by FilmInk Staff
Back to the Bush – Hope and restoration at Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, a rewilding documentary produced by South Australian film maker, Brad Leue for Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), made its world premiere at a prestigious international film festival this spring.
The film was selected to be part of the third annual Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, an international event dedicated to showcasing films that inform and engage audiences on conservation, environmental issues, and wildlife preservation.
Back to the Bush follows ecologists from AWC over a decade as they restore native wildlife populations to their former range across the remote Wheatbelt of Western Australia.
Over 21 minutes, audiences are taken behind the scenes of an ambitious wildlife restoration program at AWC’s Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary, witnessing the challenges, setbacks and ultimate successes of a rewilding effort that has helped set a benchmark for wildlife reintroductions in Australia. The documentary captures the return of Banded Hare-wallabies and Shark Bay Bandicoots, both once extinct on mainland Australia, as well as Greater Bilbies, Numbats, Brushtail Possums and Chuditch (Western Quolls), which had been absent from the Wheatbelt for almost a century.
“It’s been an absolute honour to work on this project and to have the opportunity to share it with an international audience through the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival,” said Brad. “The reintroduction program at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary is such a success story for conservation in Australia, not only for what has been achieved at the sanctuary itself, but also because it’s now serving as a source site for other reintroductions around the country.
“For someone like me, who is energised by the natural world, visiting the sanctuary feels like Christmas. It’s one of those rare places where you can still experience a glimpse of how Australia once was, with thriving wildlife and healthy, intact habitat. Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary is a pillar of conservation in Australia, and we’re excited to shine a light on the people, wildlife, and the land that make it so extraordinary.”
The success of this extraordinary conservation initiative at Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary offers a blueprint for future reintroduction projects, both at AWC sanctuaries and beyond, and highlights what is possible through innovative, science-informed conservation efforts.
Back to the Bush reveals how AWC is turning the tide on extinctions and rewriting the future for Australian wildlife. The film is available to watch, along with a selection of other finalists, on Ecoflix until 31 December 2026.
view the film as part of WCFF here.
—
Brad Leue is an award-winning wildlife photographer and natural history videographer. Brad has covered historical milestones for conservation in Australia and documented extraordinary environmental events including the reintroductions of critically endangered species, floodwaters entering the South Australian desert and fire management in WA’s vast Kimberley region.
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a pragmatic, on-ground global conservation leader, conserving landscapes and providing hope for Australian wildlife. Informed by science, we deliver measurable conservation impact at scale to secure the future of our most endangered species and their habitats, including restoring degraded landscapes where necessary.
