In the news
At the premiere in Sunbury (from left) Andy, David, Lisa and Abbey Brown, who were given a collection of indigenous plant species for participating in the online documentary series.
LOVING GRASSLANDS doco premieres in Sunbury
DECEMBER 2022: New documentary series LOVING GRASSLANDS premiered to an enthusiastic audience of 50 cast, crew, landholders and restoration practitioners at Hume Global Learning Centre in Sunbury, Victoria, on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022
The series of four x 10-minute docos was commissioned by the Hume City Council to capture stories of landscape restoration within Hume’s Green Wedge and showcase management practices that deliver production and biodiversity conservation aims.
Series creator, Brendan Guerin of Guerin Group Films, said the aim now was to ensure the web-based series reached its target audience; primarily landholders and restoration practitioners working across Victoria’s vast volcanic plains, stretching from Gippsland in the east to Hamilton in the Western Districts.
“The series aims to showcase the practical achievements of landholders and ecologists who have restored degraded land and reversed the decline in biodiversity, a serious threat to the health of indigenous grasslands and grassy woodlands.
“We also hope the series will appeal to residents of urban Hume, inspiring them to go out and explore their local parks, nature reserves and other environmental assets of the region.
In researching the series, Mr Guerin said he learnt that urban sprawl, European-style farming, over-grazing, weed and pest invasions, the use of superphosphate and the decline of Indigenous burning regimes have all taken a toll on grassy ecosystems.
“Many in the audience were interested to learn about the positive role that grazing livestock such as cattle can have in manipulating pasture composition in favour of indigenous plant species.
“Cattle and sheep aren’t intrinsically destructive to grassy ecosystems; it’s our sad history of poor grazing management of livestock and failing to de-stock early in lean years that has done so much damage.
“However, even this damage can be repaired through the use of cell grazing, which involves higher stocking rates for short periods, followed by long periods of rest.” he said.
To view the Trailer and Series, go to Loving Grasslands - Hume City Council
LOVING GRASSLANDS doco to premiere November 29th
NOVEMBER 2022: Guerin Group Films and Hume City Council will host a cast, crew and community screening of a new enviro-doco series at Hume Global Learning Centre in Sunbury, on November 29th, 2022.
LOVING GRASSLANDS is a series of 4 x 10min documentaries featuring passionate landholders and ecologists working in Hume’s Green Wedge to restore and manage land in harmony with nature, helping to save critically endangered grassy ecosystems from extinction.
Series creator, Brendan Guerin, said he was inspired to create the series while working in Hume bush crew in 2020-21, in a role funded by Working For Victoria during the Covid downturn.
“Over six months, I met many landholders and ecologists deeply committed to overcoming formidable weed infestations and passionate about restoring the indigenous plants on their land; not just trees and shrubs but the forbs and grass species endemic to the region as well,” he said.
“Our challenge was to find subjects who were knowledgeable and articulate about their achievements and had a landscape restoration story that could be visually realised.
“In some scenes, we chose to use archival and stock footage to help strengthen the narrative and hopefully take viewers on a satisfying journey into the grasslands.”
While researching the topic, Mr Guerin said he learnt that as little as 2-5% of temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands remain in Victoria, with less than one percent thought to be highly diverse and intact, according to Greening Australia and official surveys.
Urban sprawl, European-style farming, over-grazing, weed and pest invasions, superphosphate and the decline of Indigenous burning have all taken a toll.
With themes of conservation farming, biodiversity and ecological burning, the series aims to raise awareness of indigenous grassland and grassy woodland decline and the restoration movement emerging across Victoria’s volcanic plains which extend from The Gippsland in the east to Hamilton in the western districts.
From left: Eric Stone, ecologist with Hume, Thomas Brownlow, camera operator & sound recordist; and Brendan Guerin, producer-writer-director, Guerin Group Films
LOVING GRASSLANDS doco series secures production funding
MARCH 2022: Guerin Group Films PL has secured production funding for LOVING GRASSLANDS, a web based series of short documentaries (7-8mins each) on how passionate farmers and ecologists on Victoria's volcanic plains are waging war on weeds in a bid to save critically endangered grasslands from extinction.
After six months of research, development & pitching, the eco-doco series has secured production funding and other support from the City of Hume on Melbourne's northern fringe and early strategic filming began March 21st 2022.
Producer-director, Brendan Guerin, said he hoped the series would encourage more Victorians to go out and explore their local landscapes and reserves, forge deeper connections with the natural world 'on their doorstep' and perhaps learn to love grasslands the way indigenous Australians have for millennia.
With themes of soil & water conservation, biodiversity and sustainability, the series aims to raise awareness of the indigenous grassland restoration movement under way around Australia and hopefully build the case for more public and private funding for this vital long term eco-restoration work.
From left: Matt Wood, DOP & sound recordist; David Brown, Sunbury landholder and Thomas Brownlow, camera and sound assistant
GRAVE INTENTIONS to premiere October 16, 2021
On behalf of Death Cat Entertainment, Guerin Group Films is excited to announce the premiere of anthology feature film GRAVE INTENTIONS on Saturday October 16 2021 on Kings of Horror’s YouTube channel. It can also be viewed on Tubi, Amazon, Google Play and Microsoft Movies the same time or soon after.
As reported last year, Willie Bingham is one of five short films licensed by the producers to create this feature length horror movie.
Other platforms to stream the movie over the coming weeks and months include Vudu, Jungo TV, Apple TV, Film Freaks, UDU TV, PlanNow Media and Watch Movies Now.
Coinciding with the premiere will be a live chat at 9am AEST the same day on Kings of Horror's YouTube Channel (link: https://youtube/zPiJVtq1o3U ) which will allow the producers to do text chats with viewers during the screening in a chat box running next to the film.
Congratulations to producers Brian and Jocelyn Rish for securing distribution with Terror Films, thereby giving Willie Bingham a new lease of life in a longer format.
Willie Bingham in second anthology GRAVE INTENTIONS
NOVEMBER 2020: Short psychological horror, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WILLIE BINGHAM, will soon appear in a second feature anthology titled GRAVE INTENTIONS, produced by Brian and Jocelyn Rish of Death Cat Entertainment in South Carolina, USA.
Synopsis: A practitioner of the magical arts teaches the basics of her craft. The most important lesson? You must be mindful of your intention. Five of her customers are about to learn this the hard way: A woman looking to change her luck gets ensnared in a dangerous game; In the quest for justice, a man is transformed into a monster; In an attempt to right a wrong, a woman rescues a stray cat; A father and son are torn apart when a joke goes too far; A young girl needs protection from the demons in her life. We all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so where does the road lead when your intentions are grave?
Willie Bingham in A NIGHT OF HORROR: NIGHTMARE RADIO anthology
SEPTEMBER 2020: The dystopian story of THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WILLIE BINGHAM is now a chapter in a new anthology feature titled A NIGHT OF HORROR: NIGHTMARE RADIO from production company Blank Mandala. It premiered at FrightFest in UK, October 2019 and screened at many other festivals including Marché du Film (Cannes), FrightFest, Nocturna Madrid, Brooklyn Horror Fest, Fantasporto, Panic Fest & Morbido.
Logline: Rod, radio DJ, hosts a popular horror-themed show packed with tales of terror for eager listeners. When he receives alarming calls from a horrified child things start to feel off.
