Short film showcases local talent in our region

knew was the campground. We drove down into it and it was so beautiful and, again, untouched, with this little gem of a community and we instantly went ‘this is where it has to be’.”

Hannah connected with the local community and found a base at Maketu¯ Health and Social Services.

“They were amazing. We had some auditions there and we had a base there for filming and we got swept up in this amazing community that opened up its doors to us and made us feel like locals. I’d always felt it was a special place in my heart, but then this made it even more special.”

It was at those auditions that Hannah discovered her lead — someone to take on the role of Frankie Jean — Mckani-rose Clarke.

“We wanted to, if we could, find someone from the Bay of Plenty — that was our dream.”

Hannah says the call for auditions unearthed “so much talent”.

“You are looking for a specific thing for the story you are telling but in the process you just find all these super-talented kids.”

She says Mckani-rose just rocked up straight from school.

“[Casting director] Kate [Mcgill] did an audition with her first time and I was in another room doing other auditions. Kate said ‘you should meet this girl, she’s really amazing’.

“Then Mckani bundles in and she was everything and I said ‘oh my God, that’s her’.

“She was hilarious and wasn’t precocious, she was just so real and for someone so young she was so comfortable in who she was.”

Those qualities were again evident when shooting started. “She’s the lead in this film and she’s in every scene and it’s very taxing for anyone, let alone a nine-year-old that’s never been on set before. But she was an absolute natural.

“She totally got it and everyone just fell in love with her because she’s so funny and charming and real and it comes across in her performance too.”

The film was shot towards the end of 2019 but the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns have stalled things.

It has since been screened at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival in Sydney and the Show Me Shorts short film festival in Auckland.

The film will be screened at Tauranga Independent Films’ Industry Night and Film screening on April 29 at Tauranga Historic Village. It starts at 6.30pm and is free.

Hannah hopes to organise a screening in Maketu¯ .