Matt Sterne releases award-winning debut documentary Ghost Town Cricket
Matt Sterne of The Cowboys has released his first independent documentary, Ghost Town Cricket, now streaming online after finding success at international festivals.
The announcement:
After years of directing films made to sell, persuade, and fit the brief, The Cowboys co-founder Matt Sterne has stepped into new territory with the release of his debut independent documentary, Ghost Town Cricket – now streaming online.
What started as a lockdown “what if” moment during an Instagram scroll turned into a self-funded passion project, and eventually, a quiet hit on the international festival circuit. The short film follows an unlikely annual cricket match played in the ruins of a remote outback ghost town — a one-day-only event that brings the place back to life through sheer love of the game.
Heartfelt and stripped-back, the doco is less about cricket and more about community, memory, and the things we keep alive by showing up.
For Sterne, the film marked more than just a creative experiment — it was about making something of his own.
“After years of making things designed to sell or hit a client brief, this was something different. No agenda, no product – just a story that got under my skin. A full-on cricket match in the middle of the outback… it makes no sense, and that’s what made it so compelling. The more I leaned in, the more I felt the soul behind it. That’s what made me want to tell it.”
The film has been selected at ten international festivals, picking up multiple awards including Film of the Festival, Best Short Documentary, and Best First-Time Director. But for Sterne, it’s been a deeper shift – sparking a stronger focus on long-form, independent storytelling. He now balances freelance documentary and commercial projects alongside his creative leadership role at The Cowboys.
Ghost Town Cricket is now streaming online at www.ghosttowncricket.com.
Director: Matt Sterne
Producers: Henry Richardson, Bin Li
Director of Photography: Evan Papageorgiou
First Assistant Camera: Sandy McLennan
Sound Recordist: Hayden Guildford
Editor: Bin Li
Music Provider: Extreme
Sound design: Mighty Sound
Colourist: Sterne Creative
Photography: David Collins
Supported by: Farina Restoration Group
Source: The Cowboys
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