Latest news with #ForgiveUsAll
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Local power couple behind feature film
Co-producer and cast member Lance Giles and his wife, writer/director Jordana Stott. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Today is hugely special for Queenstown couple Jordana Stott and Lance Giles. That's because their long-awaited first feature film, Forgive Us All, is being released in theatres nationwide today, including Queenstown's Silky Otter. Described as neo-Western, apocalyptic and horror, it was entirely shot locally last autumn in just 27 days — on Queenstown Hill, Rees Valley Station, Ben Nevis Station and, briefly, Kingston. And just over their 50% of their crew were locals. The couple entirely funded the $10million film; Stott wrote the script and directed it, and Giles was the co-producer, with Jared Connon, and took a lead role. Giles grew up on a Marlborough deer farm and Australian Stott studied film at Gold Coast's Bond University. After they met they decided to make a feature film, so to fund it they set up a ready-made meal company, Youfoodz, in Brisbane in 2012. By the time they sold the then publicly listed company in 2021 for $A125million, they had more than 1000 staff. In that time Stott produced more than 30 TV commercials. "We did amazing commercials," Giles says. "It's a really good sort of grounding," Stott adds. "You've got to be able to understand speed and pace and push through and make decisions extremely fast." From early on the couple holidayed in Queenstown three or four times a year. Stott: "And every time we were like, 'why are we going back [home]?"' Giles: "We spent a lot of time out in the mountains and out in the landscape, and it really inspired a lot of Jordana's writing." They ended up buying a lifestyle block in Gibbston and moving over. They intended shooting Forgive Us All in spring '23, but union strikes in the United States meant they couldn't finalise their key cast. "But I'm so glad because autumn is just spectacular," Giles says. The couple were thrilled with the calibre of their cast including Australian leads Lily Sullivan, Callan Mulvey and Richard Roxburgh. Stott: "There was an essence within the cast and crew of just everyone like really pitching in and really giving 100%." Though the content might sound shocking, it's at heart a heartfelt story about a mother and her grief, they say, and the locations are a character in their own right. They've already got ideas for future films and series. "Our goal is to be able to wake up in our own bedroom and go out and shoot," Giles says.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Australian actress Lily Sullivan on filming new horror movie Forgive Us All in Queenstown
'The South Island is where it's at… sparsely populated, access to fresh water, fertile land — perfect for avoiding infected zones, I say," she tells the Herald. Forgive Us All, which hits Kiwi cinemas today, follows Rory as she tackles the difficult decision of choosing between hiding and fighting in a world plagued by a devastating outbreak. The five-week shoot for the self-funded film, which involved filming on sections of the Rees Valley near Glenorchy, marked Sullivan's first time in Queenstown and the surrounding area. She says the 'dramatic alpine ranges, crystal-clear lakes, dense forests, and rugged terrains' took her breath away despite the tough filming conditions. 'Once we started shooting, we didn't come up for air. We faced long night shoots and were out in the elements for most of it,' she said. 'Night shoots send anyone mad, but add the isolating location, the content, and frosty months… it felt surreal and mind-bending at times". But Sullivan credited our Kiwi creatives for their mahi during the shoot, singling them out as 'some of the best in the business'. 'Without our epic crew, this would have been extremely tough. I love working with New Zealand crews'. No stranger to playing horror leads (with her breakout role in Evil Dead Rise), Sullivan says part of the reason she was drawn to the role was director Jordana Stott's vision for the film, which combines elements of the Western and thriller genres. 'This genre fusion was a fun world to jump into, and a unique backdrop for storytelling, which drew me in'. Playing Rory was also a challenge for Sullivan on the acting front because of its nature, though working with Kiwi talent like Bree Peters (Shortland Street) and Dean O'Gorman (The Hobbit) helped her navigate the complexity of it all. 'I found [Rory's] darkness and lack of light was heavy to entertain constantly. However, I love collaborating and playing with others so you can leave behind when needed,' she said. 'Bree and Dean were wonderful. I think Aussies and Kiwis have a grounded, playful nature that makes the work so much fun'. While there 'wasn't much time' to get to check out the full range of impressive tourist draws in the region, Sullivan said she managed to experience its 'wonderful wineries, walking trails, and wildlife'. A special mention also went to Ayrburn's spectacular restaurant The Woolshed, an eatery she described as 'gorgeous'. Another one of the real joys of the shoot for Sullivan, who was raised in rural Queensland, was experiencing the natural surroundings she got to work in every day. 'We were lucky enough to shoot in some spectacular places…arriving before sunrise usually. So, nature's light show was on point," she says. 'When I am in nature, I am my most happy. So, when I get to experience an amazing country and call it work, I am lost in the magic of it for sure'. And as for coming back to film in New Zealand again? It's a resounding 'Yes, Yes, Yes' from Sullivan. 'New Zealand feels like a second home to me now. I have met some of my closest friends and collaborators there'.
