Mad Bastards is Australian director Brendan Fletcher’s debut film. Fletcher uses his background in documentaries to great effect. He succeeds in getting powerful performances from the largely non-professional cast. Fletcher also co-wrote the screenplay with the two main stars; Dean Daley-Jones and Greg Tait, who each drew on their personal experiences – creating the characters and shaping the narrative of the film.

TJ (Daley-Jones) is a big city tough-guy who decides to move back to his small Aboriginal town so he can reconnect with his young son - Bullet (Yeeda). Bullet has been living with his grandfather Tex (Tait) who is a local policeman. TJ’s arrival in the town leads him onto a collision course with Tex, but this is a vital part of his redemption.

Mad Bastards is an extraordinary film. It is filled with memorable performances and is certain to leave you thinking about the plight of Australia’s Aboriginal communities in a similar way as the outstanding Samson & Delilah (IFF 2009).