“Big Dreamers is a carefully crafted, entertaining documentary that tells the story of the civic grand adventure to restore Tully, Australia’s glory. It would make Don Quixote proud. The Accolade judges loved the folksy, authentic feel of the production, which is sure to delight audiences. Filmmaker Camille Hardman has an eye for the ironic, yet is clearly sympatric with the sincerity of those who dare to dream big dreams. It’s a standout production that deserves wide distribution.”
- Thomas Baker, Ph.D. - Chairperson, The Accolade, USA
“Easily the most enchanting film from down-under this year, Big Dreamers is a compelling and localized view of globalization, told with as much deadpan wit as Mark Lewis' Cane Toads.”
- Mike Steinberg - Director of the Webster Film Series, Webster University, St Louis, USA
“Big Dreamers is a blinder - an affectionate and infectious portrait of small town Australia that we can all relate to. A crowd pleaser of epic proportions.”
– Megan Spencer - Triple J Radio & Perth Revelation Int Film Fest Director
“Big Dreamers is a documentary which tells a potentially silly story while respecting its serious undertones.”
- Mark Deming – All Movie Guide, New York Times, USA
“It’s 55 minutes of ‘I simply can’t believe it’ action. It is simply, hilarious, in kind of a subtle way. The people are fun, and funny, and unbelievable. And these folks are serious!”
- Tim Bumpass – The Sentinel Record, Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA
“Big Dreamers is an affectionate and infectious portrait of small town Australia that we can all relate to.”
– IF Awards
“Priceless!”
- Andy Smetanka - “Big Dreamers” is one of NewWest’s top picks for the 2007 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Montana, USA
“Big Dreamers is funny, eccentric and quintessentially Australian”
– Tim Elliott – Sydney Morning Herald
“But where Kath & Kim sometimes seems to take a sarcastic, chardonnay-swilling intellectual view of its very own "foxy morons", Big Dreamers falls over itself with genuine affection and respect for the residents…I reckon most Australians will love Big Dreamers.”
Ian Cuthbertson – The Australian
“Director Camille Hardman does a fine job capturing the spirit of small town Australia, and should be applauded for truly documenting and not exploiting the town’s hardships or their eccentricities.”
Matthew Pejkovic – Media Search
“…cheerful doco both entertaining and insightful. It's a perfect DVD to send overseas as a showcase of the Australian ethos”
Andrew L Urban – Urban Cinefile
“This doco is gold.”
Sascha Molitoritsz – Pick of the Night, Sydney Morning Herald
“Hardman's 55-minute documentary (co-produced with John Fink) might be the most bizarre comedy to come out of Queensland since Cane Toads 20 years ago. Like Mark Lewis's classic, it's an affectionate look at how rural folk deal with a problem of almost biblical proportions…”
– Steve Meacham - Sydney Morning Herald
“This gorgeous program is unintentionally hilarious and makes you wonder why someone hasn't made a movie about the Big phenomenon. Then again, you couldn't write this comedy gold or assemble such a perfect cast of eccentrics.”
– Jodie Pfarr – The Age
“humourous and engaging”
Jim Mitchell - Filmink Magazine
“hilarious documentary”
– Erica Thomson – Courier Mail
“packed with personality”
- Michael Mackenzie – Radio national, ABC, Australia
“a film that everyone can watch and is highly recommended”
- John Hughes – Tully Times, Queensland, Australia
“a warm and funny film that is quintessentially Australian”
- Pam Walker – Bondi View
“Big Dreamers is a funny and intelligently constructed documentary”
– Xavier Toby – Lost at E Minor
“a beautiful film”
- Russell Wolfe – 720 ABC Radio, WA, Australia
“The resulting film is hilariously funny”
- Alex Prior – Screen Hub
“a heart-warming documentary… hilarious, insightful and touching.”
- Emma-Kate Dobbin – Savvy.com
"Hilarious and humane - an Aussie anthropology lesson without the cultural cringe."
- Sam de Brito – Author, Journalist – Sydney Morning Herald & Sun Herald
“A CANE TOADS for town councils. A RATS IN THE RANKS for art. Big Dreamers is a great, truly Australian, truly unique documentary. High ideals, lofty ambitions, pettiness and giant gumboots. Hilarious.”
- Paul McDermott – Actor, Comedian, TV Personality
“what an honourific to an Australian culture that the city has forgotten. It wasn’t at all about the madness of the Big Tourist Attractions, it was about who we’d forgotten we were – the laconic, earthy, basically good people of the small town. Small country. Where dreaming continues in unexpected ways. I loved it. Loved to be reminded about us. The characters were caught – in the act – of being themselves, inventive, dislocated, at home.”
- David Franken – The Gaatekeeper, Board Member PFTC
