“I’m Wanita is about embracing life as a journey, rather than a destination”, this award winning feature takes us on the journey of a lifetime with Australia’s self-crowned “Queen of Honky Tonk”, Wanita Bahtiyar.

A deeply personal film that tells the story of Wanita’s life on and off-stage in Tamworth, Australia’s ‘Country Music Capital’. The film provides a rare glimpse into her personal life and past choices in relationships, sex work, drinking and parenting, as she deals with estrangement and doubt from all sides.

With the help of two musicians she’s taking a shot at recording an album with a legendary producer in Nashville, flying to America, making some stops along the way – come along for the ride, as she puts it all on the line, following her dream.

“An irresistible portrait of Australia’s ‘queen of honky tonk’… shows us life dreams do not have to disappear as youth fades” Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian, 4/5 Stars

“I’m Wanita offers an unfiltered and consistently surprising of a musician and her struggles” Pat Mullen, POV Magazine

Awards and Nominations

Raindance Film Festival, 2021, Winner, Best Music Documentary
Sydney Film Festival, 2021, Winner, Australian Documentary Prize
Sydney Film Festival, 2021, Nominated for Documentary Foundation Australia Award for Best Australian Documentary
Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts (AACTA), 2021, Nominated for ‘Best Documentary’
Australian Directors Guild (ADG), 2021, Nominated for Best Direction in a Feature Documentary (Matthew Walker)
Australian Screen Editors (ASE), 2021, Nominated for Best Editing in a Feature Documentary (Peter O’Donoghue)
Australian Screen Sound Guild Award, 2021, Nominated for Best Sound for a Documentary (Over 60 minutes) (Luke Mynott, Unison Sound)

Festival Note

Listen to, or buy Wanita’s album online from Cheersquad Records