March Update: One Year On – A Film That Became a Movement

At the beginning of last year, I had no idea how much more Just A Farmer would grow.

When we made the film, we simply wanted to tell an honest story about farming families and the pressures many people carry quietly in rural Australia. We believed that if people saw themselves reflected on screen, and saw their story, it might open the door for conversations that are often too hard to start.

What has happened over the last twelve months has been far bigger than we ever imagined.

Across Australia, communities have embraced the film in a way that has turned it from a feature film into something much more powerful.

A movement.

What We’ve Achieved Together

Since its release, Just A Farmer has travelled across the country through community-led screenings, bringing people together in halls, cinemas and community spaces to share an experience and start conversations that matter.

So far the film has:

• Delivered 130+ community screenings across Australia

• Sparked over 3 million mental-health conversations nationwide

• Received 13 international film awards and been selected for 10 international film festivals

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

After many screenings, people stay back. Sometimes for an hour or more. Conversations begin between neighbours, friends, families and strangers who suddenly feel safe enough to share their experiences.

People speak about grief, stress, loss, and the pressures of trying to keep farms, rural businesses, families and communities going. For many, it’s the first time they’ve spoken about it. And that is where the real impact lives.

Research collected from audiences shows that 92% of viewers say the film feels authentic and emotionally impactful, and 64% say it opened conversations with family or friends. Some viewers even reported seeking help after watching the film. 

Stories reach people in ways statistics and campaigns often cannot, after all story telling is the most ancient form of sharing knowledge and educating.

A Model Built By Communities

What makes this journey even more meaningful is that it hasn’t been driven by big marketing budgets or traditional film distribution.

Instead, communities have driven it. And thank you to all those local champions and local community groups that have made these events happen!

Local champions have organised screenings. Councils, Rotary clubs, farming organisations and mental-health groups have stepped forward to host events. Families have shared the film with their neighbours because they believe the message matters.

The result is a community-led engagement model that has proven incredibly powerful for reaching people who might never attend a formal mental-health event. 

Growing the Impact

Over the past year the demand has continued to grow rather than slow down.

To keep up with the number of communities reaching out, we have now built a national team of seven people working behind the scenes helping organise screenings and supporting communities who want to host the film.

Together, we are aiming to deliver 200 community screenings across Australia in 2026.

That means hundreds more towns and thousands more Australians will have the opportunity to come together, watch the film, and start conversations that may otherwise never happen.

A Screening at Parliament House

At the end of March we will also be holding a screening of Just A Farmer at Parliament House in Canberra.

This screening is an opportunity to bring the voices and experiences of rural communities directly to the people shaping national policy.

My hope is simple.

That Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum will attend, sit down, watch the film, and reflect on the realities faced by farming families and regional communities across Australia.

Behind every statistic about mental health, drought or economic pressure is a family, a farm, a rural business and a community doing their best to hold everything together. Because farmers are just one part of the ecosystem of an entire agricultural industry, an entire rural community is involved in feeding our population. 

Stories help us understand this.

The Next Chapter

Looking ahead, our mission remains the same.

To continue supporting communities across Australia who want to use storytelling as a way to bring people together and create safe spaces for conversations around mental health.

We know there is still a long way to go.

But what the past year has shown me is this: When communities come together with honesty, compassion, empathy  and courage, incredible things can happen.

Thank you to every single person who has supported this journey so far.

Leila