in Denver, Colorado.
Lake Boga follows a Bendigo hitman posing as a photographer who stays in the town for a couple of nights as his mission to destroy every meth lab in Victoria spirals out of control and he is surrounded by adversaries.
The pilot was praised by the judging panel for “establishing a specific sense of place and populating it with characters who feel both authentic and original”.
Melbournian co-creators Ben Bryan and Nick Capper produced Lake Boga over about five years, falling in love with the town’s character and authenticity.
“We have kind of realised people in the US haven’t seen a world like Lake Boga before and found it really interesting even beyond the story, to the characters in the town and their conversations,” Mr Bryan said.
“The screening we had in the States was really well received by the audience, and more than anything confirmed there’s an audience there for this authentic Australian setting, so we want to continue on this path and make it something we’re proud of.
“A few of the actors in the pilot are locals, and we borrowed some lines from the pub owners and staff, so we hope they feel a bit of ownership and are proud of it.”
Lake Boga will remain the production’s home ground with the potential to extend further into Tooleybuc and Manangatang.
“Nick is a stand-up comedian and spent some time in Lake Boga when he went up to Swan Hill to do a gig, and he loved the town – even though it’s very small, it has a lot of character with the pub, the Flying Boat Museum and the lake itself,” Mr Bryan said.
“We spent a lot of time writing in Lake Boga, doing the four-hour drive from Melbourne whenever we could, and we really fell in love with the town.
“Coming in from the city and going to a place like Lake Boga, the people are really different and interesting in comparison, so we really wanted to portray that as authentically as we could.
“The owners of the pub were really nice to us, and we spent a lot of time talking to people there, getting a feel for how they talk and how to keep that feeling of familiarity about the series.”
Former Lake Boga Hotel owner Daphne Norman was excited to hear Lake Boga had won Best Independent Pilot, saying the last she had heard the audiences in Colorado had loved it.
“They’re beautiful people, just gorgeous, and I’m so happy for them; they worked so hard for it,” she said.
“We were just at work one day and Ben and Nick came in, they were at the end of the bar, and they loved the way we were interacting with people.
“They said they would like to do a movie at the pub if that was all right, and could they use some of our lines we were using behind the bar.
“We thought why not, these guys had a dream, they wanted to do something, and I could help them out, and it developed into what it has and I’m so proud of them all and happy to have been part of it, it’s unreal.
“I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this community and part of putting Lake Boga on the map which will be great for the town and the community, it’s a wonderful feeling.”
The Lake Boga community were the first to see the film in a private screening at the pub.
“I didn’t know what to expect but watching it, it was funny, it was shocking, sad, all of it,” she said.
“When it was finished everyone got up and roared and clapped and they talked about it for ages, it was so good.
“I just hope someone picks it up and it’s turned into a miniseries or movie.”
Mr Bryan said the team made the first episode with a $20,000 budget of their own savings and values the freedom that gave them to create an original and authentic concept.
“At the pub screening we could overhear people reacting and how they felt they knew the people onscreen, and it was a real treat to give that to them and show them their town,” he said.
“We’re at the stage with it now where we are exploring private funding so we can maintain control and keep doing this in our own way.
“Realistically we could do it on a small budget, keep involving the local community and have a really good product at the end of the day.”
Any interested investors or collaborators can contact Ben Bryan at benleobryan@gmail.com.
The pilot trailer is available to watch at vimeo.com/benjaminleobryan.
