The long-awaited Novocastrian coming of age film Cooked is making its debut after four years in production.
Created by local writer and director Cameron Utiger, the movie tells a crazy, wild story of a group of mates relishing in the chaotic traditions of an Australian 18th birthday.
Inspired by the comedy-classic Superbad, he began writing anecdotes of his teenage years, hoping turn his own experiences into a film one day.
“Ever since I was about 10 years old I’ve always wanted to make movies and videos, any sort of media to do with the moving image,” Cameron said.
“I made a ton of little YouTube videos and things for myself, but when I was about 20 I thought it was time to put my creativity into something bigger.”
In January 2020, Cameron began crowdfunding for his first film through a Kickstarter, gathering a total of $15,000.
The remaining budget for the movie came out of his own pocket, a difficult feat for a young uni student.
The pre-production for the film was shrouded by restrictions in the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing most of the meetings to be held virtually.
After a year of planning, it was finally time to begin filming.
A conveniently-timed lift in restrictions meant shooting could go ahead, but time was of the essence.
The entire production was shot in 20 days across three months between January and April 2021.
Since then, a team of eight dedicated creatives have been working to bring the reality to life, with Cameron taking on the additional role as co-editor.
Now, the film is ready to be viewed by audiences, with special screenings at Event Cinemas Kotara on Thursday 27 March and Friday 28 March at 6pm.
According to Cameron, the decision to keep the production entirely local was not only a financial choice, but an artistic one as well.
“Newcastle is like another character in the film,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.
“It would’ve been inauthentic to shoot it anywhere else.
“All of the crew and a lot of the cast are from Newcastle as well.”
The film also features a variety of local musicians within the soundtrack, including Fungas, Midway and the now disbanded Mall Santa.
“It would’ve been ridiculous to have an Australian film and not have any Newcastle talent because the music industry here is really strong,” Cameron explained.
“I feel like being a Novocastrian is a unique experience.
“It’s definitely its own culture and kind of a melting pot.”
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