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New WA feature film Sweet As has wrapped principal photography in Port Hedland.

Sweet As is the debut feature film from Nyul Nyul and Yawuru writer/director Jub Clerc and is the first Western Australian feature film to be written and directed by a female Indigenous person, with original support through Screenwest’s West Coast Visions program.

Sweet As, produced by Liz Kearney (Paper Planes) for Arenamedia, will not only have significant cultural impact for Australian audiences, but also showcase an incredible cast including Tasma Walton (Mystery Road, Looking for Grace), Mark Coles-Smith (Last Cab to Darwin, The Circuit) and Ngaire Pigram (Mystery Road, Mad Bastards).

Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Total Control, Upright) will play the protagonist, 16-year-old Indigenous girl, Murra. After a volatile fight with her mother, Murra is abandoned, but with intervention from her uncle, she ventures on a journey of self-discovery.

The coming-of-age story was written by Jub Clerc with Steve Rodgers and is based on Jub’s life growing up in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Jub Clerc was the first Indigenous filmmaker recipient of the West Coast Visions funding grant and the first all-female creative team with producer Kearney.

“This has been such a labour of love over many years, so to see it all come to fruition with the wonderful support of both state and federal agencies and other partners is a dream come true,” said Clerc.

“With an exciting cast and stellar crew Sweet As has indeed been sweet as and a joyous transition for me stepping into directing my first feature film.”

The production took place over five weeks in various locations within the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

There’s no word yet on a release date for Sweet As, but keep an eye on cinemaaustralia.com.au for more details.