Zac Garred.

by Matthew Eeles

Australian actor and producer Zac Garred has some exciting projects ahead. 

Known for his roles in the Occupation film series, US medical drama General Hospital, and starring alongside Sam Neill in Bring Him To Me, Garred is now gearing up for two new films.

First up is Site Unseen, a black comedy with a twist of horror, co-directed by Allan Brady and Tristram Baumber from a script by Baumber.

The film follows a group of rural criminals who target real estate agents in an attempt to stop them from selling land. 

Olivia Suleimon (Five Blind Dates) stars as Kacie, who finds herself caught up in their plot and devises her own escape plan—though it doesn’t unfold as she hopes. Garred takes on the role of Parker, alongside a cast that includes Nick Cain (Home & Away) and Nadia Talotta. 

“Site Unseen is a horror film with slashing of comedy from the brilliant mind of Tristram Baumber, co-directed by Tristram and the funny and enigmatic Allan Brady,” Garred tells Cinema Australia. 

“It has been a wonderful experience on set so far. The energy and talent of the cast bringing this funny, dark, twisted and scary vision to life also positions the audience in an interesting spot… do we feel for these real estate agents?”

Site Unseen is currently filming in Newcastle and the Hunter region, with production expected to wrap in mid-October.

Sam Neill and Zac Garred in Bring Him to Me.

Once Site Unseen is complete, Garred will dive into his next project—a feature film about the legendary Australian boxer, Les Darcy. 

Directed by Bruce Beresford and based on Peter FitzSimons’ book The Ballad of Les Darcy, the film tells the true story of the boxer who rose from humble beginnings in the Hunter Valley to become a world champion, only to face difficult choices when World War I broke out. 

“I am so excited to be a part of this film. We have had incredible support from Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and Cessnock City Council,” says Garred. 

“Darcy has been a passion for [co-writer] Tom Arthur and I for some time. When we spoke to Bruce, we found another person who was just as enamoured with Les’ extraordinary life as we were. Bruce is a vanguard of Australian story and cinema. He has a fantastic and heartfelt vision for Les’ story. Bruce has told some of Australia’s most enigmatic true stories and Les’ stands with them.”

Garred and Beresford are also producing the film alongside Jacqueline Kerrin and Dominic Wright from Ripple World Films.

In addition to these exciting new films, Garred was named one of Screen NSW’s Emerging Producers for 2024 and recently wrapped a top-secret project with Sony in the U.S. With these upcoming ventures, Zac Garred is clearly a name to watch in both Australian and international cinema.

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