FILMING of the comedy-drama Overture is set to begin on Friday, August 23 until Monday in York with support from the state government’s WA production attraction incentive (WAPAI) and Screenwest, injecting about $3.5 million into the state’s economy.

The call came out earlier this week for extras, along with a footy team for a scene to be shot on Monday, August 26.

There will be about 225 Western Australians employed on the project to be filmed in York and Perth including crew, extras and contractors.

The film comes on the back of Take Two recent film and television productions, the Craig Silvey adaptation of Runt, which will hit cinemas next month and the second season of popular TV drama The Twelve, now streaming on Binge and Foxtel,  both of which used York as their main filming location.

These productions join a list of earlier films and TV series filmed partly in York, including Breath (2017), Cloudstreet (2011), Natural Justice: Heat. (1996) and a number of film shorts.

The direct spend for York and the Perth Hills for both Runt and The Twelve was $1.165m,  and during filming, all of York’s accommodation was filled, with some cast and crew also being guests in private homes.

Many York residents were also employed as extras for the two productions, with more roles expected in the most recent production.

Overture, by award-winning filmmaker Bruce Beresford is produced by Ambience Entertainment, and follows the journey of Stephen Seary, a successful stage designer, returning to his small Australian hometown to say goodbye to his dying mother. He has to navigate chaos and drama while trying to return to Europe for a major opera design contract.

The acclaimed cast includes Luke Bracey as Stephen, alongside Bryan Brown (Anyone but You, Breaker Morant, Cocktail), Susie Porter (Mercy Road, Transfusion, Gold), and Nicholas Hammond (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Sound of Music, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

Local Western Australian producer, Kelvin Munro (We Bury the Dead), will also join the production alongside the experienced producing team at Ambience Entertainment of Michael Boughen and Michael Street, whose film projects include Tomorrow When the War Began (2010) and Storm Boy (2019).

The production attraction incentive is designed to attract high profile, market driven screen productions to Western Australia.