Local director plans feature film bound for Geelong

A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR feature film will be made in Geelong next year as local director Kelly Dolen tries to help kickstart the city’s movie industry.

The producer/director is on the lookout for locations to make studio thriller Bound, his follow-up to last year’s John Doe: Vigilante.

Geelong's Kelly Dolen is a feature film director.

The latter film was shown at a Committee For Geelong function Thursday night as part of Dolen’s investment drive for Bound.

A Geelong resident for six years, Dolen — a 45-year old father of two — wants to premiere Bound at a film festival in his adopted home town in 2017, and, if successful, roll some of its proceeds into a foundation that supports other filmmakers doing high-quality projects in the city.

While he admits those plans are still being formed, he says talks with the Committee For Geelong and Enterprise Geelong Opportunity — the City of Greater Geelong’s entrepreneurial arm — have proven positive.

“Obviously we’ve got to crawl before we run, and the first step is the film,” he said.

“The idea would be this is the catalyst of an ongoing industry, rather than just here’s a film, see you later. The whole point of doing this is to build some momentum for a sustainable industry in Geelong.

“Why not? Peter Jackson did it in New Zealand. There is absolutely no reason we can’t do it here.”

Committee For Geelong chief executive Rebecca Casson said, while the film foundation was in its “first steps”, the idea had great potential for Geelong.

"We believe investment in this industry could create long-term economic benefits for Geelong,” she said.

“For us it’s about partnering with Enterprise Geelong and the council to look at a proactive approach in securing films and to encourage entrepreneurs in this sector, like Kelly, and seeing how we can all collaborate to develop a bigger industry in Geelong.”

Dolen said a big-name Australian actor would be sought for the role of Bound’s Derek Childs, a wealthy business and family man who wakes up in the film’s opening scene tied to a chair, with no idea why he’s been kidnapped.

The movie poster for John Doe Vigilante.

Like the in-your-face John Doe, it’s another dark drama laced with karma as sinners find their past catching up with them, but Dolen said the new movie would be more commercially viable.

John Doe starred Jamie Bamber and Lachy Hulme, and had contributions from acclaimed practitioners David Parker (cinematography), David Hirschfelder (music) and David Lightfoot (producer).

“That’s the calibre of people we’re bringing to the plate, and the reason for showing people the film (last night) is to say here’s what you’re gonna get at least (with Bound),” Dolen said.

“This next one ... the production value and aesthetic and the look is going to be absolutely world class.

“People that have read it have likened it to a cross between the The Hunger Games and Saw. It’s very much got that feel, but for me it’s going to be very much like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; it’s going to have that feel.

“It will be like going on a ghost train when you’re a kid; you go in and you’re scared out of your head but you come out with a big grin on your face.”