‘No Visible Trauma’.
The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) has announced 18 feature documentary and factual series projects that take part in its revamped FACTory pitching forum in March.
This year the FACTory will feature separate Forum pitches divided by genre categories, alongside a New Talent pitch, and a Rough Cut pitch.
The restructure has resulted in the largest ever number of FACTory projects accepted for pitching, with 18 projects spanning 12 different countries of production, including Canada, China, and India.
Producer and director teams in each Forum category and the New Talent pitch will present their projects in open forum sessions to curated groups of buyers, commissioners and distributors during AIDC 2020. Forum and New Talent pitches will be open to all AIDC pass-holders, while Rough Cut sessions will be accessible by decision makers only.
All projects in FACTory 2020 will also be eligible to win pitch prizes, including:
● A complete opening titles package from The Post Lounge - a full-service picture and sound post studio operating in Brisbane and Melbourne - valued at $3,300
● Two free passes for Germany’s Dok Leipzig
● Two free passes and accommodation for South Korea’s DMZ Docs
● Two free passes for New Zealand’s Doc Edge.
All winners will be announced at the AIDC 2020 Closing Night Party.
FACTORY 2020: FORUM PITCH PROJECTS
THE BUSHWHACKERS: A LOVE STORY
The Bushwhackers were superstars of wrestling. Now in their seventies, the two best friends reunite and embark on a farewell tour of America - against the advice of their doctor.
Director: Justin Hawkes
Producer: Tara Riddell
(Australia, New Zealand, USA)
THE VINYL RECORDS: DESTROY PHALLUS OPPRESSION
Against the backdrop of epidemic sexual violence, India’s only all-girl punk band, The Vinyl Records, take to the road, singing the war-cry of a nation’s women.
Writer, Director: Em Baker, Juhi Sharma
Producers: Samantha Dinning & Philippa Campey
(Australia, India)
THE FIGHT TOGETHER (working title)
An intimate portrait of a man driven to share his culture with the world.
Director: Larissa Behrendt
Producer: Sam Griffin
DOP: Anna Howard
(Australia)
DARK WATER: BATTLE ON THE FRANKLIN
A documentary about the epic fight to save Tasmania’s wild Franklin River from being dammed by the Hydro-Electric Commission in the 1980s.
Co-Writer, Director: Kasimir Burgess
Co-Producer: Oliver Cassidy
Producer: Chris Kamen
Co-Writer: Claire Smith
(Australia)
THE LAST EMPRESS
The Last Empress is a feature documentary about the epic life of Empress Farah Pahlavi - the first crowned empress in Iranian history. Her story Is one of fairy tales, tragedy, revolution and triumph.
Producers: Miranda Darling, Viola Raikhel-Bolot
(Australia, USA)
DARKENED PARADISE (working title)
Three environmental crusaders confront murder, betrayal and their own demons as they are tested like never before in their battle to save an island paradise in the Philippines.
Director: Karl Malakunas
Producer: Marty Syjuco
Producer, Editor: Michael Collins
(Philippines, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia)
STRONG FEMALE LEAD
A documentary exploring Australia’s struggle with the notion of women and power when a strong female takes the lead.
Director, Writer: Tosca Looby
Producer: Karina Holden
(Australia)
TEA UGLOW: EXPERIMENTAL PERSON IN CHARGE
Why is identity such a divisive force in today’s culture, and why are we in such a rush to define who we –
and each other – are?Director, Producer: Jo de Fina
Co-Producer: Nick Batzias
Co-Producer, Writer: Melanie Horkan
Writer: Jess Lilley
(Australia)
THE OH GAP
A confident woman, struggling to address the ‘orgasm gap’ in her relationship, discovers a history of misinformation around female sexuality, so she begins a movement for change with the help of a giant golden clitoris.
Director, Producer: Julia Landry
Producers: Dylan Blowen, Danny LeChevre
(Australia)
RESURRECTION PLANET
Can we bring extinct animals and threatened species back to life?
Director: Sophie Wiesner
Producers: Madeleine Hetherton-Miau, Rebecca Barry
(Australia)
FACTORY 2020: NEW TALENT PROJECTS
LAURA’S CHOICE
Three generations of women come to terms with a radical approach to dying.
Director, Producer, Writer: Sam Lara, Cathy Henkel
(Australia, Austria, Switzerland)
LIFE AFTER JUVIE
Against the torrent of ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric, young people caught in the sticky web of the juvenile justice system find their voice.
Writer, Director, Producer: Charby Ibrahim
Producers: Britt Arthur, Mish Armstrong
(Australia)
LIGHTEN MY LOAD
A young man donates sperm to a lesbian couple and finds himself on a journey to make amends for his father’s adoptive past.
Director: Ned Speldewinde
Producer: Claudia Nankervis
Executive Producers: Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope
(Australia)
QUEENS OF CONCRETE
A true life journey of discovery as three girls wrestle adolescence in pursuit of Olympic history.
Director: Eliza Cox
Producer: Gena Lida Riess
(Australia, USA, Japan)
FACTORY 2020: ROUGH CUT PROJECTS
BLUE ISLAND
Three men relive pivotal moments in Hong Kong history - the place they have lived half their lives. Their values shared with larger movements paved the way to the Hong Kong of today. How will they continue to shape the future?
Director: Tze Woon Chan
Producer: Peter Yam
(Hong Kong, China)
BREAK IT DOWN UNDER
Break it Down Under celebrates the history of Australian Socially Conscious Hip-Hop, visually deconstructs the powerful messages expressed and introduces the world of Sonboy, an Aboriginal Trap artist from Redfern Sydney.
Writer, Director, Producer: Grant Leigh Saunders
Co-Producer: Tom Zubrycki
(Australia)
DARK RED FOREST
A contemplative documentary observing the mysterious daily lives and deep inner worlds of nuns in a monastery on a remote Tibetan plateau, who are soon to face state-decreed relocation.
Director: Huaqing Jin
Production Manager, Assistant Director: Xinyi Li
(China)
NO VISIBLE TRAUMA
The lives of three men and their families are torn apart by the violent actions of Calgary police officers and a justice system that refuses to hold them accountable.
Writer, Director, Producer: Marc Serpa Francouer, Robinder Uppal
Producer, Writer: Geoff Morrison
(Canada)
AIDC 2020 runs March 1 - 4 in Melbourne.