At the river, Jackie says "Kieren Perkins, watch out!". Kieren Perkins is an Australian swimmer who won Gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and a Silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, swimming in the 1500 metre event.
A Bronze Medallion is an Australian Lifesaving qualification. There are 14 components that must be completed to achieve this qualification, all based around high quality swimming skills and rescue techniques.
The character of Charlie Mollison is based on a young adult with autism named Sean, who is the younger brother of director/co-writer Elissa Down. The portrayal of Charlie by cast member Luke Ford was so convincing, Down sometimes used the name "Sean" when talking to Ford in rehearsals and on set.
The film's director/co-writer, Elissa Down, based the story and screenplay on her own experiences growing up in an army family with two brothers on the autism spectrum.
Researching the role of Simon Mollison, a member of the Australian Army and the father of the family dealing with a son on the autism spectrum, Erik Thomson spent time in an army barracks and grew his own mustache rather than having the makeup department devise a prosthetic one for him. Since the family in the film is based on the family of director/co-writer Elissa Down, Thomson met with Down's parents--particularly speaking at length with her father--to better understand parenting a child with autism.