Bundaberg film awarded Jury Prize at Rotterdam Film Festival

It might be famous for its rum but for an award-winning Logan filmmaker, Bundaberg was the perfect backdrop for a project featuring working class characters, community and country which “rarely appears in the headlines or on screen”.

The IFFR jurors said Flathead was “a vital, spirited and poignant portrait of community life ... drawing on the lives and past of a rich panoply of characters in Bundaberg".

The working-class character and natural beauty of Bundaberg have been showcased on one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious cinematic stages with Jaydon Martin’s film Flathead being awarded a special Jury Prize at Rotterdam’s International Film Festival in February.

Bundaberg came to be the setting for Mr Martin’s debut film when the Logan filmmaker was brought to the region by his associate producer, Bundaberg born and bred James Latter.

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Through speaking with locals and admiring the sun-drenched Bundaberg landscape, Mr Martin realised the region and people were the ideal materials with which to craft the story of generational grief and human connection that he had been developing.

“When I travelled to Bundy with James, I was struck by the beautiful, cultivated landscape,” Mr Martin said.

“As we spent time in pubs, chatting with the locals, I began to see Bundy as the perfect setting to build the film around.”

When filmmaker Jaydon Martin visited Bundaberg, he knew the region was the ideal setting for his moving story of grief and human connection.

Using a blend of fictional storytelling and documentary, the film follows the main character, septuagenarian Cass, as he departs Sydney in poor health to return to his childhood home of Bundaberg.

While working the land on an old mate’s farm, Cass resurfaces long-forgotten memories of his past, amplified through the relationships he develops with new friends living through their own grief and trauma.

Through scenes set in the farms, pubs and factories of Bundaberg, the film serves as a testament to the power of genuine human connection to overcome life’s trials and tribulations.

IFFR juror Vanja Kaludjercic said Mr Martin’s film was “a vital, spirited and poignant portrait of community life … drawing on the lives and past of a rich panoply of characters in Bundaberg”.

“Shot in crisp monochrome, Flathead traverses its landscape in search of a country that rarely appears in the headlines or on screen,” Ms Kaludjercic said.

Mr Martin said he was “overwhelmed” by the recognition for his work through which he wanted to feature the working class people of the regions.

Mr Martin said he was “overwhelmed” by the recognition for his work through which he wanted to feature the working-class people of the regions.

“I wanted to explore this world of hardworking people in an authentic way that isn’t usually seen within cinema,” Mr Martin said.

“Though this is a slightly fictionalised version of Bundaberg, we tried to capture the authenticity of regional Australia throughout the decades.”

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Flathead’s producer, Patrick McCabe, said the film will be released in cinemas around the country later in the year.

“We’re so excited to put Bundy up on the big screen around the world and at home,” Mr McCabe said.

Originally published as Bundaberg film awarded Jury Prize at Rotterdam Film Festival