Toowoomba Wellcamp quarantine facility now film set for national film Spit starring David Wenham
The controversial former Wellcamp quarantine facility has become a hive of activity, with hundreds of cast and crew members shooting the latest Aussie film starring David Wenham. Here’s an inside look at the set:
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Ayik Chut is still pinching himself that the same city he arrived in when he came to Australia as a Sudanese refugee nearly 30 years ago is also the location for his first major acting role.
“I feel so good that (Toowoomba) is where I first landed, and this is where I got into acting and then my first movie is filmed in my home (city),” the former child soldier said.
Mr Chut’s first major part will be playing opposite A-lister David Wenham in the sequel to a classic Australian film, which is currently being shot in the Garden City.
The controversial Wellcamp quarantine facility – Toowoomba’s Queensland Regional Accommodation Centre (QRAC) – and Wellcamp Airport have been hives of activity for the past week, with more than 200 cast, crew and extras on location for principal photography of the upcoming feature flick Spit.
The follow-up to the 2003 crime comedy Gettin’ Square sees Mr Wenham return as ex-addict Johnny Spiteri, who has been locked in an immigration detention centre upon returning to Australia.
The look inside the shoot comes just a week after News Corp revealed both the 1000-bed quarantine facility and airport would be key set pieces for the film.
Speaking from the set, Mr Chut said he had been thrilled to be back in Toowoomba for what he hoped would give his acting career a boost.
“I’m playing a character called Tash, I think he came here with a visa and then it ran out so he got thrown into detention,” he said.
“I started as an extra, working in a few films like Thor Raganrok, Aquaman, San Andreas, but just as an extra — this is my first big role.
“I came here as a refugee and to play the character who was in a detention centre, and there are a lot of Sudanese people in detention centres right now, it helps people understand this is a multicultural film.”
Mr Wenham was spotted in character on set, with News Corp witnessing the filming of a comedic scene involving himself and an officer trying to teach detainees English.
Facility, airport crucial to Toowoomba shoot
Producer Trish Lake, who was also responsible for the original film, said the dual assets of QRAC and the airport were essential to bringing the film to Toowoomba.
“Right from the get-go when I knew we had scenes at an airport and at a detention centre, I thought of Wellcamp and that was well before the director (Jonathan Teplitzky) had known of it,” she said.
“Because I’m from Queensland, I had this vision and separately to that, there were some connections from some of our investors and our producer Felicity (McVay) who had a connection to the Wagners.
“That gave us access to John Wagner, who put us in touch with Kellie and she showed us this whole set-up and fortunately the director loved it.
“We’re a very low-budget film even by Australian standards (and) when you take a crew away from the Gold Coast, you have to pay a lot of money just to put these trucks on the road, and we were going to be to get as many shots as possible to make it worth it.
“We couldn’t have come up so far away from the Gold Coast if we didn’t have both centres right next to each other.”
Along with the dozens of Toowoomba residents who are extras in the film, Ms Lake said the independent production has focused on using as many local businesses as possible, from laundry services to food and even fuel for vehicles.
“Our crew spends money here in the region on their days off, Vanguard (Laundry Services) and some of the restaurants and bars (have benefited), we hired a bus locally, we’ve even used fuel stations in Toowoomba,” she said.
“We’re making sure we’re putting as much as we can into the local economy.
“We had more than 200 extras on Saturday at the airport, we had extra crew in for that day — a lot of our extras came from Toowoomba and they were great with what they did.”
While the film is partially set in an immigration detention centre, Ms Lake said the production placed heavy focus on handling the top sensitively.
“We were sensitive to immigration detention and we’ve been working with cultural consultants to be very mindful, particularly with our actors who have had experiences in real detention, to be very sensitive to those feelings they might have,” she said.
“Even though the film is a comedy and is uplifting, and Johnny Spiteri has an idea of what it means to be Australian, we also understand Johnny has to learn from his fellow detainees to go on his journey in the movie.”
The film is expected to open in cinemas across the nation in the first half of 2025.
There are also plans for a digitally remastered version of Gettin’ Square to be released theatrically and on streaming service Stan prior to the sequel hitting the big screen.
Production could pave way for studio presence
Queensland has quickly becoming a hot location for Hollywood films, with a number of a big-budget movies like Thor: Ragnarok, Elvis and Aquaman all being shot in the Sunshine State.
Spit producer Trish Lake said the favourable weather conditions, large amount of available industrial land and a fully-functional 1000-bed accommodation facility had created an opportunity for western Toowoomba to be used for future films.
“We wouldn’t be here if this facility didn’t exist, and it’s always been in my mind that this area would be fantastic as a studio, if there were other films,” she said.
“There’s a lot of interest in filming in Australia, and all the different locations (here), the looks you have in your scenery, and all the great weather you have here with these blue skies, access to an airport (are important).”
Ms Lake said Spit was a distinctly Queensland production, not just with its locations but its personnel.
“It’s coming out of a Queensland vision, because it’s the writer (Christopher Nyst), the lead actor (David Wenham) and myself as the producer of the original movie who all live in Queensland,” she said.
UniSQ graduates get opportunity in own backyard
The shooting of Spit in Toowoomba has presented an incredible opportunity for University of Southern Queensland graduates Nina Sorley and Riley Skerman.
The pair, who both studied a bachelor of film and screen production in Toowoomba, have become assistants to producers Trish Lake, Felicity McVay and Greg Duffy for the nine-day shoot in the Garden City.
“Our lecturer Ben (Hackworth) sent through a letter of recommendation for us, because Nina and I heard about it and we wanted to get involved, and Ben got us the initial contact in Trish,” Mr Skerman said.
“She was kind enough to let us on, so it’s been great.”
“(Since coming to set) we did a little bit of note-taking at one of the producers’ meetings, we did some help with the assistant director’s (AD) department and the art department, and (Monday) we’re helping out with the grips,” Ms Sorley added.
Both graduates said they’d like to pursue careers in the film industry, having both moved east to be closer to the action.
“I’m looking to work in the art department, so I’ve only just moved up to Brisbane and I’m hoping to get work on the Gold Coast,” Mr Skerman said.
“‘m just interested in everything, but I reckon AD is probably what I’m most interested in.”
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