Filming has got under way in Adelaide on Australian comedy-drama series “Aftertaste.” It is the first major production to shoot in the state of South Australia since the coronavirus shut-down, and comes as a state of disaster and a nighttime curfew are declared in neighboring Victoria state, which includes Melbourne.
The six-part Closer Productions show will shoot for five weeks in Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills. It makes use of 110 cast and crew members, including 10 from out of state, and 200 extras.
To get into production, the show used a risk assessment tool developed by consultancy firm Deloitte and overseen by the South Australia Film Corporation. “The Risk Assessment Tool has been instrumental in navigating the path back to production, and providing the framework and structure needed to get this production up and running within COVID-Safe guidelines,” said CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation Kate Croser.
Created by Julie De Fina and Matthew Bate, and directed by Jonathan Brough, “Aftertaste” stars Erik Thomson (“Packed to the Rafters,” “The Luminaries”) as an internationally renowned yet volatile celebrity chef who has a spectacular fall from grace and returns to his hometown Adelaide Hills. He endeavours to rebuild his career and restore his reputation, with the help of his talented, young, pastry-chef niece Diana, co-star Natalie Abbott.
It is to be broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation next year. Production finance comes from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Screen Australia. Thompson will also produce alongside Rebecca Summerton and Matt Bate.
The cast also includes Rachel Griffiths (“Total Control,” “The Wilds”), Wayne Blair (“Mystery Road,” “Top End Wedding”), Susan Prior (“Glitch,” “Frayed”), Peter Carroll (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Power of The Dog”), Remy Hii (“Harrow,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home”), Kavitha Anandasivam (“The Hunting”) and Justin Amankwah (“Fat Pizza vs Housos”).
Australia has recorded 15,305 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and suffered a total of 205 deaths, according to data from John Hopkins University. Within that, South Australia’s total is just 447 cases and 4 deaths.