Produced by You and Me Pictures
in association with Regen Studios
Can a functionally extinct reef system be brought back to life?
Can a functionally extinct reef system be brought back to life? Jolie, a year 12 student and aspiring marine biologist, joins forces with her community to bring back the lost oyster reefs of the Noosa river.
See the film
Screening Now:
- Free public screening on the big screen at Fed Square in Melbourne on 18 September 2024 from 6pm as part of Reset Festival
- Streaming on ABC iView
- Available now on ClickView
We'll be sure to keep you up to date with further screenings as they are announced.
Past Screenings:
- World Premiere at the Sydney Film Festival June 8 and 11 and short listed for the Sydney Film Festivals Sustainable Future Award
- Broadcast on ABC after Landline on Saturday 29 July at 4:20pm
- Q&A Screening on the Sunshine Coast on Monday 5 Feb, hosted by the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective
- ATOM x Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2024
Going to the Moon...
The Oyster Gardener has been selected into the Lunar Codex; a collection of contemporary artwork being stored on the Moon for future generations. It is due to launch to the Lunar southern hemisphere in 2025.
About the film
Can a functionally extinct reef system be brought back to life? Jolie, a grade-12 student and aspiring marine biologist, joins forces with her community to bring back the lost oyster reefs of the Noosa river.
The Oyster Gardener is a short film that follows Jolie on a journey of discovery to see if restoring biodiversity and reversing the impacts of climate change in her local river system is possible. This year, she's part of a specifically-designed curriculum program that has been engaging young people in this ambitious local restoration project through real-world learning and citizen science.
As the journey unfolds, we learn that parallel to the story of the oyster reef, Jolie is going through a life transition of her own. She is finishing high-school and preparing to leave home for the first time. Grappling with so many uncertainties, yet seeking moments of joy, awe and curiosity wherever she can, we watch as Jolie navigates the unknown, while finding her voice and her purpose.
"Water is the life blood of the ecosystem."
Producers
The Oyster Gardener is produced by:
Credit List
Director, Editor: Kim Ingles
Producers: Julia Lörsch, Kim Ingles
Executive Producers: Anna Kaplan, Damon Gameau, Stephen Oliver
Director of Photography: Wes Greene
Illustrator: Julia Lörsch
Animator: Matt Murchie
Stills Photographer: Julia Lörsch
Impact Team: Kim Ingles, Julia Lörsch, Anna Kaplan, Jayde Harding
Featuring: Jolie May, Max Wingfield, Dalia Mikhail, Aiden Mellor, Craig Moore, Megan Connell
Additional Cinematography: Michael Gissing
Additional Producer: Lara van Raay
Edit Consultants: Jayde Harding, Sebastien Carew-Reid
Picture Post: Elements
Post Supervisor: Gabrielle Joosten
Colourist: Billy Wychgel
DI & Online: Marcus Newman
Sound Post Production: db Audible Difference
Sound Designer: Dan Brown
Music: “Regeneration" written and performed by AY Young
Archival stills courtesy of the State Library of Queensland
Underwater footage of Port Phillip Bay courtesy of The Nature Conservancy
Special thanks to: Jolie, Richard, Caroline and Zach May, Isabel Hammond, Milla Uechtritz, Anna Kaplan, Damon Gameau, Hollie Fifer, Malinda Wink, Teri Calder, Lucy Markovich, Stephen Oliver, Jayde Harding, Dalia Mikhail, Megan Connell, Vanessa Billy, Craig Bohm, Simon Branigan, Richard Howard, Jane Harding, Scott Sinclair, Aurora Frate, Dan and Zoe Cooke, Mick Hill, Pelican Boat Hire, The Nature Conservancy, Noosa Environmental Education Hub, CSIRO Bribie Island Research Centre, Rich Hall, Andrew and Margaret Ingles, Leonardo Pinheiro, Lily Pinheiro-Ingles.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to The Nature Conservancy Australia, Noosa Environmental Education Hub, Noosa Integrated Catchment Assoc Inc (NICA), CSIRO Bribie Island, and Good Shepherd Lutheran College for their generous participation in the film.
Funding partners
You & Me Pictures and Regen Studios would like to thank the generous contribution of Doc Society Climate Story Fund for supporting the impact campaign. The Oyster Gardener has been made possible through the support of the following partners.
