Victorian-made feature The Dry has captivated Australian audiences since its release on New Year’s Day – and the glowing reviews are a testament to the Victorian talent, crew and locals who played a part of bringing Jane Harper’s bestselling novel to the big screen.

Melbourne-based Eric Bana, most recently seen in podcast-turned TV series Dirty John, plays Federal Agent Aaron Falk in the gripping crime thriller – his first Australian role in over a decade. 

The filmmakers were committed to capturing authentic Australian life in the towns and countryside that inspired Harper’s internationally acclaimed book of the same name. Attracted through Film Victoria’s production incentives including the Regional Location Assistance Fund, the production spent several weeks shooting in and around Victoria’s rural Wimmera and Mallee regions. 

Eric, director Robert Connolly (Balibo, Paper Planes) and the other cast and crew got to know these regions well during the filming of The Dry. “The local community has been absolutely incredible and so supportive. We’ve had them playing extras and they’ve been working behind the scenes in construction and all kinds of different areas on the film,” said Eric.

“They’ve been so friendly and so accommodating and we wouldn’t have been able to make the film without their help,” he said.

“I loved filming regional Victoria. We filmed at different farms and properties and a whole range of towns right across the Wimmera. It was extraordinary actually. The local community could not have been more welcoming – they loved having us there and we loved working with them.”

Robert Connolly, Director, The Dry

“Film Victoria and the state government really encouraged us to go to regional Victoria, use locals and spend money out there,” Connolly said.

Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea (The Undoing, Big Little Lies, Gone Girl), Jodi Matterson (Little Monsters) and Steve Hutensky (The Nightingale) produced The Dry, with Bana and Connolly serving as executive producers.

“The Dry is trailblazing Australian producer Bruna Papandrea’s first project in Victoria and we’re sure it will be the first of many now that she has experienced working with our world-class crews and screen businesses,” said Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher.

At the Australian box office, The Dry shot to #1 in its second week of release, overtaking DC blockbuster Wonder Woman 1984.

To find out more about Victoria’s production incentives and filming locations:

Joe Brinkmann
Manager – Production Attraction & Support [email protected]