Local Stories, Global Impact
Big Stories, Small Towns is an evolving multiplatform documentary project launched in 2008.
Big Stories, Small Towns is a unique model of community engagement and participation. Professional filmmakers live in a small town and work with local people to bring their stories to the screen. The project is shaped through extensive local consultation and participation to create stories made by both filmmakers and community members - full of love, humour, family and belonging. Through workshops, exhibitions and screenings we use the storymaking process and stories as a catalyst for discussion, reflection and inspiration.
Big Stories focuses on those caring for and creating their own community. On this website we aim to build a diverse and inspiring global portrait of country life and to showcase some of the extraordinary tales of resilience and innovation of the small towns we've visited.
We work with small communities and talented, passionate filmmakers who share our values and vision. If you'd like to be a part of the project please email martin@bigstories.com.auEvery community has a living memory, an awareness of a collective identity woven from a thousand stories
Connect with us
Big Stories is financed in association with Media Resource Centre, the South Australian Film Corporation, Strathewen Community Renewal Association and Country Arts SA. Financed with assistance of Screen Australia's National Documentary Program. Big Stories Co. acknowledges the support of Screen Australia's Enterprise Asia Program.
Team
Creative Director, Filmmaker in Residence and Producer
Martin Potter
Producer
Anna Grieve
Filmmakers in Residence, Coober Pedy, Port Augusta, Raukkan and Murray Bridge
Jeni Lee, Sieh Mchawala
Filmmaker in Residence, Banlung
Koam Chanrasmey
Filmmaker in Residence, Strathewen
Celeste Geer
Filmmaker in Residence, Beaudesert
Peter Hegedus
Filmmaker in Residence, Raja Ampat
Enrico Aditjondro
Filmmakers in Residence, Cowra
Stephen Best, Jenny Ainge
Filmmaker in Residence, Bongkud-Namaus
Nadira Ilana
Co-Producer, Beaudesert
Samantha Ryan
Awards
SxSW Interactive, 2012, Community Champion
South Australian Screen Awards, 2012, Innovation in Digital Media
Japan Prize, 2013, Finalist
Partners
Financed with assistance of Screen Australia.
Originally developed in association with the Media Resource Centre Inc. and South Australian Film Corporation and Country Arts SA.
Credits
Local Content Producer, Beaudesert
Elijah Cavanagh
Local Content Producers, Raukkan
Victor Koolmatrie, Vernon Walker
Local Content Producers, Murray Bridge
Kelvin Kelly, Ken Wells
Local Content Producers, Banlung
Lam Suot, Ang Yung
Production Assistant, Strathewen
Daniel Koerner
Local Content Producer, Strathewen
Phillip Mitchell
Editor, Port Augusta, Murray Bridge and Raukkan
David Ngo
Editors, Banlung
Ramón Sánchez Orense
Sok Chan Veasna
Editor, Strathewen
Sioux Currie - Little Big Works
Additional editing
Martin Potter, Koam Chanrasmey, Jeni Lee, Sieh Mchawala, Andrew Clark, Mietta Barling
Interactive Production Company
Freerange Future
Post Facilities
The Cutting Room
Sound Design & Mixers
Michael Darren (Pt Augusta), Thomas Harrer
Original Music
Andy Evans, Michael Goodfellow, Jai Lee-Lunghi, Martin Potter, Jimmy Rankine & Rough Image, Jason Sweeney, Harry Whizkid, Tom Harrer, Brett Aplin, Jamie Evans, Dexter Britain, Bosques di mi Mente, Gillicuddy
Strathewen Archival Photos
Bronwyn Apted, Ray Mann, the Mitchell Family, the Horne Family, Steve Pascoe, Malcolm Hackett, Diana Robertson, Celeste Geer, Angela Apted, the McKimmie Family, Laurie Nelson, the Tully Family
Strathewen Photos
Donna Todd, James Geer, Martin Potter, Mary Avola
Murray Bridge "Oldies" stories produced with the Friends of the Murray Bridge Public Library Inc
"The Oldies" Interviewers
Ann Hughes and Jean Filmer with Audrey Thomas, Laurel Warneke, Lee Lyons and June Bowyer
"The Oldies" Digital compilers
Ann Hughes and Audrey Thomas
"The Oldies" Transcriptions
Ann Hughes, Jean Filmer, Carol Turner and Chrissie Dodd
"The Oldies" Co-ordinator
Ann Hughes
"The Oldies" was produced with the support of the South Australian State Library Technology Branch
In Murray Bridge thanks to
Murray Bridge Council, Country Arts SA, Ripples Office Murray Bridge, Steve Sumner, Nunkuwarrin Yunti, Clyde Rigney Jnr., Murray Bridge Regional Gallery, Di Gordon, Lakalinjeri Tumbetin Waal (LTW), Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club, Kalparrin, Murray Bridge International Photographer's Club, Uccello Cafe, Murray Bridge Historical Society, Lutheran Community Care, Max and Jacqui Merkenschlager, Nayano Taylor- Neumann
In Raukkan thanks to
Raukkan Community Council, Derek Walker, Clyde Rigney Snr., Clyde Rigney Jnr, Rose Rigney, Verna Koolmatrie and all the residents of Raukkan
In Banlung thanks to
Non Timber Forest Products, Long Serey and all NTFP staff and board, Jocelyn Pederick, Ben Pederick and Good Morning Beautiful Films, Graeme Brown, Forest Mountain Voices, Ginny Lee, Alex Rodriguez and April at Health Unlimited, Isabel Rojo-Gonzalez at UNESCO, Nathalie Lahet and Ignacio Torres Tamayo at ASAD, Dam Chanthy at Highlander's Association, Phnom Village, Lunn Village, Ang Family, Uk Chantuok and family, Paul Humphrey at 3SPN, Gaetan Crespel and Julien Roumy at Bophana Centre, Eleanor Loudon at Australian Volunteers International, Sophal Sorn, Youthana Kong and Treetops Ecolodge
In Strathewen
Big Stories gratefully acknowledges Rebel Films and Celeste Geer for granting a limited licence to show excerpts from their documentary Then The Wind Changed and supplying additional footage on this website.
Many thanks to the members of Strathewen Community Renewal Association for their assistance in realizing this project.
The Strathewen community gratefully acknowledges the generosity of donors to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund which made this project possible.