The fantastic wet start to the season has breathed optimism into the community as they gear up for an excellent harvest later in the year and their hospitality and interest in the program is terrific.

With a population of around 1000 in town, films are not a major priority for the community, so we have to work hard and actively in engaging the locals. Although houses are not always substantial, a good deal of this engagement with the Australian film and cultural community happens outside the cinema - in hotel bars and local eateries - and we have the late nights to prove it.

Festival guest Steve Bisley performs admirably and spends a great deal of time talking on all manner of subjects. Armed with his mini-DV camera, we begin shooting a visual document of the tour, speaking with a good range of locals regarding their thoughts on their community, films, farming life and the life of their town. Although many took a little bit of time to loosen up, by the end of our discussions it was difficult to keep them quiet!

Of particular note is the work and projection room of regional cinema pioneer Vic Bashem. Now in his 70s, Vic runs the show for us in Wongan at the local civic centre. One of the old-school projectionists, Vic does it the original way - on single spools with change-overs every 20 minutes, through the most magnificent carbon arc projectors. The only other time I’ve seen these in operation was at the Majestic in Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands.

Carbon arcs (now museum pieces) operate by the placing of two carbon rods (one positive and negative) in very close proximity and putting a charge through them. An incredibly bright flame ensues through the reaction and this is reflected from a huge mirror located in the back of a projector. The brightness of the light is astounding and more than a match for brand-new projectors - it's generally brighter. Much more labour intensive than current equipment, they force the operators to work towards the primary imperative of projectionists – ‘presentation’.

It is incredible how vibrant the colour is on these almost obsolete pieces of equipment and a film like South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic is simply a knockout. I have seen South at least 10 times and never have I seen it hit the screen with such a glow and crystal-clear resolution. It’s a stunning work and never fails to impress audiences. As with all locations when screening South, we have a local musician play a live accompaniment. In Wongan Hills we work with Lyn Hood, who puts together a fantastic score with musical gags at various points to keep audiences on their toes. One of the things I love is the way the film takes a different shape each time you see it with a new score; each interpretation provides another insight into the film and connects in a very special way with each audience.

It is a considerable challenge in areas like Wongan Hills to motivate audiences. For many of these communities, there are more pressing things at hand. Those who participate reap significant rewards, but the question of how to best engage small communities is one that continues to take up considerable thought and analysis for a programmer/curator like myself.

It’s a tough one but also reflective of a challenge to the arts and film in Australia in general. Perhaps you have some ideas on it? Go to Wongan Hills home page and fill out the feedback form. We’d appreciate your thoughts.

Richard Sowada