NEW TV DRAMA SERIES TO BOOST VICTORIAN SCREEN INDUSTRY

L to R: Alycia Debnam-Carey, Aisha Dee, Kaitlyn Dever, Mark Coles Smith, Ashley Zukerman, Tilda Cobham-Hervey

Filming is underway in Melbourne for Apple Cider Vinegar – a new Netflix and See Saw Films / Picking Scabs series backed by VicScreen that's set to create 450 local jobs and inject over $13 million to the local economy.  

Apple Cider Vinegar takes place at the birth of social media and follows two young women - Belle and Milla - who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, motivating their growing online communities along the way. All of which would be inspiring if it were true. 

The six-part series brings together local and international talent, and stars Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick, Unbelievable). It is directed by Melbourne-born Jeffrey Walker (The Clearing, The Artful Dodger, Modern Family), and written by Australian Samantha Strauss (The Dry, Nine Perfect Strangers, Dance Academy), alongside Anya Beyersdorf (The Twelve) and Angela Betzien (Total Control).  

The cast’s star power includes Alycia Debnam-Carey (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Fear the Walking Dead), Aisha Dee (The Bold Type, Safe Home), Tilda Cobham-Hervey (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, I Am Woman), Ashley Zukerman (Succession) and Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin). 

See-Saw Films’ Liz Watts, Helen Gregory, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning; Picking Scabs’ Samantha Strauss and Louise Gough, and Kaitlyn Dever are all attached to executive produce. The series is produced by Victorian Yvonne Collins and co-produced by See Saw Films’ Libby Sharpe, with Jeffrey Walker and Simon Gilis also acting as Co-Executive Producers.  

L to R: Director Jeffrey Walker, VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher, Writer Samantha Strauss, photo by Ben King

Apple Cider Vinegar is filming in Victoria thanks to the Victorian Government’s Victorian Screen Incentive, an initiative that attracts international and interstate screen productions to Victoria, drawing on Victoria’s screen industry capability and boosting opportunities for local screen professionals and businesses.  

Apple Cider Vinegar adds to Victoria’s growing screen pipeline. Recent productions that have filmed in the state, include Paramount+ Australia series Fake starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham, and joint Stan and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation family feature Wind Catcher. 
 
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks 

“Victoria is home to a world-class screen industry, with skilled workers, diverse locations, and a strong ecosystem of businesses and facilities. We are proud to back productions like Apple Cider Vinegar, which will showcase our local talent - both in front and behind the camera – right around the globe.” 

“The Victorian Screen Incentive is a pivotal pillar for Victorian screen workers, creating exciting career opportunities and a platform for screen businesses, while delivering strong economic returns to the state.”