I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere…
I've been to Karratha, Katherine, Kalgoorlie and Kojinup…
Townsville, Tamin, Two Rocks and Tambellup…
Darwin, Dowerin, Dalwalinu and Dumbleyoung…
But Wagin has to be one of my favourites.

Beautifully preserved architecturally, Wagin has a community and atmosphere that I haven't really experienced anywhere else…so much so that before I knew it I found myself in the local real estate agent asking about properties in the area.

Wagin is also home to the Little Gem Theatre. Converted from a powerhouse, the Little Gem is just that. A great art deco building, the cinema is something special - as are its patrons, who welcomed Big Screen with open arms.

The locals in Wagin have been enormously supportive of the event, with great return audiences and very warm responses throughout. This year, I put my urbane reputation on the line and organised a sausage sizzle before each of the evening screenings, as well as the obligatory beers and wines. I'm not sure if it was the Wagin-made bangers, the beers or my unbelievably good cooking (I'm claiming the latter), but the screenings were vibrant social get-togethers.

The diverse range of films, from Look Both Ways to Picnic at Hanging Rock, drew audiences of all ages and from some considerable distances. As did the school screenings of No Worries and The Magic Pudding. These were so popular we had to add two extra screenings.

It's often difficult to assess or quantify the success of screen culture activity. It's strange, but I've come to understand box office is the least important quantifier - although it was very healthy in Wagin. In the early years of Big Screen box office was the key for me. Now my quantifier is something

Indigenous actor Tom Lewis said to me on the last tour; building the 'campfire'. For me, this is now the central goal. The films in many ways are facilitators for a broader outcome, and the social environment, or 'campfire', is the real value. Here the community talks about the community, or the first time they saw a classic film, or politics, or the weather, or the event, or the cinema or anything. There's engagement with Australian screen culture at the core.

Certainly for me there's also a sense of the old time regional roadshow, which I really like being part of. It's a wonderful tradition and there's certainly a feeling that the locals also see it that way. Here's this guy who rolls into town annually with a boot full of films and posters, sets up a barbie, lays on drinks and sausages, and shows some movies. Some of them we know will not always be our cup of tea, but we'll give them a crack. We have a good laugh, and he packs up and goes.

Something I like doing - and Wagin's a good town to do it in.

Richard Sowada