Big Stories, Small Towns: Asia Pacific was inspired by Anna Grieve and Martin Potter’s Screen Australia-sponsored visit to Kuala Lumpur for Sunny Side of the Doc. They were selected to pitch, and through this met many interesting filmmakers from the region with whom they could collaborate.
The project is low budget, supported through Screen Australia’s Multiplatform Signature Fund. This is then supplemented by additional funds from the regions in which they’re shooting. They’re working with filmmakers in Indonesia for example who are able to provide a lot of resources on the ground. Later this year, they’ll also be doing some stories in Queenstown, supported by Screen Tasmania and Big Stories Coober Pedy is supported by the SAFC. In Queensland, they’re working with the Beaudesert community with support from universities and local councils, while in Cowra, they’ve obtained the support of the local council. Anna and Martin provide a lot of the support for setting up workshops and structuring the films which will be produced.
