Eidsvold director features at the Melbourne International Film Festival

A Burnett director’s documentary on local Indigenous leader Tiga Bales has made it all the way to the bigscreen at the Melbourne International Film Festival. VIDEO, DETAILS.

When Eidsvold’s EJ Garrett was approached to take part in a documentary series highlighting the trials and tribulations of Queensland's most iconic Indigenous leaders, he had no idea it would end up on the big screen at one of the countries most respected film festivals.

Mr Garrett was one of four directors across the state approached by Inkey Media in the past year to produce a documentary to celebrate the personal journeys of First Nations trailblazers from across the state.

“They reached out to me and asked if I’d like to be involved, and if I did whose story I’d like to tell,” Mr Garrett said.

He leapt at the chance, and working with the Bayles family created a 51 minute documentary on Tiga Bayles a renowned Burnett-born radio presenter and Indigenous rights activist.

“I’ve always thought Tiga’s story was such an important one to get out there,” he said.

Jillian Robinson, Lawrence Johnston and Douglas Watkin were also approached to direct their own part in the series and created documentaries on Neville Bonner, Pat O’Shane and Oodgeroo Noonuccal.

The poster for Rebel With A Cause.

The success of the series ‘Rebel With A Cause’ is clear as earlier in 2023 all four parts of the docu-series were selected to be screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

“From a regionally based filmmaker it was a pretty big deal,” he said.

Mr Garrett has been a staple of the Burnett and southeast Queensland media landscape for a number of years, as the driving force behind the Murray Minutes, a video journalist for NITV and the owner of independent production company Burnett River Media, based in Eidsvold.

“I’ve got a passion for the industry, I think storytelling is important and defines who we are as a community,” he said

Mr Garrett is hoping to capitalise on the success of the film festival when he begins developing his first feature film based on the book ‘Ghostbird’ after obtaining the rights to the Australian novel by Lisa Fuller.

The book has received its own success including winning the David Unaipon award, the 2020 Queensland Literary Awards Griffith University Young Adult Book Award and has recently been celebrated after launching in Europe.

Anyone interested in watching the docu-series will be able to do so in October on NITV.