Comedy • Drama • 2024
Desert Fish
Feature Film (In Development) – A Liyan Films Production
Alfie Munns, a lost soul burdened by a turbulent past, seeks salvation in the remote Kimberley when he stumbles upon the visionary Frances Nerrima, a respected Elder determined to empower her people by building homes together. As they face setbacks, legal troubles, and bitter adversaries, Alfie must confront his demons and embrace his roots to bring hope, unity, and a sense of purpose to a community.
Screenplay development in 2024 funded by Screen Australia
Wayne Blair
Director
Victor Hunter
Writer/Producer
Melanie Hogan
Writer/Producer
Mark Coles Smith
Executive Producer
/ Script Editor
Lisa Scott
Producer
Keith Thompson
Script Editor
My co-writer and co-producer Vic Hunter and I met over 20 years ago on the verandah of Bob Randall’s house in Mutitjulu beside Uluru.
Vic made me laugh so much and we have been friends ever since. When Vic told me he had a dream to have his community in the remote West Kimberley co-design and co-build their own houses because it would create good liyan (feeling) for everybody involved, I knew instinctively we could support his vision with a comedy, feature film.
We set about writing in 2013. It’s been a long journey and one that has been supported along the way by Wayne Blair and Keith Thompson as well as our funders Macquarie Bank, the Baxter Family Foundation and Peter Joseph, AM. More recently we have been supported by Mark Coles Smith and Lisa Scott as well as Screen Australia.
Vic and I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have so much support. We are also very excited by the story we are creating which we hope will be a funny and entertaining film but also one that is a blueprint to create positive change in remote Aboriginal communities, together.
As Vic says, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people have been travelling side by side like railway lines for too long, never meeting. We hope Desert Fish brings us closer together so we can create a better future for everybody and an understanding that many values inherent in Aboriginal culture can benefit us all.
Cast and Crew
A comedy/drama feature film following Aboriginal man Alfie Munns, a lost soul burdened by a turbulent past, who seeks salvation in the remote Kimberley when he stumbles upon the visionary Frances Nerrima, a respected Elder determined to empower her people by building homes together. As they face setbacks, legal troubles, and bitter adversaries, Alfie must confront his demons and embrace his roots to bring hope, unity and a sense of purpose to a community. Attached is director Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Top End Wedding), writer/producers Victor Hunter and Melanie Hogan (Kanyini), producer Lisa Scott (The Tourist), script editor Keith Thompson (The Sapphires) and script editor/executive producer Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin).