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Feral Peril
| Director: Andrew Sully Australia 2008 Nominated for Best Feature Film Screening time 8pm Friday 29 May (53 mins) A novel approach means this Australian film gets off to a cracking start. Set as a detective thriller, Feral Peril investigates whether foxes really have invaded Tasmania. Producer Ian Walker was “intrigued by the idea that there was a lot of money being spent in Tasmania to set up a very high-tech bunch of people who were dedicated to eradicating foxes, but their dilemma was that they couldn’t find one”. Feral Peril explains why foxes would be such an ecological catastrophe for Tasmania, and explores why the iconic Tasmanian devil may have an important role to play—if it can survive an unrelated and gruesome threat to its own survival. Several issues, including the setting of priorities for conservation funding and the importance of effective relationships with hunters, have great relevance for New Zealand, while insights from a diverse range of people including shearers, hunters, verterinary experts and researchers, “Fox Squad” staff, and environmental philosophy professor Andrew Brennan are supported by excellent filming and slick editing to make this a fascinating and highly entertaining film. |  |