Thylacine in spotlight

INSIGHT: Filmmaker Neil Waters will show his film Living the Thylacine Dream at the Oatmill Cinema Complex on Monday. The film will provide an insight to the creature's history on the mainland of Australia.
INSIGHT: Filmmaker Neil Waters will show his film Living the Thylacine Dream at the Oatmill Cinema Complex on Monday. The film will provide an insight to the creature’s history on the mainland of Australia.

AN UNEXPECTED encounter during a casual stroll through Tasmania’s South Mount Cameron inspired filmmaker Neil Waters to bring the thylacine story back into the spotlight.

Known to many as the Tasmanian Tiger, the thylacine is believed to have become extinct in the 20th century, but Mr Waters and many others are convinced this is not the case.

It was around six years ago when Mr Waters experienced his first thylacine sighting and has since formed relationships with people across the country who claim to have seen the illustrious creature both in Tasmania and on the mainland.

To share information he has collected after founding the Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia and spark further interest, Mr Waters has created the film Living the Thylacine Dream.

The film will be shown at the Oatmill Cinema Complex on Monday night at 6pm.

Since establishing the awareness group, Mr Waters said he had received hundreds of sighting reports.

“After I witnessed my own sighting I began investigating more intensely and found thylacines were not exclusive to Tasmania.

“In the 1960s there was more chance of seeing a thylacine in South Australia than Tasmania.

“We have received nearly three times more sightings on the mainland.”

He said there was evidence the creatures continued to roam the country, but not everyone was convinced.

“I am have definitely copped some flack for chasing what some call a ‘ghost’, but our organisation is continuously growing with over 100 people actively looking,” Mr Waters said.

“The film is our attempt to show the history of the animal on the mainland and provide viewers an insight to this interesting creature.”

Monday’s screening will include a question and answer session with Mr Waters and he encouraged all interested to attend.

“I hope people from the area will come and share their own experiences on the night,” he said.

“Anyone interested in further conversation can absolutely come for a chat after the screening.”

The self and crowd funded project has been in the works for almost three years and Mr Waters said he was proud of the finished product.

“We had a great team of people who helped pull it all together and the information I have received over the years has been incredible and I truly treasure it,” he said.

EVIDENCE: Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia founder and filmmaker Neil Waters will show his film Living the Thylacine Dream in Mount Gambier on Monday.