DON’T BURN THE SNATCH!
WE CHAT TO BENNY HEWLETT ABOUT THE RUNNING ON EMPTY FESTIVAL, SET TO ROCK COBAR, NSW THIS OCTOBER!
CRACK out your rad 80s threads, tease your hair, hang a garter belt from your rearview and polish your tramp rods, because the NSW outback town of Cobar is set to host the Running On Empty Festival 2018 on 26-28 October, a weekend-long tribute to one of the most iconic Australian car movies ever. We had a chat with event co-organiser and car freak Ben Hewlett to learn more about the inspiration for the weekend and what they have in store. Hewlett? What type of name’s that? It’s a Polish name [laughs]. Oh man, it’s started already! It’s amazing how many one-liners from this film are just ingrained into Aussie car lovers’ vocabulary. Those that know just ‘know’, and you can guarantee it’ll start a back-and-forward banter with people, regardless of whether you know them or not. I’m sorry Ben, I promise to behave myself. So how did this Running On Empty Festival come about? Well, I’ve been coming to Cobar since I was a kid, and it was only in recent years that I learnt just how much of the film was actually shot here and in the surrounding areas. My mate and fundraising partner John De Bruin and I have been doing a heap of work for the local RSL and other charities, and I casually and selfishly suggested to him a few years ago that we should stage a Running On
Empty movie festival. Twelve months later, John revived the idea, so we decided to give it a shot. I’m the president of the local RSL sub-branch and we’re trying to build a monument for the local Cobar diggers who lost their lives during World War I, and also assist building a miner’s memorial for the people of Cobar, so all monies raised are definitely going towards two worthy causes. Wow! At 38 years old you must be one of the youngest-ever RSL branch presidents, wouldn’t you? One of the youngest for sure, especially as I’ve been in the role now for a few years. But my background was in the army before we moved here six years ago, and I served overseas too, so I think I’m at a good age to segue both the younger and older generations of membership we support, while having a genuine understanding of what serving with the Defence Force entails. You’re obviously a car nut; I know you were involved with the Australian Army’s Land Rover and LTD burnout cars, so this festival sounds like it’s in good hands. I joined the Armygeddon Land Rover team and ran that for a couple of years before we tackled the chopped, green Project Digger LTD, which I built the engine for. My mate Brian handled the wheel work at Summernats and various burnout comps. They were great times – getting to live and breathe cars while getting paid to promote army trade apprenticeships was a great combo; it was job satisfaction plus! The LTD is still around the scene too, and came up so well. I’ll be happy not to deal with sorting custom glass for a roof chop again though [laughs]; it was a nightmare. Will Sheryl be there getting her gear off? I can’t guarantee that – but we have a great line-up of original actors keen to attend, all of whom are really excited by the event, which is
IT’S AMAZING HOW MANY ONELINERS FROM THIS FILM ARE INGRAINED INTO AUSSIE CAR LOVERS’ VOCABULARY