This month’s Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) is set to include an emphasis on Indigenous stories, with the announcement of targeted initiatives and sessions.
AIDC 2021 will feature the return of the Indigenous Creators Program, which comprises four specially crafted conference sessions and marketplace activities designed by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners and international First Nations people.
The year’s event also incorporates the Indigenous Documentary Placement, a new initiative designed to provide one mid-career Indigenous practitioner with an opportunity to undertake an extended placement with the ABC.
Applications for the placement, which is being co-presented by ABC, Northern Pictures and AIDC are open until Wednesday, March 10 (apply here).
The conference will include an information session about the placement with ABC head of Indigenous Kelrick Martin and Northern Pictures head of factual Karina Holden.
ABC director entertainment and specialist Michael Carrington hopes the initiative will help give a voice to the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytellers.
“The ABC has a proud history of backing Indigenous creatives and content on the national stage,” he says.
“This initiative, alongside our new Diversity & Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines, will support emerging diverse and dynamic talent, on and off screen.”
To celebrate AIDC’s New Zealand delegation, led by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), AIDC has added a new session with Academy Award-nominated Kiwi producer Chelsea Winstanley (Jojo Rabbit, What We Do In The Shadows) who will take part in a hosted conversation with Wanda Film Festival director Pauline Clague.
In ‘Mana Tangata: A Conversation with Chelsea Winstanley’, the producer will discuss her love for telling dynamic and innovative stories, while maintaining her leadership in supporting Indigenous stories both in her homelands and abroad.
AIDC runs February 28 – March 3 as an online event. Click here for more information about the program.