Bundaberg scenes and people will feature in a new film called Flathead, which will begin production in early January 2021.
Producers are currently seeking a farm location for shooting and local characters to join the cast.
Flathead is described as a cross between a documentary and narrative film which will capture Bundaberg in a realistic way that highlights the region’s working class.
James Latter, who produced the Busy Bee documentary, World Famous in Bundaberg, is producing the film with Jaydon Martin directing and writing, and award-winning documentary cameraman Brodie Poole.
Jaydon said the theme was centred around Bundaberg’s working class. It follows the story of a man who catches a flathead and hopes to sustain its life in his backyard.
“It’s an independent feature that follows an elderly man facing his own mortality. He searches for enlightenment by saving a saltwater flathead and building a saltwater pool in the middle of now where and trying to save it,” Jaydon said.
“It’s the idea of how people seem to latch onto things and even though he is stubborn it’s a beautiful stubbornness as while, yes, digging a hole and trying to build a saltwater pond is completely ridiculous he is still going to do it.”
Jaydon said that they were looking for Bundaberg locals to be in the feature film as well as finding farming locations.
He said the town had incredible visceral scenery that needed to be captured on film, recognising its coastal beaches, interesting architecture, vast farming landscapes along with its salt-of-the-earth characters.
“There’s something about Bundaberg that really unlocks inspiration which places like Brisbane don’t have,” Jaydon said.
“We were driving through North Bundy and there was few farmers burning cane and it was just on sunset and I thought to myself ‘that this is a town which should be represented in cinema’ as it’s a town that still feels like old Australia … there’s a real character to it and its people.”
That character is being captured in Flathead and along with a farming location, Jaydon said they were also asking locals to come forward and be involved.
“We’re currently looking for a farm location to shoot a scene on and also looking for any characters who wouldn’t mind coming on to be a part of the film in either extras work or more,” producer James said.
“We would love to capture cane burning and the agriculture and farming side of Bundaberg because that’s such a strong and vibrant part of the town.
“If you’ve never thought of wanting to be in a film but would like to then let us know.
“We want to show people that usually don’t get the screen time in cinema or anywhere and really want to try and get as many locals as possible, because it’d be a real disservice to do a film where Bundaberg itself is a character and big visual motif and not use people from Bundaberg.”
Contact Jaydon by email to jaydonmartin23@gmail.com
