St Kilda Primary School was abuzz with activity today with filming underway for two special episodes of ABC3’s much-loved children’s comedy series Little Lunch.
Minister for Creative Industries and Member for Albert Park Martin Foley met the cast and crew and toured the set today with series creators Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope of Gristmill, the Victorian production company behind the award-winning series.
The duo have a history of bringing laughter to audiences through their highly popular comedies The Librarians, Upper Middle Bogan, Very Small Business, and their first feature film Now Add Honey which was released in 2015.
The upcoming specials, which have received Film Victoria support, focus on Halloween and Christmas and will follow the funny, warm and real world of emotions that children experience on these two special days of the year.
The specials – to air on air on ABC3 and iview later this year – will continue the adventures of the characters featured in the series, based on the popular books written by Victorian author Danny Katz and illustrated by Mitch Vane.
The original 26 episode series premiered on ABC3 in July 2015. It quickly became one of ABC3 and iview’s most successful Australian children’s programs and has racked up over 3 million plays on iview since its launch.
The locally-made series has also captured international attention and has been sold to television networks in Canada and Hong Kong and to Netflix in USA, UK and Ireland.
Last month in Munich, it received the Prix Jeunesse International Award for Best Fiction Program for 7-10 and was runner up for the Children’s Jury Prize.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries and Member for Albert Park Martin Foley
“It’s a great privilege to welcome Gristmill back to the school yard for another instalment of Little Lunch.”
“Little Lunch is a great example of Victorian creativity with universal appeal. From the book series to the screen it has captured the hearts of audiences of all ages locally and internationally.”
“We’re the national leader for drama production. Our programs for children and families don’t just provide jobs and opportunities for crews and creatives, they showcase Victorian talent to the world.”
Quotes attributable to CEO of Film Victoria Jenni Tosi
“Little Lunch is an excellent example of Victorian talent creating high quality content that entertains and resonates at home and abroad.”
“Gristmill continues to delight audiences with their innate knack for comedy centred on recognisable characters in funny situations. It’s immensely rewarding to see this dynamic company going from strength to strength.”