Great White Whale charity screening

When Mount Everest was first climbed in 1953, Australia's highest mountain was still unclimbed.

Australia's highest mountain isn't Kosciuszko, but a mountain 500 metres higher, named Big Ben, on the Australian Territory of Heard Island.

Big Ben is a giant snow-covered volcano that rears out of the Southern Ocean like a great white whale.

Five times that great white whale of a mountain tried to kill the first team that attempted it. Yet some of the survivors developed such a Moby Dick obsession with it that they sailed through the roughest seas in the world to try again.

This is the extraordinary tale of both expeditions, told by those who were there, one of whom sings the story too, as befits the epic saga that it was.

That singer-storyman is John Crick, whose outdoor life began in the Blue Mountains, as did his musical collaborator on the film, acclaimed Australian composer, Paul Jarman. To add to the local touch, the music score was mixed by Hazelbrook's Peter Kennard.

Though finished just months ago, this film has already won four international awards, including the grand prize at the International Mountain Film Festival in Bilbao, Spain.

"Apart from the epic adventure, it's the music and the humour that will leave the greatest impression," said director Michael Dillon.

Dillon spent 25 years as Sir Edmund Hillary's filmmaker and thus developed a deep love for Nepal, as did his friends Russell and Debra Brown of Medlow Bath. Together they are hoping to raise $50,000 for a water project in the remote Nepalese village of Jhakribash and all proceeds from these screenings will go towards that project.

The film will be shown on Friday, June 14 at 8pm and, due to demand for seats, there will be a second screening on Wednesday, June 19 at 6.30pm. For tickets see mountvicflicks.com.au.