Big stories, small towns: Port Augusta, South Australia

Big Stories, Small Towns, conceived of and produced by Martin Potter is a heartwarming portrait of Port Augusta, "the crossroads of Australia." The project's aim is to "shine a light on locals who cared for the people around them." Two filmmakers-in-residence, Jeni Lee and Sieh Mchawala worked in partnership with the community of Port Augusta, South Australia, to tell its stories through both the eyes of the filmmakers and through the eyes of its long-term residents. Digital Storytelling workshops and other participatory media programs were also run with local people to facilitate them to tell their own stories. With a focus on unsung heroes in the community, the project draws out themes of social and emotional wellbeing. The backdrop for the stories is a range of primary health care models such as the men’s shed, the aged care facility Wami Kata (cultural environment: ATSI), and the young Indigenous fathers’ group. These are stories of a community that supports people through life’s stages, bringing them together across age, race and economic fortune.This work was commissioned through Film Australia's National Interest Program ($102,000 cash grant, $40,000 equity). Additional funding was received from the South Australian Film Corporation ($40,000), Country Arts SA ($20,000) and Port Augusta City Council ($3,000). Films produced during the project premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival and were selected for 10 International film festivals between 2009 and 2010 including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA DocLab 2009). Outputs from the project are held in the National Film and Sound Archive, and have been identified as a working prototype for large scale participatory media including ABC Open.