I arrive in Roma one day early, only to find that the town is booked out for the Variety Bash, which is passing through that night. After half a dozen knock backs I find a bed at the beautiful old Commonwealth Hotel. At 18 bucks a night it blows the budget, not, and I get to spend a day sitting on one of those fantastic wide old verandahs working on the computer and phone; so the Bash was a bit of a blessing in disguise. The following morning I sit in the cafe opposite, downing my double shot long black surrounded by locals having chips and gravy for brekky. We all sit and watch the Variety Bashers parade their mad assortment of cars down the Warrego Highway as they make their way to their next stop. I wonder if the creators of these brilliant coloured and adorned cars know that they are continuing a long and old tradition of ‘art cars’, all in the name of charity.

Roma is the largest town in South Western Queensland and is the regional capital of the Western Downs. With a population of around 7,000 it is by no means a big town, but is very big-hearted. You’re probably sick of reading that, but I am always blown away by the support Big Screen gets in these towns. When there is a cinema, their bread and butter is always mainstream, certainly nothing like the programs I bring in, but they always get behind Big Screen in a very big way. It’s even tougher for the Roma crew - Beth and Ron, Terry and Cindy - because they took over the cinema one week before we hit town, so they have really landed in the deep end. Without ‘floaties’, they swim through the festival beautifully.

Roma Mayor Bruce Garvie got straight behind the festival: ‘It’s so important for towns like Roma to have access to events like this, especially ones that foster and develop culture, even better when it’s our own culture. And we all love Australian films, so it’s just brilliant that Big Screen is here. I know Roma will get behind the festival and make it work, because it’s just a fantastic community.’

We even get the Federal Member Bruce Scott MP, a Roma local, along to opening night, which is a real bonus. He is obviously much liked by the locals: his family first arrived in the late 19th century and as a young man he jackarooed around the area. Before Peaches screens, to a great house, he perfectly echoes the mayor’s thoughts, and throws some federal weight behind the Big Screen tour.

It’s so important that politicians like Bruce Scott and Bruce Garvie are at Big Screen festivals. I always say my bit about the AFC and our work, but when our funding partners stand proud before an audience who are about to spend a few days watching a program of great Australian films, it says a lot to the locals about how much we all care about this industry, how valuable it is to us, and most importantly how extensive the partnerships are. It hails how much we are all prepared to work at keeping Australian stories and voices on the big screen, within easy reach of all Australians; I know, party and local politics aside, that that engenders everyone with a strong sense of pulling together on something that really matters, and matters across generations as well as locations.

We also screen Mad Max, A Man’s Gotta Do, Jedda, Somersault and Gems from the Archive, which all have healthy attendances and appreciative audiences. But the real success is a film that is turning into a little jewel in Big Screen’s crown: Yoram Gross’ wonderful kids’ film Dot and the Kangaroo. On Saturday morning, competing with all the sports on around town, we get 30 kids and their parents and grand parents. One couple I meet have brought their three-year-old granddaughter, because they took all their children to see every Dot film released, and now she is having her first film outing at Big Screen, coming to see an Australian classic. To see this obviously proud pair, with their terribly excited granddaughter chafing at the bit to get into film, simply said it all for me. It’s at moments like these, which seem to happen in very town, that I know that Big Screen is doing its job. And then on Sunday morning another 70 turn out for the same film. Here I was thinking that it would be church that they’d all be off to, but no it’s the other temple they chose to come together in. On this Sunday morning, in this house of worship at least, it’s Australian film 1, God 0.

Next stop 1200km north-west, further into the desert and mining country in Cloncurry.

We’ll be shooting a little documentary up there as well, so it’s going to be a big week.

Don’t forget to check Broome as well, which ran at the same time as Roma.

See you in the ‘Curry’.

Peter Castaldi, Festival Director