Far South Film Festival names the People's Choice winner

The creative team for this film also scooped the Philip Hearnshaw Best Film Award and the Far South Film Best Director Award.

Directed by Andrew Robinson with creative director Cheryl Davison and producer Hiromi Matsuoka, the film features three songs sung in Dhurga language by the Djinima Yilaga indigenous choir, based at Four Winds, Bermagui.

Originally slated to be performed at the Four Winds Easter Festival, when restrictions caused the festival to be cancelled, Cheryl Davison hatched the idea for the songs to be filmed.

She was introduced to Andrew Robinson and the result was the award-winning Bagan, Barra Barra, Mirriwarr, shot on Yuin country.

In talking about the film and the songs, Cheryl said the song 'Ganbi' was an opportunity to talk about the bushfires and how it affected them as Aboriginal people.

Director Andrew Robinson admitted that given the backdrop to that particular song and what everyone went through, he had a soft spot for it.

The song 'Our Way' was a chance to sing about family, being together and collecting food together, Cheryl said.

"It's more like a documentary film style," Andrew said of the piece that homes in on shellfish being caught and enjoyed.

The film festival's 15 films registered almost 1000 streams and reached more than 2500 audience members around Australia.

Far South Film thanked all of the film makers and audience who participated in this year's festival and the following for their support: The Picture Show Man Cinema, Cathy Griff on behalf of Philip Hearnshaw, Author JD Shaw, ScreenHub, Lakeside Merimbula Holiday Apartments, Funhouse Studio, Nullarbor Consulting, StageFlight, Torchlight Media and Screenworks.

Far South Film is looking forward to the next Festival: a hybrid in-person event in Merimbula and online in August 2022. Submissions open in early 2022. Film makers and festival goers can keep in touch through the Far South Film Festival Facebook page and Instagram.