WAGGA Wagga has rolled out a green grass carpet for the world premiere of Backyard Ashes.
The film, written, filmed and produced in Wagga, tells the story of Dougie Waters and his Pommie neighbour, Edward Lords, who opt to settle their differences with a backyard cricket match.
Both have their eye on winning the Ashes – the ashes of Lords’ unlucky cat that falls victim to a roaring barbecue.
The film’s co-writer, producer and director Mark Grentell, who grew up at Uranquinty and has spent much of his life in and around Wagga, is proud he’s been able to put the region on the big screen.
“There are a lot of great Australian films on the world stage like Animal Kingdom and Snowtown - and they’re great but I can’t relate to stuffing bodies in a barrel in Adelaide," he said.
“I wanted to make a film that told the story of regional Australia – and backyard cricket and having a barbie and a beer with your mates is something most people can relate to.”
He said there was never much question where his debut feature film would have its world premiere. It had to be Wagga.
After all, the film was made in his own backyard – quite literally.
His mum and dad, Sally and Robert Grentell, and grandmother, Judy Misson, conveniently had just the kind of adjoining backyards they needed to fit the plot.
“Greg Champion wrote a song called I made 100 in the backyard at Mum’s - well I made a movie in my Mum’s backyard,” jokes Grentell.
“I promised them I wouldn’t take up much of their time – I ended up taking over their backyards for four weeks!”
(They drew the line, however, at him digging up a chunk of their lawn for his envisioned “green carpet” which was supplied instead by a local turf company.)
Grentell said grandmother, Judy, 80, proved particularly handy on set, whipping up scones and caramel slice for the hungry crew.
“We couldn’t have the air-conditioning on because of the noise so she was literally inside baking – and baking,” Grentell said.
Locals will also recognise the film’s pub as the Riverina Hotel, whose owner Chris Roche shut his doors for two whole days for filming.
“But he also got to see (actor) John Wood play the publican behind his bar so he was pretty chuffed,” Grentell said.
He said the film couldn’t have been made without the support of the Wagga Wagga community including the council which gave him an events grant to help fund it.
Another 40 or so friends, family and locals bought shares in the production which was filmed on a shoestring budget of $285,000.
The Wagga premiere is, unsurprisingly, sold out with three cinemas set to be packed out – “and we could have filled all six but we’d have never fitted everyone in the foyer”.
It will also be shown in theatres at Tamworth, Albury and Orange starting tomorrow, November 7 with special screenings planned for Leeton on November 15 and 16.
Why Leeton? Well the film includes an appearance by Leeton-raised Jake Speer who is currently appearing in Home and Away.
Grentell reckons he gave Speer his first “big break” – the part of a spoon in a musical version of Beauty and the Beast.
The rules of backyard cricket
Like most, Grentell has some firm thoughts on the rules of backyard cricket.
Automatic wickie, obviously, is one.
“And it’s out if you catch the ball when it bounces off the roof but only if you use your non-dominant hand – and your dominant hand has to be holding a beer or some other beverage otherwise it’s just showing off," he said.
Grentell doesn’t mind dogs contributing to the fielding “but you can’t remove the slobber off the ball”.
He acknowledges some have wackier rules.
“The most random one I’ve heard is ‘one hand, one bounce, one head’ where you can catch the ball off one bounce but only if you dive towards it headfirst!”