Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES CAST OF THE APPLETON LADIES' POTATO RACE

05/12/2022

05 12 2022 - Media release PARAMOUNT ANNOUNCES CAST OF THE APPLETON LADIES' POTATO RACE

Claire van der Boom

Claire van der Boom (Blacklight, Palm Beach) leads the cast of the Paramount Original The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race which has received major production investment from Screen Australia. Katie Wall (Winter, Puberty Blues), Genevieve Lemon (Ticket to Paradise, The Power of The Dog), Tiriel Mora (The Castle, Smoke Between Trees) and Robyn Nevin (Relic, The Eye of the Storm) are also starring.

With the screenplay written by playwright Melanie Tait (The Vegemite Tales, A Broadcast Coup) based on her play of the same name, the cast also includes Andy Ryan (Tomorrow When the War Began, INXS: Never Tear Us Apart), Rohan Nichol (Red Dog, MaveriX), Cecelia Peters (Playing For Keeps, The Wrong Girl), Darren Gilshenan (The Moodys, Harrow), John Batchelor (Peter Rabbit 2, Barons) and John Gaden (The Eye of the Storm, Fisk).

When Penny Anderson (Claire van der Boom) returns to her childhood home just in time for the Appleton Show and its world famous' potato race, she is outraged that the men's first prize pays out $2,000 and the winning woman's prize is only $200! Determined to right this wrong, she unleashes a cultural war the likes never seen in sleepy Appleton - pitting family against family, sister against sister and potato racer against potato racer.

Currently filming in Sydney and the picturesque villages of the Southern Highlands of NSW, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is being directed by Lynn Hegarty (Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, A Place to Call Home), produced by Andrea Keir and Lisa Duff who are also executive producing with EQ Media's Greg Quail, Paramount Australia's Sophia Mogford, and Cecilia Ritchie.

The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race is produced by Congaline Productions and EQ Media for Paramount . Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screen NSW and the NSW Regional Film Fund. Paramount , which launched in August 2021, is Australia's fastest growing streaming service and has already commissioned 16 local productions spanning drama, reality, comedy and documentary.

Screen Australia's Head of Content Grainne Brunsdon said, Writer Melanie Tait has proven her ability to connect with audiences with this heart-warming story on stage, and we are delighted to support her together with an experienced producing team to bring it to the screen. With quirky and charming characters, and set against the backdrop of quintessential regional Australia, this is set to be a joy to watch.

Paramount ANZ Network Executive of Drama And Comedy Sophia Mogford said, We are very proud to invest in this fabulous Australian production that we know will have huge global appeal. It is such a charming, engaging story full of Aussie quirks, humour and characters and the cast draws on some wonderfully familiar faces, as well as contemporary stars, with a story theme that will resonate with audiences everywhere. This production is certainly in safe hands with the talented, world-class cast and crew creating this very special film.

Producer Andrea Keir said, The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race what a title! Melanie has written a joyful and charming script set in a luscious country village nestled in rolling green hills. It will be impossible for viewers to resist when it lands on Paramount .

EQ Media's Lisa Duff and Greg Quail said, EQ Media is thrilled to be working alongside Andrea Keir on the feature film adaptation of Melanie Tait s much-loved play. We have assembled an incredible cast and crew and look forward to bringing the story of Appleton and its famous potato race to audiences both locally and internationally. With contemporary themes of home, family and the gender pay gap, this heartfelt drama is bound to become an Australian classic.

Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, Screen NSW is thrilled to support The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race and the incredible cast and crew as it films in Sydney and the picturesque Southern Highlands of NSW. Based on a successful play of the same name by Melanie Tait, this uniquely Australian story is set to explore the financial divide between genders and present a quintessential Australian tale to audiences at home and abroad. I wish the cast and crew all the best for filming.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES Emily McCammon | Paramount

[email protected]

Media enquiries Maddie Walsh | Publicist

61 2 8113 5915 | [email protected]

Lidia Williams | Senior Publicist

61 2 8113 1091 | 61 468 784 170 | [email protected]

All other general/non-media enquiries

Sydney 61 2 8113 5800 | Melbourne 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]
LINK: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2022/12-05-par...
See more stories from screenaustralia

More from Screen Aus

22/03/2023

Screen Australia announces $1 million to boost screen industry skills around the country

22 03 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces $1 million to boost screen...

21/03/2023

The Creators participants announced

21 03 2023 - Media release The Creators participants announced (Top L to R): Jane Allen, Judi McCrossin, Kodie Bedford (Bottom L to R): Sam Meikle, Suzie Mil...

21/03/2023

Screen Australia announces $700,000 of story development funding for 20 projects

21 03 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces $700,000 of story development funding for 20 projects Marcus Rivera in Vonne Patiag's short film Tom...

09/03/2023

Screen Australia and ABC announce Beep and Mort Season 2

09 03 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce Beep and Mort Season 2 Beep and Mort ABC, Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corpora...

08/03/2023

Screen Australia commits $500K to West Coast Visions feature films

08 03 2023 - Media release Screen Australia commits $500K to West Coast Visions feature films How to Please a Woman, Sweet As Screenwest and Screen Australia...

07/03/2023

Screen Australia and Stan announce new documentary feature, Revealed: Renee Gracie

07 03 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and Stan announce new documentary fe...

23/02/2023

Screen Australia announces $4.6 million for 21 documentaries

23 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces $4.6 million for 21 documentaries Our Law: Queensland Police - Caboolture Police Station, Constable Jarw...

21/02/2023

Screen Australia and YouTube Australia announce Skip Ahead recipients

21 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and YouTube Australia announce Skip Ahead recipients Skip Ahead recipients in Sydney for the workshop this week S...

20/02/2023

Screen Australia announces over $7.4 million of production funding for 9 projects

20 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $7.4 million of produ...

20/02/2023

Screen Australia and SBS announce new crime drama Swift Street

20 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and SBS announce new crime drama Swift Street Tig Terera, Swift Street SBS and Screen Australia are thrilled to a...

17/02/2023

Screen Australia and Network 10 launch First Facts: First Nations Factual Showcase

17 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and Network 10 launch First Facts: F...

17/02/2023

Production wraps in Sydney on Arachnophobia Horror film Sting

17 02 2023 - Media release Production wraps in Sydney on Arachnophobia Horror film Sting Sting. Photo credit - Emma Bjorndahl Production has wrapped in Sydne...

13/02/2023

Screen Australia and Network 10 announce new drama Paper Dolls

13 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and Network 10 announce new drama Paper Dolls Paper Dolls (L-R: Courtney Monsma, Miah Madden, Naomi Sequeira, Emal...

09/02/2023

Australians in Film and Screen Australia announce applications open for UNTAPPED

09 02 2023 - Media release Australians in Film and Screen Australia announce applications open for UNTAPPED (From top left) Amy Wang, A da Mashaka Croal, Andr...

07/02/2023

Screen Australia announces over $1.5 million for 11 digital games

07 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $1.5 million for 11 digital games Bilkins' Folly Screen Australia has announced 11 games that ...

03/02/2023

Screen Australia and ABC announce new drama In Our Blood

03 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce new drama In Our Blood Actors Oscar Leal and Tim Draxl from In Our Blood. As Australia gets read...

02/02/2023

Screen Australia announces $2.2 million in funding for 11 online projects

02 02 2023 - Media release Screen Australia announces $2.2 million in funding for 11 online projects Miss Ink: The Documentary Series Screen Australia has an...

24/01/2023

Eight Australian projects bound for Berlinale 2023 with two films in Main Competition

24 01 2023 - Media release Eight Australian projects bound for Berlinale 2023 wi...

23/01/2023

Aussie feature A Savage Christmas filming now in Queensland

23 01 2023 - Media release Aussie feature A Savage Christmas filming now in Queensland Writer/director Madeleine Dyer on the set of A Savage Christmas Produc...

20/12/2022

Screen Australia announces $1.2 million of development funding

20 12 2022 - Media release Screen Australia announces $1.2 million of development funding Just Chidi Things (L-R): Ana Tiwary, Chika Ikogwe, Rose Byrne. Scr...

15/12/2022

Six Australian screenwriters selected for the NCIS: SYDNEY S1 Script Department Program

15 12 2022 - Media release Six Australian screenwriters selected for the NCIS: S...

08/12/2022

Four Australian films selected for Sundance Film Festival 2023

08 12 2022 - Media release Four Australian films selected for Sundance Film Festival 2023 Noora Niasari's Shayda Four Australian feature films will scree...

08/12/2022

Screen Australia's Enterprise program returns in 2023

08 12 2022 - Media release Screen Australia's Enterprise program returns in 2023 Sophie Hyde, Closer Productions Screen Australia is pleased to announce ...

07/12/2022

P-Plate comedy returns with Christmas special

07 12 2022 - Media release P-Plate comedy returns with Christmas special Dylan Hesp in A Very Street Racer Christmas Screen Australia and One Stone Pictures ...

07/12/2022

Cameras set to wrap on Warwick Thorntons The New Boy

07 12 2022 - Media release Cameras set to wrap on Warwick Thorntons The New Boy Aswan Reid on the set of The New Boy Photo by Ben King Award-winning First ...

05/12/2022

PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES CAST OF THE APPLETON LADIES' POTATO RACE

05 12 2022 - Media release PARAMOUNT ANNOUNCES CAST OF THE APPLETON LADIES' POTATO RACE Claire van der Boom Claire van der Boom (Blacklight, Palm Beach)...

24/11/2022

ABC announces Better Date Than Never

24 11 2022 - Media release ABC announces Better Date Than Never Better Date Than Never Screen Australia and the ABC are thrilled to announce Better Date Tha...

24/11/2022

ABC UNVEILS BOLD NEW DRAMA HOUSE OF GODS

24 11 2022 - Media release ABC UNVEILS BOLD NEW DRAMA HOUSE OF GODS House of Gods co-creator and writer Osamah Sami Screen Australia and the ABC are pleased ...

24/11/2022

MATT OKINE AND DENISE SCOTT STARRING IN REIMAGINING OF MOTHER AND SON

24 11 2022 - Media release Matt Okine and Denise Scott starring in reimagining of Mother and Son Mother and Son's Matt Okine (Arthur) and Denise Scott (Ma...

22/11/2022

Screen Australia and AIDC announce Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch Initiative

22 11 2022 - Media release Screen Australia and AIDC announce Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch Initiative Fresh Cuts Documenatry Pitch Initiative Screen Australi...

21/11/2022

Screen Australia and Australian Writers Guild announce The Creators initiative

21 11 2022 - Media release Screen Australia and Australian Writers Guild announce The Creators initiative The Creators initiative Screen Australia and the A...

15/11/2022

Screen Australia, NZ On Air and TikTok announce Every Voice 2022 recipients

15 11 2022 - Media release Screen Australia, NZ On Air and TikTok announce Every Voice 2022 recipients (New Zealand Creatives L-R): Sonya Milford, Sherry Zhan...

10/11/2022

Drama Report 2021/22: Record $2.29 billion spent on drama production in Australia

10 11 2022 - Media release Drama Report 2021/22: Record $2.29 billion spent on d...

02/11/2022

SBS commissions bold new Australian drama anthology Erotic Stories

02 11 2022 - Media release SBS commissions bold new Australian drama anthology Erotic Stories Top (L-R) Niki Aken, Tamara Asmar, Alistair Baldwin, Christine B...

28/10/2022

Six screen creatives announced for Emerging Writers' Incubator initiative

28 10 2022 - Media release Six screen creatives announced for Emerging Writers' Incubator initiative Top (L-R) Skye Leon, Patrick Hogan, Aven Yap Bottom ...

14/10/2022

Instagram and Screen Australia announce recipients of 2022 First Nations Creator Program

14 10 2022 - Media release Instagram and Screen Australia announce recipients of...

13/10/2022

Spooktacular' new series The Spooky Files commissioned by ABC and BBC

13 10 2022 - Media release Spooktacular' new series The Spooky Files commissioned by ABC and BBC (From top left): Guy Edmonds, Matt Zeremes, Paul Watters...

27/09/2022

Nine Australian writers set to accelerate their projects through Impact Australia

27 09 2022 - Media release Nine Australian writers set to accelerate their proje...

27/09/2022

New drama series Prosper announced for Stan

27 09 2022 - Media release New drama series Prosper announced for Stan Lingo Pictures Jason Stephens and Helen Bowden Stan and Lionsgate have commissioned th...

26/09/2022

Screen Australia launches NCIS: Sydney Script Department Program

26 09 2022 - Media release Screen Australia launches NCIS: Sydney Script Department Program Image of Sydney Skyline / Shutterstock Screen Australia has today...

14/09/2022

New drama Human Error greenlit for 9Network

14 09 2022 - Media release New drama Human Error greenlit for 9Network Writers Gregor Jordan, Greg Haddrick and Samantha Winston Screen Australia and 9Networ...

12/09/2022

$900k available for online creators to Skip Ahead

12 09 2022 - Media release $900k available for online creators to Skip Ahead Documentary Bad River funded through Skip Ahead. Applications are now open for t...

07/09/2022

Applications open for Screen Australia's Games: Expansion Pack fund

07 09 2022 - Media release Applications open for Screen Australia's Games: Expansion Pack fund Bits & Bops Screen Australia has announced the Games: Expa...

06/09/2022

Screen Australia announces over $4 million for 30 games through the Games: Expansion Pack fund

19 07 2022 - Media release Screen Australia announces over $4 million for 30 gam...

01/09/2022

Four new documentaries announced for Stans Revealed strand

01 09 2022 - Media release Four new documentaries announced for Stans Revealed strand Danielle Laidley Stan and Screen Australia today announced four brand n...

31/08/2022

Screen Australia announces $12 million of production funding for 9 projects

31 08 2022 - Media release Screen Australia announces $12 million of production funding for 9 projects Total Control Screen Australia has announced four feat...

30/08/2022

UNTAPPED 2022 PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCED

30 08 2022 - Media release Untapped 2022 Participants Announced Travis Akbar, AP Pobjoy, Alex Wu, Natasha Henry, Michael Hudson, Gina Song Australians in Fil...

26/08/2022

Screen Australia announces Talent USA: New York recipients 2022

26 08 2022 - Media release Screen Australia announces Talent USA: New York recipients 2022 Vonne Patiag, Beck Cole, Ren e Webster Screen Australia has announ...

25/08/2022

Aunty Donna serves up their first narrative comedy series for ABC

25 08 2022 - Media release Aunty Donna serves up their first narrative comedy series for ABC Aunty Donna The ABC and Screen Australia are thrilled to announ...

18/08/2022

Five Australian projects selected for Toronto International Film Festival 2022

18 08 2022 - Media release Five Australian projects selected for Toronto International Film Festival 2022 Blueback Screen Australia congratulates the creativ...