The Australian Film Commission (AFC) today congratulated Warwick Thornton and Kath Shelper (Nana), Darlene Johnson and Sue Milliken (Crocodile Dreaming) Steven McGregor, Aaron Pedersen and Sarah Bond (My Brother Vinnie), Rhonda Hagan, Stephen Hagan and Daryl Sparkes (Nigger Lovers), and Lee Willis and Gina Twyble (Flour, Sugar, Tea) on their nominations for the 2007 Inside Film Awards.
Nana and Crocodile Dreaming have been nominated for Best Short Drama while My Brother Vinnie, Nigger Lovers and Flour, Sugar, Tea have all been nominated for Best Short Documentary. All five films were developed and produced with the assistance of the AFC’s Indigenous Branch.
‘The AFC is proud to be able to support and nurture Indigenous filmmakers and we congratulate all those involved on being nominated for the people’s choice awards for Australian films. It is extremely exciting to see these five films recognised for their creative vision by Australian audiences,’ said Sally Riley, Manager of the AFC’s Indigenous Branch.
Nana tells the story of a granddaughter who thinks her nana’s pretty special because she helps old people, is a good painter, the best hunter and has got everyone under control. Nana was produced through the AFC’s A Bit of Black Business short drama funding initiative, which provided the opportunity for emerging Indigenous program-makers to experiment in the short format. The 13 five-minute dramas were also supported by SBSi, NSWFTO and ScreenWest, and explore individual experiences of contemporary ‘black business’ from the unique perspective of Indigenous Australians.
Crocodile Dreaming is a modern day, supernatural myth about two estranged brothers who struggle to come to terms with their traditional roles and identities. Crocodile Dreaming is part of the Dramatically Black series that is an initiative of the AFC’s Indigenous Branch in association with SBS Independent, the NSW Film & Television Office, the Adelaide International Film Festival and the All Roads Film Festival.
My Brother Vinnie is the heart-warming story of brotherly love, written by Aaron Pedersen about his relationship with his 34-year-old brother Vincent.
Nigger Lovers follows Stephen Hagan’s battle to remove the word ‘Nigger’ from a sign in Toowoomba, and documents his resistance against bigotry and prejudice in the face of overwhelming odds.
Flour, Sugar, Tea explores why the life expectancy of Indigenous men is 59 years compared to 77 years for non-Indigenous men. The documentary goes behind the statistics to tell the personal story of John DeSatge.
My Brother Vinnie, Nigger Lovers and Flour, Sugar, Tea were produced through the National Indigenous Documentary Fund (NIDF), which provides production opportunities for Indigenous documentary filmmakers. The NIDF is financed by a combination of production funds from the Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC), SBS, the ABC and the state agencies.
[release from Avviso]