Maya Newell is travelling far and wide as her documentary, Gayby Baby, hits screens this month – but Bendigo is one of the few regional cities willing to take on the risk, she said. 

“And I think that’s where a film like this actually needs to be the most,” she said.

“Kids in the inner-west [of Sydney] are often given a lot of support already, because there is a large queer community there.

“So it’s pretty special that, in Bendigo, you’ve got a fantastic cinema that is willing to take a risk on a small film like ours.”

The documentary tells the story of four children raised by same-sex parents and Ms Newell said that despite recent controversy, it was a far cry from an advocacy film.

“It is a film that tells the universal story of growing up so it’s absolutely a film for everyone – it’s a film for kids and for adults,” she said. 

“Essentially you spend an hour and a half with four incredible children and their families.”

The filmmaker – who grew up with two mothers – also invited people who were opposed to same-sex marriage to see the film.

“I encourage people who are uncertain about whether our families are okay to come along on Sunday – it’s fine to have those concerns if you are willing to come and find out more about us,” she said.

“If you have real concerns about kids in our families, you should come and meet them, and the film is a really wonderful springboard into understanding some of the themes and complications and challenges that kids in our families face.”

She also encouraged community leaders and politicians to come to the screening. 

“It’s important for our leaders to get an honest insight into what it’s like to grow up in our families, because they will no doubt have to legislate about us,” she said.

“This film is a really rare opportunity to hang out in a dark cinema with these kids and get to know them.”

This Sunday’s screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the film’s producer, Charlotte Mars. Ms Newell said the two had worked closely together on the project since it began five years ago.

“Charlotte and I made the film together, we went to university together and we’ve worked incredibly collaboratively,” she said.

“It’s been a little bit of an unusual producer-director relationship because we are so intertwined and work quite creatively together...she’s got all of the stories as well so it’s pretty special to have her travelling to Bendigo for this screening.” 

Sunday’s screening starts at 1pm. Star Cinema will have four additional screenings on the September 7, 11, 13 and 14.