The Dressmaker director Jocelyn Moorhouse has once again chosen regional Victoria as the location for her latest project, Savage River, a gripping crime drama starring Golden Globe-nominated actress Katherine Langford (Thirteen Reasons Why, Knives Out) as a female ex-con who is accused of murder.

Currently in production in Melbourne, Australia’s home of high-end television, the six-part series has a roll call of Australia’s most respected key creatives at the helm, in addition to Moorhouse (How to Make an American Quilt, Proof).

Savage River is produced by Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford for Aquarius Films, the leading independent production company whose credits include the Academy Award-nominated feature Lion, starring Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, and Rooney Mara, and the new romantic drama series Love Me, starring Hugo Weaving and Bojana Novakovic – both of which were filmed Melbourne.

Developed and commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Savage River is co-created by Belinda Bradley, Franz Docherty, and lead writer Giula Sandler, who most recently wrote HBO Max’s Murders at White House Farm, with Fielder and Staniford also joining the writing team.

Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Don McAlpine (Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet), production designer Jo Ford (The Rover, Animal Kingdom) and costume designer Maria Pattison (Three Thousand Years of Longing, Young Rock) are bringing their talents and experience to the series. Savage River is filming entirely in Melbourne and regional Victoria and has received support from Film Victoria through production investment and the Regional Location Assistance Fund (RLAF). This fund provides grants to encourage productions to locate production activity in regional Victoria

“We are thrilled to be producing Savage River with Jocelyn at the helm of all six episodes – she is one of the most talented Australian directors working today and her previous work is a testament to her unique artistic vision,”

Fielder and Staniford

“The scripts have the timeless, universal appeal of the crime TV genre coupled with very distinctive, original characters and the unique specificity of the Australian rural and social landscape, and we are excited about filming in Victoria.”

Want to find out more about filming in Victoria?
Contact Film Victoria’s Manager of Production Attraction & Support:
Joe Brinkmann

Feature Image: Director Jocelyn Moorhouse. Photo Martha Goddard