For a small community, we punch above our weight with our collective creative output. Here are the latest offerings from three of our locals:

Kiama High and Roo Theatre graduate Byran Moses has just produced and directed an Australian action comedy, The Tail Job.

The film has been a success at international festivals, from rave reviews from its premiere at Slamdance to taking out the Jury Award for best film at the CATE film festival in LA.

The low budget, high action movie is about to hit Australian cinemas through FanForce, and is going to be shown at Shellharbour soon as a fundraiser for the Children’s Medical Research Institute (details later).

With one one reviewer saying it’s “perhaps the funniest film to ever come out of Australia”, the movie may make a star out of Bryan’s father, Ralph, who plays a significant cameo role.

Shot entirely in Sydney with some of Australia’s funniest comedians, the film features cameos from some of the country’s screen legends, such as Grant Dodwell and Gary Waddell.

Bryan is currently working on a film in Europe.

Closer to home, Paula Shanahan is soon to launch the first in what is planned to be a series of colouring books celebrating all that is local.

“Kiama is such a beautiful place to live, and to visit. We wanted to produce something for people to create their own memento and feel a real connection with our area,” she explains.

“We think visitors are looking for something more than just a t-towel or a souvenir made overseas.”

This belief in the importance of making a truly local product has led Paula and her creative partner Alison Doyle to engage local women on the project – Georgie Summerville as the book’s photographer and Davina Abela as the designer – as well as insisting on the book being printed locally.

“We think we have come up with something for people of all ages, that reflects Kiama’s essence.”

Colour Me Local: Kiama will be launched at the end of November, and will be available for sale at various venues. The next in the series will focus on the Southern Highlands, where Paula grew up.

Given the parlous state of Australia cricket at the moment, it might be an ideal time for fans of the game to  turn to the new book from  Jeremy Wilshire, Test of Character.

The book was three years in the making, and brings together exclusive interviews with a roll call of cricket legends, including Greg Chappell, Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Holding, Adam Gilchrist and Rahul Dravid, along with a random array of high-profile cricket tragics, including John Cleese, Walled Aly and Sir Peter Cosgrove.

Jeremy Wilshire

The big names were happy to be involved as Jeremy is donating half of the royalties from the book to the Learning for a Better World (LBW) Trust. The LBW Trust supports economically disadvantaged students in developing, cricket playing countries to help them complete their tertiary or vocational education.

Jeremy moved to Jerrara with his family seven years ago, having been a sports journalist with News Limit-ed and AAP.

He is the proud coach of the U/14 Kiama Cavillers.

Details: The Tail Job charity screening for CMRI, 28 Nov, 7pm, Greater Union Shellharbour. Bookings via fan-force.com