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FARMERS, STARS, WRITERS & CREATIVES GATHER FOR DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP 📽️

Monday 4 November 2024

In late October, farmers of Western Australia’s Southern Forests welcomed a select team of film and television professionals to explore the region’s rich beauty, diversity, and flavours in an immersive workshop to spark ideas for a new documentary series.


Hosted by the Southern Forests Food Council (SFFC), the workshop brought together local producers, storytellers, and culinary artists at the iconic Ampersand Estate. Over three days, participants indulged in the region’s exceptional produce—prepared by talented chefs from Hound and Hunter and Rocco’s Deli—and brainstormed ways to share the compelling stories behind the region’s premium food and beverage industry.


"The workshop enabled the filmmakers to fully immerse in the region and it revealed the incredible reservoir of talent, topics, people and produce in the Southern Forest community," said Producer/Director Bec Bignell.


Creative minds converged from across Australia and even internationally to lend their expertise to the project, including ABC’s Manager of Documentaries, Stephen Oliver, who offered valuable insights into the evolving landscape of TV production. Joining virtually were UK food personalities Olly Smith and Tom Parker-Bowles, who shared their excitement about Australian food and wine and the vital role of authentic talent in the series.


The local stars, of course, were the Southern Forests farmers who shared their own stories and products, including:

  • Monica and Dave Radomiljac of Pemberley of Pemberton

  • Mikey Cernotta and daughter Hazel of Pemberton Honey Company

  • Thea, Jim, and Steff Walker of Seven Day Farms

  • Mitchell East of Willarra Gold

  • Bryan and Rae Hickman of Yanmah Pasture Raised Pork

  • Kate Frost of Southern Forests Chocolate Company


"It’s exciting to see how perceptions are changed when two groups of people get together and exchange stories; the filmmakers got a chance to challenge their own assumptions about farmers and open their minds to the unique and compelling qualities of the region, and equally the farmers pushed outside their comfort zones engaging in creative experiences and activities that gave them an appreciation of what we do in the filmmaking industry," said Ms Bignell. "It showed the layer of depth and nuance that can be captured when filmmakers make the effort to head out to the regions and go behind the farm gate to understand the experience on the ground."


The intensive three-day workshop involved in-depth discussions on audience, themes, talent, format, and the broader marketplace. 


“This process offered valuable insights, enhancing our understanding of what it takes to craft a compelling TV production that authentically shares the story of the farmers and communities of the Southern Forest,” said Dr Arthur Wilson, SFFC Chair. “We’re thrilled with the ideas generated and excited to bring them to life in the next development stages.”


The production team will refine the concept and return to the region in early 2025 to begin filming the pilot. Following this, the SFFC will begin pitching the project to potential commissioners and funding partners to realise the documentary’s full production and distribution potential.


The production team is as follows:  

  • Bec Bignell – Producer/Director

  • Nick Hopkins – Development Executive

  • Georgia Rowe – Audience Producer

  • Mikey Hamer – Director of Photography

  • Brooke Thomas – Production Coordinator


This project was made possible through the State Government’s Native Forestry Transition Plan with funding from the Department of Jobs, Training, Science, and Innovation.


Highlights of the Development Workshop 

  • Produce featured at the workshop included Genuinely Southern Forests marron, beef, potatoes, truffle, wine, apples, pears, avocados, passionfruit, citrus, pork, milk, passionfruit soda, sparkling apple juice, beer, olive oil, dukkah, honey, chocolate, walnuts, eggs and more. 

  • Highlight from Nick Hopkin, Development Executive: “It was awesome to meet with some of the hard working and passionate farmers and food and wine producers from the Southern Forests. All too often television relies on assumptions and these vital insights and personal stories allowed us to get an authentic delve into life in the region, which enabled us to create ideas with heart, soul and knowledge. Not to mention a valuable chance to start casting for the series ahead of our pitch to broadcasters. Wonderfully collaborative.” 

  • Highlight from Laura Bolitho, SFFC General Manager: Director of Photography Mikey Hamer and SFFC Social Media Manager, Lisa Radomiljac paired up for a session on composition and tone and set up a product shoot. “It was glorious to see them working together and discussing the various artistic aspects of light and colour and depth and dingles and dangles and jangles, and how all of these aspects combine to create a visually stunning piece of work. We were lucky enough to see all of this firsthand when Mikey presented an impromptu video of the breathtaking footage he had captured of some of our farming superstars and the region’s lush spring landscape, moving the team to tears on the final day of the workshop.” 

  • Highlight from Mikey Hamer, Director of Photography: “I feel like the team really tapped into some of the lesser-known aspects of both industries to release all these ideas, and they flowed throughout the weekend. It’s amazing how strong ideas can become when mixing with others and bouncing off each other creatively….that or the marron!”


More Information:  The Project Team:  

  • Producer Director – Bec Bignell: Bec grew up on a farm in Kojonup in regional Western Australia and has worked in film and media for twelve years, most recently at the ABC (Sydney) as Partnership Executive. She’s the Producer of ‘600 Bottles of Wine’, Associate Producer of ‘Visible Farmer’ a factual series highlighting female farmers, Associate Producer of ‘Blueback’ a feature film based on the book by Tim Winton. Bec wrote, produced and performed in ‘Homespun’, released on Stan, currently available on ABC iView. She is also an Executive Producer on feature documentary ‘Hard as Puck’. 

  • Development Executive – Nick Hopkin: Nick has been creating content for over 33 years and has many credits to his name as Creator, Development Head, Series Producer, Creative Executive Producer, Television Director and Script Writer. Some of the projects Nick has been involved in over the years include Big Brother 2020, Manager Live Events at ABC, The Great Australian Bake Off, and MasterChef Australia.

  • Audience Producer – Georgia Rowe: Georgia has a Masters in Strategic Design and has honed her skills in Audience and Market Research aligned with the film and television industry. Georgia utilises industry leading techniques to build strategies and help clients design news, educational, entertainment and lifestyle products and services including the BBC, Virgin Media, and Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 

  • Director of Photography – Mikey Hamer: Mikey is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and multi-medium artist, currently based in Fremantle. His recent work includes serving as the Director of Photography on Season 2 of ABC’s ‘Perspective Shift’ and the indie feature ‘Ugly Carter’, set for release in 2025. Mikey embraces his role as a multi-medium artist, merging various artistic forms with his cinematography and directing projects, focusing on innovative, thought-provoking work.

  • Production Coordinator – Brooke Thomas: Brooke is a regional screen practitioner based in the South West of WA who is passionate about telling authentic Australian stories and has worked in screen conferences and festivals as the Industry Program Manager for CinefestOZ for several years. Brooke has recently worked as the Assistant Production Coordinator on feature film ‘The Surfer’ (2023) filmed in the South West.  Brooke is currently attached as a Producer to several projects including development of TV Series ‘Diamond Jack’ with co-producer Patrick Cullen and director Ben C Lucus.

  • Production Liaison Officer – Mitchell East: Mitchell is one of the minds behind the Genuinely Southern Forests TV Series Production and is a third-generation farmer in the Southern Forests region. Mitchell also owns and operates his own horticulture business including on-farm processing. Mitchell was born and raised in the Southern Forests region and has extensive knowledge and networks within the farming and broader community. Mitchell will act as project liaison to ensure a strong connection and representation of the local agricultural community throughout the project.


Contact:

Please contact Laura Bolitho on 08 9772 4180 or info@southernforestsfood.com


Southern Forests Food Council:  

The Southern Forests Food Council was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate local producers who recognised that the wealth and abundance of produce grown in the region made it perfect for major food production and agri-tourism. Its role was formalised in 2012 after receiving a $5 million investment from the State Government. The investment is part of a $7 million allocation to the Shire of Manjimup for its Agricultural Expansion Project. The SFFC has received a further $725,000 over two and a half years through the State Government to focus on activities and implement strategies that secure its long-term sustainability and enhance the Genuinely Southern Forests brand.


The Food Council is committed to unifying the area’s world-class and diverse producers to strengthen the region’s economy, build resilience, attract investment and export opportunities, promote regional pride, and create sustainable jobs. It represents local producers, culinary and agri-tourism operators who live and work in what is WA’s premier food bowl, aiming to ultimately establish the Southern Forests as an internationally recognised sustainable agricultural region and culinary tourism destination.


The Southern Forests produces over 50 different types of fruits and vegetables, truffles and boutique produce, dairy, sheep, pork and cattle farms, as well as award-winning wineries and exceptional culinary experiences.  The Southern Forests region is heavily invested in agriculture, with $230 million of agricultural production coming from the region


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