Here at The Water Cooler, we’ve been counting down to the spudtacular film, The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race, and we are finally ready to launch!
Filmed in Sydney and the Southern Highlands of NSW, The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race tells the story of Penny Anderson (Claire van der Boom), as she returns to her childhood home just in time for The Appleton Show and its ‘world famous’ potato race. Penny is outraged when she sees the flyer announcing 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 never-before-seen in sleepy Appleton – pitting family against family, sister against sister and potato racer against potato racer!
We were lucky enough to chat to the film’s Executive Producer, Sophia Mogford to find out more about the production.
The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race is adapted from Melanie Tait’s book and play. What are the challenges when it comes to bringing a story like that to television screens? Do you keep things as authentic as possible or do you give the story a twist?
This story is all about heart. And that remains the same, as have the characters, which are inclusive and relatable. Obviously with the locations you are able to paint a richer picture on film, using the drone shots as Penny travels across the countryside and hearing and seeing village life. But the story stays the same – she wants to close the gender inequality gap and heave the village kicking and screaming into the modern-day thinking.
What was the best part of filming this production? What took you by surprise?
The best part of the filming process is always as you see each actor bring words on the page to life, and give it their own spin. When you read something, you inherently create a person or a place or an object in your head, but the beauty of this process is that you are often given a whole new vision, hopefully similar to yours, but often with layers and nuances that you never imagined – which is what great acting does. And I love watching the final product – it’s always a wonderful surprise when you see all the disparate pieces and scenes come together.
You have a fantastic cast in this film that gave such stand out performances. How involved are you in the casting process?
I am involved in the casting process from the get-go. It’s so important to have a diverse and cohesive cast its paramount (ha ha) to the success of the project.
The film was shot in the Southern Highlands of NSW. What was that experience like?
It was a delight. Not only is it gorgeous down there but so are the locals. They were hugely supportive and came out in force to play extras in the final scene and even held fund raising events to increase the budget for some specialist cameras which helped elevate the production even more. I highly recommend it for a visit if you haven’t already been!
How would you describe the film in three words?
Charming, funny, Universal.
