In Development

Burnima

A contemporary road trip/ghost film, set in Canberra and on the Monaro, centring on a Victoriana house party at a rural mansion. Feature film in development, showcasing our region’s beautiful landscapes, fascinating rural history, and a cast and crew of exceptional locals.

Background

The film is set in the present, post-Covid, and with climate instability an ever-present threat, with flash backs to the Victorian period. It will capture aspects of our diverse culture here in the capital region – urban, rural, and a taste of the many subcultures alive here. The soundtrack will feature local artists, mixed into a sound world of the landscape, but also capturing the inner life of our characters. The casting will showcase local artists, helping support those who choose to live and work from a base in our region. This also gives us a chance to cast for diversity, to truly represent our lives and those we engage with day to day.

Burnima Homestead was built in 1896 for grazier Mr Henry Tollemache Edwards. It was built by Frederick Young of Queanbeyan, who built Yarralumla, the present day residence of the Australian Governor General. It is situated 5 miles from the Bombala township on the Bombala River. Bombala was under consideration as one of the possible locations of the nation’s capital. So its links with Canberra, and the region, provide food for fascinating storytelling.

Project Status

We are developing a feature length project, partly set in contemporary Canberra, but largely set in the Monaro region, centred on a weekend house party at the legendary Burnima Homestead.

Collaborators

Producer/director/writer – Dianna Nixon

Producer/cinematographer – Miguel Gallagher

The embedded video is a project Dianna and Miguel completed in 2014.

Further details of preferred cast and crew available in our pitch deck.

Work-In-Progress

Dianna attended Screen Canberra’s PitchFest in Feb 2023 to test the concept with a range of producers, receiving much good advice on next steps. Dianna then completed Screen Canberra’s six month Screen Pod program, and attended PitchFest again in November 2023.

Important dates and activities

Miguel and Dianna travelled to Burnima before Xmas 2022 to take photos and shoot footage of the landscape and house. We met the new owners on this trip.

Dianna needs time to work in a totally focused way to turn the story into a script. The goal will be to have a draft to share at Pitchfest in 2025. At this stage, due to other work & project commitments, it looks like this writing will need to happen in January 2025.