By Callum Ludwig
A Warburton filmmaker’s work is now available on one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms, albeit not accessible to Australian audiences.
Peter Downey’s ‘dogumentary’ called ‘Dozer’s Pet Diesel’ can be found on Amazon’s Prime Video in the US and UK, with hopes in will be available closer to home soon.
Mr Downey said he was surprised to have the film accepted.
“It’s very hard to get on there unless it’s a Hollywood blockbuster or you have connections or networks in the industry,” he said.
“I was surprised that they accepted this little Aussie film, but in another way I’m not, because I think it’s quite funny, there’s some really quirky local characters in it, so it’s quite a cute film.”
The mockumentary-style film features a number of Warburton residents and their furry friends, exploring the relationships they share with each other while also uncovering a fascinating secret.
Mr Downey said he think it’s great for a small independent film to feature on such a big platform.
“When I began making it, I always had ‘The Castle’, that wasn’t a big-budget film and did incredibly well, though it had connections and big actors like Eric Bana, it was still a small budget film,” he said.
“I modelled it a bit off that, a small budget local quirky comedy, and had aspirations that hopefully would be bigger, greater than the sum of its parts.”
The film first screened at the Warburton Arts Centre in July 2022 and Mr Downey is hoping to bring it to a few more local cinemas in the Yarra Ranges soon.
Mr Downey said he thinks people’s love for dogs and a laugh is what they enjoy about the film.
“One of the local interviewers, Michelle Fisher, is a very funny, quirky lady and they’re all dog-mad people in the film, but there’s still a very deep message behind the film and how deep the dogs are integrated into our lives,” he said.
