Storm Documentary to Launch

6pm June17, 2026 St Martin’s Chapel, Blackwood

Blackwood-based film “Windfall” is finally ready for release. And it’s a cracker. Full of amazing footage, heaps of locals with their insights and humour, plenty of expert analysis and explanation. A bit scary, relentless funny, an important historical record and only the tiniest bit sweary.

We look forward to seeing you for the 6pm screening, followed by a chat and refreshments (courtesy of BERG and Progress)

A quick reminder of the storm event and the resulting film project as we approach its fifth anniversary:

• In June’21 Victoria was hit with up to 300mm of rain and 12 (pitch black) hours of howling winds, peaking at 180kph; truly a “cool climate cyclone”. It brought moist tropical air all the way from New Caledonia to wrap around a belting mid-winter storm pushing in from the Southern Ocean. The mix was explosive. Hundreds of thousands of trees were uprooted or simply snapped in half.
• With no lights, no power and failing communications, Blackwood residents hunkered down in a stonking great forest of 60m giants, raining down around their heads.
• The aim of this film is to understand and document this freak weather event and the resulting stories of endurance and recovery.

Thank you to the community for its patience (the project has taken much longer than anticipated due to financial constraints) and special thanks to those who have contributed to the story.

Brendan Hehir (Director)