MEDIA RELEASE

Westall '66: A Suburban UFO Mystery

The largest mass UFO sighting in Australia kept silent for 44 years.

Mass delusion or massive cover-up?

What would you tell your children? 

Come make up your own mind at the premier Canberra screening of Westall '66.

Following the huge international success of this ground breaking Australian made UFO documentary on Foxtel earlier this year, the film Director and main investigators will share more of their discoveries in a premier screening and open panel discussion exclusive to Canberra.

Westall High School, 1966.

On Wednesday 6th of April 1966, in the Melbourne suburb of Westall, hundreds of students, staff and local residents watched as a strange object hovered overhead for several minutes, landed briefly, then lifted off and vanished at great speed. Witnesses described it as low flying, silver-grey and shiny, shaped like a 'cup turned upside down on a saucer' and accompanied by five light aircraft.

"We were out playing sport on the oval. One of the kids yelled out ‘Look,
look – up in the sky - it's flying saucers!’. And I remember we all looked up
and it really was – a flying saucer."
Terry Peck (nee Clarke), (former student and UFO eyewitness).

A mass of excited students surged out of school and ran after the object. Many reported seeing a circle of flattened grass on the ground where it had landed. Others observed men in uniforms cordoning off the 'landing site' and removing soil samples by the truckload. Some say they even saw uniformed men torch the area a few days later.

The incident was reported on television news that night and in the local newspapers. Despite the evidence, the headmaster called a special assembly to tell the students they hadn't seen anything at all and they were not to talk about it to anybody. Afraid of being ridiculed or punished, many witnesses kept the secret of that day. Some are still angry about not being believed. Some have since died with their story.

"You're asking me whether a Research & Development establishment would destroy evidence? Yes, of course they would."
Lieutenant Colonel Neil Smith, (military historian interviewed in the film).

Forty-four years on, amateur sleuth Shane Ryan is stirring up the past. A teacher himself, and motivated by a deep sense of injustice at how the students were treated, he tracked down former students and staff and searched for the authorities that presided over the day.

This contemporary detective story is set against the backdrop of an Australian city, but it reflects on a fascinating and pivotal period in world history when rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was played out in a massive conventional and nuclear arms race, the space race and the Vietnam War.

With its undercurrent of Cold War paranoia, and a burgeoning military relationship between Australia and America, this 1960s story has deep resonance in the current climate of cover-ups, lies and propaganda delivered by governments in the interests of 'national security'.

"Like a lot of other people I just shut up about it because of the ridicule, and it was everybody - you know - you were a kid, you were making it up. So you'd just be quiet and in your mind, you just think, I know what I saw, and no one's ever going to shake me from that. I know what I saw!"

Jeff Holland, (former student and UFO eyewitness).

About the film.

The visual challenge in documenting this incident was how to represent something that was officially invisible. In 1966 there were no handy cams, mobile phones or internet. Working with a very experienced animator and applying a multi-layered soundscape, the resulting film is a rich mix of dramatic eyewitness accounts, evocative animation, atmospheric archival footage and stylish motion graphics that tells a compelling story about ordinary people caught in an extraordinary situation.

About the Canberra event.

This exclusive one-off Canberra event will feature the screening of the ground breaking and much talked about documentary, Westall '66: A Suburban UFO Mystery, followed by a Q & A panel with a line up of people including:

• The award winning film writer and director, Rosie Jones.
• A former teacher himself, the persistent investigator who narrates the film, Shane Ryan.
• World respected guest speaker (featured in the documentary), Australian UFO investigator Bill Chalker will give a big picture overview putting the Westall incident in a wider global perspective.
• As well as several (now adult) witnesses to the actual incident over 40 years ago, including Joy Clarke, Terry Peck and Sue Savage.

Light refreshments will also be available for post event informal discussion.

Event details.

• Where: White Eagle Club, 38 David Street, Turner.
• When: Sunday 7th November 2010
• Time: 12:00 to 5:00 pm
• Tickets: www.greentix.com.au
• Media contacts:
  Grant Robb, main event organiser. All presenters that are part of the event are available for interviews upon request.
• Mobile: 0422 957 422
• Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more information about this much talked about and most engaging documentary,
including full media kit, film trailer and study guide, please visit the official Westall '66 web site:

www.westall66ufo.com.au