Imogen Thomas’ short film “Mixed Bag” premiered at the Montreal Film Festival in 2008 and received the Gold Award at the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards . The film was also a finalist for the Wasserman and King Award at the First Run Film Festival in New York City. “Emu Runner” is Thomas’ first narrative feature.

“Emu Runner” will begin screening at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

IT: “Emu Runner” explores the impact a mother’s death has on an Indigenous family living in a remote Australian community. The story is seen through the eyes of Gem, a spirited nine-year-old girl who deals with grief by forging a bond with a wild emu, a mythical bird of her ancestors. It is a bond she will do anything to keep but one that puts her at odds with a young and inexperienced social worker.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

IT: Loss is such a huge part of the lives of all my Indigenous friends in Brewarrina, which is where “Emu Runner” is set. Sadly, when we catch up, the first piece of news my friends usually impart to me is about a recent death in the community. More often than not it is a young Indigenous person that has died. Every time it is no less shocking to me to hear about a life cut short and the devastating toll that loss has on their loved ones. “Emu Runner” in many ways is my response to the fragility that life presents.

The script for “Emu Runner” was developed over many years and in close consultation with members of the Brewarrina Indigenous community, in particular Frayne Barker, the Director of the Indigenous Preschool. We both agreed a child’s perspective would be the most compelling entry point to examine the impact that loss and grief has on lives.

We wanted a story that showed the depth of a child’s sorrow and incorporated the rich cultural connections to country, as that is where we believe solace and healing happens.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

IT: I would like to believe films have the power to affect real social change — that is the idealism in me. What films can do extremely well is they can be the launching pad for the beginning of a conversation about the ideas that underpin a story. Hopefully that conversation will lead to something positive and constructive.

Watching “Emu Runner,” I hope audiences come to understand the adversities which arise from living in a remote community, as well as marvel in the richness of our First Nation’s culture and the beguiling beauty of the Australian landscape.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

IT: The logistics of any film always present an array of challenges, but such limited resources and shooting in a remote location meant that an even more unconventional approach had to be adopted for “Emu Runner.”

The film was shot on location in Brewarrina, which is situated 815 kilometers from Sydney. Trying to mobilize the crew and some cast members from all over the country, and to have them commit to a five-week shoot was a massive undertaking. It was an undertaking largely coordinated by my partner, Victor, who gave up his day job as a preschool teacher to assist me. In the production period, he drove just under 12,000 km, ferrying cast and crew to location. He was also responsible for keeping the food supplies stocked and making sure equipment was in place.

The community was also responsive to the challenges I had and assisted in finding solutions. One individual in the community gave the production their family home for the five weeks, which became the main accommodation for the crew for the duration of the shoot. In another instance, when I discovered one of the actors couldn’t drive, it was the community that found the solution by providing a car trailer that we could use to tow the car.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

IT: Once I made the decision I was going to make “Emu Runner,” that liberated me. Rather than be discouraged when something didn’t fall into place I started to think about it differently and seek out other solutions. I become more tenacious in my approach. “When one door closes another opens” became my mantra.

The film was funded with some personal funds, two crowdfunding campaigns, and through the extraordinary goodwill of many people that shared my belief in the value of this story being told. The majority of people that have worked on the film have done so pro-bono.

Ultimately, the film could not have been made without the Brewarrina community. Their contribution has been huge and, in the process, has brought a broad cross section of the community together that might otherwise have had little to do with each other. This in itself is a wonderful outcome of the film.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

IT: Storytelling has been my way of better understanding what it is to be human and the larger world, as well as my place in it. Cinema is such a magical medium for telling stories. It has always been a place I have loved to retreat to and where I have been introduced to brave and challenging ideas.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

IT: The advice that the more thorough and detailed your planning is for the film shoot, the more likely it will run smoothly has always been true for me. Without a doubt, there are always unforeseen challenges that crop up during a production, but good preparation allows you to be more nimble and decisive in these situations.

If anyone ever says to me again, “not to worry, that can be fixed in post” I now know to reject the advice and to do everything to find a solution there and then.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

IT: Filmmaking is about collaboration and those creative partnerships are invaluable to the realization of a film. That said, as a director you need to be confident and strong and trust the vision you have for the story you are telling. Sometimes the creative processes can get quite combative but at the end of the day, it’s your job as the director to protect and fight so the film will be true to your vision.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

IT: There are so many incredible female directors but Jane Campion is a director I would place at the top of my list. Her first feature, “Sweetie,” is one of my all-time favorites. She has created some of the most engaging and memorable female characters for the big screen and for television — they’re strong, nonconformist, and always challenging societal expectations.

Campion also has the most distinct and original visual style. You can’t help not being inspired by such a filmmaker.

W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

IT: As a female director, I feel these movements have driven a long overdue process of change that has been impossible not to be absorbed and involved in. It was important to me to have an overrepresentation of women involved with all aspects of the production of “Emu Runner.”

The campaigns have not just given a strong voice to women’s capacity in the filmmaking process, but also in addressing the inequality across all areas of the arts. The only comment I would add is that I always return to my mother’s advice to me, “Always treat others as you would like to be treated.”