Riv on the Record: Frances Derham (local film producer)

THIS week I had the great pleasure of being joined by Bellarine Peninsula film producer Frances Derham. Spin it!

Can you pinpoint the moment in your youth or early career when you realised making things happen behind the scenes was your true calling?

I didn’t follow the traditional filmmaker’s path – I didn’t even study film at university. It was more of a gradual, accidental evolution. I was always good at art, drama and psychology, and film turned out to be this strange, wonderful convergence of all three.

The first piece of film I ever made was a grassroots surf documentary called First Love. Despite it being my very first project, something clicked. I seemed to have a natural instinct for storytelling. And, as it turns out, for relentlessly harassing people to give me money for things. Never giving up is basically my superpower.

In an era of short-form content and shrinking attention spans, what is the secret to creating a story that truly resonates with an audience?

I actually think people will concentrate on something for as long as it needs to be if it genuinely resonates with them – as long as it’s authentic.

Attention spans aren’t just shrinking because of phones; it’s also about how much we cram into our lives, how much we think we can take on. But the right story still cuts through all of that.

The creative integrity of a show so often gets diluted by decision-makers who understand audiences but don’t actually know how to write or make film. The best work happens when a network or streamer backs an authentic creative voice and trusts them and the team they’ve surrounded themselves with.

So – authenticity, genuine collaboration, and the courage to protect creative leadership. That’s what gets made that people actually want to watch.

When you look at your body of work, is there a common thread or creative signature you have?

Female-focused stories, women kicking goals and chasing their dreams. That’s the consistent thread.

I’m also drawn to extreme sports, mainly because I’m a passionate skier and a genuinely terrible surfer with a deep connection to the ocean.

Almost everything I’ve made has an idea behind it, a point of view, a message. I think that comes directly from my background in creative advertising, it wired me to always ask: what is this actually saying? and what is it’s purpose?

Surviving Summer became popular on Netflix. Is that the project you’re most proud of?

Surviving Summer feels like a while ago now, and in this industry they say you’re only as good as your last project. But I’m proud of it and enjoyed it because I was in the writers’ rooms and I can see a lot of my ideas realised on screen. What made it especially meaningful was getting to take it all the way through to sitting in the water. I associate produced season 1, and produced the water unit on season 2. I spent seven weeks swimming a minimum of one hour, sometimes up to five hours, a day. I don’t think I’ll ever have a job quite like that again. It was extraordinary. My rig was incredible.

The project I’m most proud of is Buried – a web series I produced in 2024, written and created by two now-dear friends, Miriam Glaser and Charlotte George. It won an AACTA Award for Best Online Comedy Drama in 2025.

How has living in Barwon Heads influenced the lens through which you view your work?

Moving from Melbourne to Barwon Heads has taught me to say no, which sounds small but is actually enormous.

It’s concentrated my energy on projects I find genuinely creatively rewarding, even if they’re slower to move into production. Being here forces a kind of intentionality. You can’t just say yes to everything when you live two hours from the industry, so the things you do say yes to actually mean something. Either financially or creatively – but hopefully both!

When you’re not in producer mode, how do you spend your time in Barwon Heads? What’s good about where we live?

Walking and in the water – mostly with other women, and with my kids and husband. I have the occasional surf, though my windows of time are small and my technique remains questionable. Coffee and red wine feature heavily.

I also run a beautiful Airbnb called The Wensley, and its social media has become a wonderful creative outlet when I’m not in production mode. I’m always producing, shooting, editing or releasing something. I get genuinely itchy when I’m not working on a project.

As for why I love it here: it’s on the water. A large body of salt water makes me measurably less stressed and more grounded. There’s no substitute for it.

RAPID RIV:

Best spot for a working lunch in Barwon Heads? Tommy Gunns. Every time.

Favourite song? Right now, 12 to 12 by Sombr. But I have an enduring love for Happy by the Rolling Stones.

The one piece of gear or tech you can’t live without on set? My phone. And a good grip, who invariably stops me from walking into something.

Favourite movie? There are so many… Point Break, Speed, Gladiator has to be up there.

One word that describes the creative energy of the Bellarine right now? Bubbling.