Heckler’s documentary film TRUE SOUTH to premiere at Westpac OpenAir Cinema in 2026

Ahead of its national cinema release in 2026, independent creative studio Heckler has announced that its landmark Australian documentary TRUE SOUTH will have its World Premiere at Sydney’s prestigious Westpac OpenAir Cinema on 11 January 2026.

The film commemorates 80 years of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and was filmed 25 years after its darkest chapter in 1998, when six sailors lost their lives. Few sporting events hold the cultural weight of the Sydney to Hobart. Every Boxing Day, as the Cricket Test breaks for lunch, millions of Australians turn their attention to the start of the Great Race. For days, the nation follows the fleet into one of the world’s most treacherous bodies of water — Bass Strait — where shifting weather systems can turn elite competition into a fight for survival.

At its heart, TRUE SOUTH is not a sailing film — it is a deeply human story of family, grief, endurance and friendship, told through the lived experience of the Winning and Dean families. The film centres on lifelong friends Herman Winning, Nathan and Peter Dean, whose bond was forged long before the sea would test it. The 1998 race changed everything. A violent East Coast Low struck the fleet, generating 90-foot seas and claiming six lives — including John Dean, father to Nathan and Peter, and a deeply loved figure across both families. Twenty-five years later, Herman, Nathan and Peter returned to the race together — an act of extraordinary bravery that becomes the emotional spine of the film.

TRUE SOUTH is created and produced by Will Alexander, Founder of Heckler, who has been close friends with the Winning and Dean families since childhood. Alexander was entrusted to tell this deeply personal story because of that lifelong bond — a trust that defines the film’s emotional authenticity.

The film’s creator and producer Will Alexander said: “This is not my story — it is the story of the Winning and Dean families. I was trusted to tell it because of a friendship that goes back to childhood. We filmed 25 years on from the 1998 race — a race to remember — and to now premiere during the 80th anniversary feels deeply meaningful. TRUE SOUTH is a tribute to courage, to family, and to the sailors who never made it home.”

Produced by Heckler as a fully independent, self-funded feature documentary, TRUE SOUTH marks a bold step into long-form cinema for one of Australia’s most awarded creative studios. Founded in 2010, Heckler operates across APAC, Europe and the Middle East, partnering with global brands, agencies and storytellers. The film represents a rare crossover where advertising craft, cinematic storytelling and independent filmmaking collide.

Pictured above (L-R): Hecker’s Will Alexander, Dave Klaiber and Amy Jarman

TRUE SOUTH is directed by Dave Klaiber and is narrated by Sigrid Thornton AO, with an original score by Elena Kats-Chernin AO.

Tickets for the premiere at Westpac OpenAir Cinema can be purchased here.

TRUE SOUTH will be released in cinemas Q1, 2026 by Match Point Films.

Register for FREE HERE and receive the Campaign Brief Daily Bulletin and/or the global Best Ads Best of the Week Bulletin.              Subscribe to Campaign Brief Magazine.

#More Creative News   #No paywalls   #No annual membership fees

Subscribe to Portfolio & Reel for current listings of Australian and NZ ad agency and production company leadership and key personnel