The old post office building in Creswick has set the scene for an upcoming short film.
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Postal, a comedy about post office politics and a robbery gone wrong, will become the first film to be set and shot in the town.
The crew of film studies students from Swinburne University are also working to give back to the community.
The team will donate funds raised through their crowdfunding campaign to Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to supporting and developing Victoria’s rural youth. The organisation work to inspire young leaders.
Postal director of photography Tim Shaw said the crew needed to raise $2000 through crowdfunding to create the film and will donate remaining funds to the foundation.
“We are trying to raise a bit of money to just say thank you and give a little bit back.”
The Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation allowed the crew to use their headquarters at the old Creswick post office as a location for the film.
Writer Cassidy Poling said the old Creswick post office was an ideal location.
“We liked that the space had a lot of character to it,” she said.
“We talked to the women at the current post office before we locked down the location about what it was like to run a post office in a rural town.”
Ms Poling said the film centered around a post office robbery.
“You have your main character, this women in her mid twenty’s, who is kind of apathetic about her job. She has to handle this whole situation as the robber comes in and she has to deal with her incompetent co-workers,” she said.
“It is a character driven film - very quirky and absurdist.”
"We liked that the space had a lot of character to it."
- Writer Cassidy Poling
Production manager Spencer Hurley said the Creswick community had been supportive and helpful during the filming process.
“The community has been invaluable as a resource,” he said. “We had a lot of offers to help out.”
The 10 minute short film features Australian film veteran John Flauss, who appeared in Newsfront (1978) and The Castle (1997) and a cameo from television presenter Peter Hitchener.
The cast and crew finished shooting in Creswick last weekend after five days of filming.
Producer Joe Eidelson said they were hoping to organise a screening for the community later this year.