EMU RUNNER
Toronto International Film Festival- Discovery Program 2018
Nominated for the Grolsch People’s Choice Awards
Adelaide Film Festival 2018
Nominated University of SA Feature Fiction CompetitionHawaii International Film Festival 2018- Pacific Showcase
Nominated for a NETPAC Award for Best Asian Pacific FilmGold Coast Film Festival 2019
Winner of the PKF Best Australian Independent Film Award- Peer Award59th Zlin Children’s Film Festival, Czech Republic 2019
Sydney Film Festival 2019
Vision Splendid Film Festival, Winton 2019
Melbourne International Film
Nominated for the Age Critics AwardCine Fest OZ Film Festival 2019
Darwin International Film Festival 2019
Brisbane International Film Festival 2019
Heart of Gold Film Festival 2019
MICHEL Kinder und Jugend Filmfest Hamburg 2019
Nominated for Michel Award for Best Children’s Film43rd São Paulo International Film Festival 2019, Brazil
Cine Magic Belfast International Film & TV Festival for Young People 2019
CASA Asian Film Festival Barcelona 2019
North Western Film Festival 2019, Inverell NSW
37. Ale Kino International Film Festival for Young Audiences 2019, Poznan, Poland
Cine Junior Film Festival 2020, Paris, France
Festival Sinema Australian Indonesia 2020, Jakarta & Lombok, Indonesia
The Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2020, Australia
FEATURE FILM
Emu Runner is the story of Gem Daniels (Rhae-Kye Waites), a nine-year-old First Nations Ngemba girl, who lives in the remote Australian town of Brewarrina. As she copes with her mother’s unexpected death, Gem finds solace in the company of a wild emu, unwittingly connecting with her mother’s traditional totem animal.
Gem’s obsessive attachment to the emu leads her down a troubled path as she feeds it her school lunches and begins to steal extra food for it. Gem skips school, to spend more time with the emu, attracting the attention of local police officer, Stan (Rob Carlton, Paper Giants) and the new social worker in town, Heidi (Georgia Blizzard, Thor: Ragnarok) who is convinced Gem’s family is failing to look after her.
With the death of his wife, Gem’s father Jay Jay (Wayne Blair, The Sapphires) is left to raise Gem, her 15-year-old sister Valerie and her 17-year-old brother Ecka. While Jay Jay’s commitment to his family doesn’t waver, the pressures to make ends meet and hold the family together are exacerbated by the antics of his children. Not only does Jay Jay face prejudices from the non-Indigenous community in the town, he also has to prove himself as a competent sole parent.
Writer & Director
Imogen Thomas
Producers
Victor Evatt, Antonia Barnard, John Fink,
Gabriel Barber-Shipton, Imogen Thomas
Premiere - TIFF
Broadcasted - SBS On Demand
All Credits - IMDB
ZIGZAG Post services - Online Edit, Colour Grade, Digital mastering.
