Young Melbourne filmmaker Ari Kleiman shot Deeper Than Yesterday aboard the Otama last August.

The only Australian film at Cannes this year, it tells the story of Russian submariners losing their minds after three months under water.

Western Port Oberon Association allowed Kleiman and his mates from Victorian College of the Arts free access to the sub and even helped ferry gear to and from the shore. Three association members kept an eye on the filmmakers over four weekends.

Kleiman reportedly said last week: "[The submarine] added a lot of magic because we were in close quarters for days on end. It added a bit of authenticity to the performances and the feeling of the film. In hindsight, it was an idiotic idea to film in a submarine because it was slow going and hard work."

The Otama also starred in a pizza advertisement a few years ago with the aural pun of the sonar 'ping' turning out to be a microwave in the galley announcing the pizza was cooked.