TATYOON farmer, filmmaker and actress Leila McDougall has been recognised with a prestigious honour at the Septimius Awards held in Amsterdam this week, taking out Best Oceanian Actress for starring in the film she wrote ‘Just a Farmer’.

The Septimius Awards is a respected award ceremony, with a strong emphasis on discovering and encouraging new independent talent, supporting visionary films and bringing together all elements of filmmaking and storytelling, which includes fiction, non-fiction, animation, television series and scripts.

Ms McDougall said she was very excited to receive the recognition

“(I’m) very humbled,” she said.

“It's all very surreal to be on the world stage, but it's so great to know that the message of the film is getting out there and the world is taking notice.”

‘Just A Farmer’ centres on the resilience of farmers, their partners, and community in the face of adversity.

Ms McDougall said she and her husband Sean were motivated during COVID to create their own film with herself setting about writing the script and investigating how to get a cast, crew and director and make the film authentic.

“(I was) sick of watching Australian films about rural Australia and making us look like bogans - that we’re uneducated, that we're not relatable.

“That's not what we're like at all.

“And when you look at films that have really impacted the world and the culture - they leave a lasting effect on us - and that's what we wanted our film to do.”

The film is a compelling drama that authentically portrays the impact of suicide on a rural Australian family, shedding light on critical mental health issues in farming communities.

It celebrates the resilience of farmers' wives and community support amidst heartbreak, set against the captivating backdrop of rural western Victoria.

Following her win, Ms McDougall thanked everyone involved in making the film.

“This is not my award; it is an award that the entire team won,” she said.

“We have all put so much love into this film, and we did it to support our farmers and raise awareness of the sacrifices they make every day to feed the world.

“I could not have achieved any of this without my amazing husband Sean 'Drover' McDougall.

“He is my biggest supporter and the love of my life.

“This is our award - we did this together.”

Ms McDougall said the issues local farmers faced were common in other areas.

“Farmers all over the world are facing the same issues: lack of support, financial pressure, and governments with no understanding, yet they continue to feed us all,” she said.

“Getting up on the same stage with some of the best in the world in the film industry was, wow!

“But the best part was that everyone remembered me as 'the farmer girl'.

“I had so many people approach me and say thank you for creating the film.

“Janty Yates, a woman I admire so much, sought me out to congratulate me. She said, ‘Thank you, dear girl, thank you. You made me cry. Keep fighting and continue being a strong woman because we need more strong, courageous women like you in this world’.

“Hearing that from her was a huge honor - she is a strong woman.”

The Septimius Awards showcase a variety of genres from drama to documentary which attracted a wide range of attendees including Emmy, BAFTA and Oscar winners.

Ms McDougall was thrilled that ‘Just a Farmer’ was also nominated for Best Film and that she was also nominated in the (overall) Best Actress category at the Septimius Awards.

“It's incredible to know that people see the importance of supporting farmers, and that people all over the world appreciate ‘Just a Farmer’ and support what we have created,” she said.

“In Holland/Netherlands, farmers are also facing the same issues - they had a massive protest two days before I arrived.”

When asked what was next for Ms McDougall, she laughed and said that was a question many people ask.

“For now, we are working hard to ensure that the world sees ‘Just a Farmer’.

“We need to get 100,000 people to rent ‘Just a Farmer’ on our website so that we can reach a point where we can broadcast it to Australia for free.

“Spreading the message is key at the moment. But I do dream of making films that share the truth - authentic, inspirational stories of rural Australia.

“I am proud to be a rural Australian, and I want to show the world how amazing we all are.”