Victorian filmmaker Natalie Erika James, (Relic, Apartment 7A), has started production on her third feature film, Saccharine, with shooting now underway in Melbourne.
The film follows Hana, played by Midori Francis (Grey’s Anatomy, The Sex Lives of College Girls), a lovelorn medical student who becomes terrorized by a hungry ghost after participating in an obscure weight-loss craze involving the consumption of human ashes.
Danielle Macdonald (The Tourist, Patti Cake$) co-stars as Josie, Hana’s best friend, and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time, Tidelands) plays Alanya, a personal trainer and fitness influencer.
Saccharine marks Natalie Erika James’ solo writing debut, further establishing her as a distinctive voice in the horror genre. The film is produced by Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw of Carver Films, known for their work on Run Rabbit Run, Relic, and Snowtown.
The project has garnered significant support, with major production investment from Screen Australia, XYZ in conjunction with IPR.VC and Stan, in association with VicScreen. The Victorian Government, through VicScreen’s Victorian Production Fund, has also provided backing.
Filming locations in Melbourne include Docklands Studios Melbourne, La Trobe University, Brunswick, and Beaumaris, with post-production also scheduled to take place in Victoria.
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‘There is so much toxic messaging around weight and appearance that permeates every corner of our culture,’ said Natalie Erika James.
‘Saccharine is an intimate look into one woman’s struggle with body image, self-worth, and shame-driven compulsion, told through a supernatural body-horror with a queer lens and an edge of the absurd.’
‘Saccharine explodes off the page with Natalie’s bold vision and to team up with her again is wonderful,’ said Producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw of Carver Films.
‘As a wholly Victorian team of creatives, it is such a pleasure to film in our home state. VicScreen have been incredibly supportive and proactive as a partner, and we couldn’t have got to this point without them.’
Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, Minister Brooks, said: ‘The Allan Labor Government is proud to back this Victorian team to bring Saccharine to life as part of a strong pipeline of film and television projects that are creating local jobs and boosting our economy.’
Saccharine will be distributed theatrically in Australia and New Zealand by Maslow Entertainment and is set to launch as a Stan Original Film. XYZ Films is handling world sales, indicating a potential for international distribution.
