Selkie (film)
A 2000 Australian family fantasy film starring Shimon Moore.
Selkie is a 2000 Australian fantasy film aimed at families. The lead actor is Shimon Moore, the frontman of the band Sick Puppies, who plays the character Jamie Duncan.
The story follows Jamie, a popular teenager who enjoys a part-time job, plays on the football team, and is the lead guitarist in a rock band. His comfortable life is disrupted when his mother, Dr. Iona Duncan (played by Celine O'Leary), takes a new position as head scientist at a marine research base. The family relocates to a remote island, where Jamie starts noticing strange physical changes—scales and webbed fingers—that go beyond normal teenage development. These changes hint at a connection to the selkies, a legendary Scottish people who can transform into seals.
The cast also includes Chelsea Bruland as Samantha, Mariana Rego as Alison Duncan, Bryan Marshall as Malcolm, Elspeth Ballantyne as Loopy Laura, Michael Habib as Tony Delmarco, and Edmund Pegge as Gordon Harris.
Production took place in South Australia. The beach scenes were shot at Port Noarlunga South (known as "South Port"), while the fishing harbor sequences were filmed at Granite Island near Victor Harbor, about fifty kilometers south of Port Noarlunga and roughly an hour's drive from Adelaide. Australian sea lions were used to portray the seal forms, with animation work by Anifex. Dog training was handled by Jason Hurr, and visual effects were provided by Rising Sun Pictures.
- release_year
- 2000
- country
- Australia
- genre
- Family fantasy
- lead_actor
- Shimon Moore
- setting
- South Australia
Lore & Background
The film follows Jamie (Shimon Moore), a typical teenager living the good life: a popular lad with a part-time job, on the football team, and lead guitarist in a rock band. His life is threatened when his mum (Celine O'Leary) announces a new job as head scientist at a marine research base, forcing them to move to a remote island. There, Jamie begins to notice changes to his body – scales and webbed fingers – suggesting he is connected to a legendary line of selkies, magical people from ancient Scotland who can change into seals.
Reader's Guide
Selkie is a 2000 Australian family fantasy film notable for featuring Sick Puppies lead singer Shimon Moore in his acting debut as Jamie Duncan. The film was set and shot in South Australia, including Port Noarlunga South beach and Granite Island off Victor Harbor. Australian sea lions were used for the seal forms, with visual effects by Rising Sun Pictures. The film explores themes of identity and transformation through the lens of Scottish selkie mythology, though its significance is primarily as a regional Australian production and a early career credit for Moore.
Did You Know?
- The film features Sick Puppies lead singer Shimon Moore as Jamie Duncan.
- It was set and shot in South Australia, including Port Noarlunga South beach and Granite Island.
- Australian sea lions were used for the seal forms.
- Visual effects were done by Rising Sun Pictures.
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