DEXTER dies a dreadful death — and a new sporting icon is born.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That’s part of the story of a new comedy heading Albury’s way.
Filmed at Wagga, The Backyard Ashes is co-producer Mark Grentell’s debut feature film as a director.
After a “world premiere” at Wagga on Wednesday, the film will have an early screening in Albury on Thursday night.
The film is about a bloke called Dougie Waters, lover of the backyard barbie and cricket.
One day he hits a tennis ball over the fence, hitting his new pompous English neighbour Edward Lords’ cat — that’s Dexter.
The stunned feline falls into a roaring barbecue, is incinerated and becomes “The Ashes”.
Click play on the video below to view the trailer.
The film is not short of talent — Gold Logie winner John Wood, Felix Williamson from The Great Gatsby and comedian Damian Callinan from Spicks and Specks are some of the stars.
Writer and fellow co-producer Peter Cox — the third is Anne Robinson — visited Albury to promote the film.
The genesis was an idea he and a mate had about a decade ago.
“We tossed around a few characters and a bit of a plotline, but it didn’t really get very far.”
Cox said a few years later he and Grentell discussed some ideas while they were working on some theatre shows.
Grentell was at the National Institute of Dramatic Art studying a directors’ course when the pair started writing the film “almost by correspondence”.
The first draft of the script was finished about four years ago and then it took another two years of polishing.
It was then they decided to film Backyard Ashes in Wagga.
“We’re both from Wagga — Mark’s originally from there and I’ve lived there for about 25 years,” Cox said.
“We just had a feeling that it belonged in a regional city — it could have just as easily been made in Albury or Wodonga.”
Some perfect Riverina weather meant filming took about a month.
Cox described the film as a “very positive comedy” that “doesn’t take itself too seriously”.
“Its humour is very Australian and it belongs in where we spend a lot of our lives — in the backyard.”
Thursday’s release will also be held at Tamworth and Orange.
The night will include question and answer sessions with actors, producers and writers.
Cox said they wanted the film to be a “slow burner”, hoping grassroots support will generate more interest.
The expectation was that it would be taken to the capital cities.
“We hope people can get there on the first weekend,” he said.
“It’s really important for the support of the film for future distribution.”
