Emu Runner

A spirited young girl in small town Australia forms a meaningful bond with a wild emu as she tries to cope with her beleaguered father, Jay Jay (Wayne Blair), a naïve social worker, and her own painful grief in the aftermath of her mother's sudden death. Despite having great potential at being a junior athletics champion, Gemma begins to truant to spend time with the emu, stealing food for the emu to eat, which brings her to the attention of local police officer Stan (Rob Carlton) and social worker Heidi (Georgia Blizzard). After a detour on an unsealed backroad and a near-collision with an emu, Heidi begins to understand Gemma's behavior and realizes she belongs with her family. The film advocates for a response from White Australians to personally and actively seek interest in Indigenous people and supports the creation and telling of Indigenous stories, by Indigenous people, with Indigenous actors.