A Mount Isa actress has featured in a fictional short film shot in Urandangi and viewed for the first time in Brisbane last month.
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'Desiccation' was recently screened at the West End Film Festival in Brisbane on June 28, highlighting the metal hardships a grazier goes through during drought.
An undisclosed property near Urandangi and Mount Isa actress Cathryn McGrigor featured in the film which was made by creative media students from Sydney's SAE Institute back in September 2018.
Film director Jed Vinson said they sourced Cathryn from the Mount Isa Theatrical Society.
"She was a big part of this film and helped provide us with exactly what we needed for this film," Mr Vinson said.
"A property in drought near Urandangi was also featured, as was the Dangi Pub."
Mr Vinson said all these aspects helped address a highly relevant topic to Australia today, drought.
"The short film is about the mental health struggle of a man who is bottling up his emotions and suffering because he is witnessing the effects of drought on his property," he said.
"In the film the end result is that he needs to talk to someone before he decided to take matters into his own hands and does something silly.
"We chose this story line because we thought it had a strong message and one that needed to get out there and connect with people on a different platform."
Mr Vinson said the feedback on the film so far was that it was a very powerful and unique short film.
"A lot of films that enter into these film festivals are produced in a coastal environment, so Desiccation is a very different scene to watch on screen, compared to what is usually shown," he said.
"We really wanted to show people in metropolitan areas the effects of drought not just on the land and livestock but on the people who live and breath this lifestyle everyday.
"Some city-folk might not get their heads around it completely what people can go through, but being a short film we can't show everything but at least it provides a glimpse."
Mr Vinson and his team plan to enter the short film in as many film festivals as possible to raise the awareness of the affects of drought.
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
