Hawkesbury's very own Tig the border collie rubbed shoulders with the stars when she headed to Western Australia to film Australian comedy-drama film Rams, now screening at cinemas across the country.
Tig plays the hero dog, along with her double for the shoot, Sage, and both were trained for the screen by South Windsor's Kirstin Feddersen, director of Kirsko Film Animals.
Rams is a new film directed by Jeremy Sims, written by Jules Duncan, and starring Sam Neill and Michael Caton as warring brothers raising separate flocks of sheep descendent from the family's prized bloodline in remote Western Australia.
Ms Feddersen headed to WA in 2018 for the shoot, travelling by plane with the two dogs along with four sheep - a ram called Loche and three ewes.
"Dogs are generally pretty good on aircraft, they're used to being in a crate - they do like quiet places and to hide away," Ms Feddersen said.
"But it was the sheep I was worried about. They fit into the one big purpose-designed wooden crate together. It took forever to get the sheep luggage and our luggage [at the other end] and when we opened the crate door they were so happy in there."
Due to biodiversity laws, the animals had to be checked-over by a vet when they arrived in WA - particularly concerning for the sheep, which Ms Feddersen and her team ensured were thoroughly free of any plant matter hiding in their coats.
"We had two trainers in WA but a whole handful of people here [in the Hawkesbury] who got the sheep ready," Ms Feddersen said.
"They warned us that if any of the sheep had one grass seed in their fleece, the sheep would be shorn and we'd all be sent home. That would be the end of the show for us, as the directors wanted full-fleeced sheep.
"We had people up around the clock getting the sheep washed and picking through every inch of them - by the time we got on the plane they looked like ugg boots."
Needless to say, the sheep passed the examination.
"It was a tense 24 hours while they were going through the fleeces, waiting for the vet to pass them. But when they were given the thumbs-up I started to breath again."
The team from Kirsko Film Animals watched the film at the Richmond Regent cinema during a private screening before it was open to the public.
On the weekend, Tig visited the Regent as a special guest for the launch screening and patrons were able to have their photos taken with the pooch.
Everyone who watches Rams at the Richmond Regent gets a limited edition 'pawograph' from Tig.
Sarah Falson
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
