Entertainment
21 November, 2025
Train buff turns filmmaker
A CAIRNS student’s short film about the iconic outback train – ‘The Savannahlander’ – has been selected as a finalist for the Understory Film Festival at the Tanks Arts Centre on 22 November at 7pm.
Seventeen-year-old Eamon Kelly, a year 11 student at St Augustine’s College, said the film was inspired by the train’s struggles following floods that damaged tracks, threatening the service and the communities it connects.
“I was inspired to do it because of all the issues it’s been having recently, like the floods and then it wasn’t sure if it was even going to run next year,” Mr Kelly said.
“It’s not just a train service, it’s a community service because it employs all those people around those towns and keeps those towns going through tourism money and things like that.”
The Savannahlander operates through Almaden, Cobbold Gorge, Mt Surprise and Forsyth.
Mr Kelly explained that washed-out bridges and unsafe tracks have limited the train’s journey, forcing bus services on portions of the line and causing a decline in tourism revenue for the towns it serves.
Mr Kelly, known locally as ‘The Australian Trainspotter’, has combined his passion for trains and filmmaking to raise awareness about the train’s role in regional Queensland.
“I hope people see that it’s more than just a train – it brings the community together,” he said.
He credited his media arts teacher Toby McCarthy and his own YouTube-inspired exploration of train documentation as key influences in making the film.
Mr Kelly also hopes to pursue a career as a train driver after finishing school, with a possible future in film or media if that path does not work out.
Mr Kelly said he was thrilled to have the film selected for the festival.
“I didn’t actually expect it to get in, since I personally didn’t think the editing was very good, but I was very pleased to see it got into the film contest,” he said.
The Understory Film Festival will showcase Mr Kelly’s film alongside other finalists, highlighting regional stories and local talent.
