The ten Indigenous-led productions due to participate in Bunya Talent Lab LA will each receive development funding and participate in a companion writing program with Netflix.
Originally scheduled for May 2020 in LA, the five-day incubator program was delayed due to travel restrictions but will now take place virtually in early February 2021.
In order for the creatives to maintain momentum and utilise the extra time ahead of the event, Screen Australia’s Indigenous department and Netflix will give each team development funding to further develop their projects with Bunya producers.
As part of the hub, each project will also receive one-on-one international mentorship for their production from Australians in Film (AiF).
A final pitch session to Netflix commissioners in early 2021 will see one of the projects land a formal development deal with Netflix, with Bunya Productions engaged as producers.
Projects include a range of feature film and TV series ideas encompassing comedy, drama, and the supernatural.
Screen Australia head of Indigenous Penny Smallacombe said: “This is such an exciting collaborative program and despite the delay due to COVID-19 we are really pleased to provide development support to such an incredible mix of projects from some of our best screen storytellers. There is so much talent in this group and with the support of Bunya Productions and Netflix I feel confident we can continue to take our First Nations stories to global audiences.”
Que Minh Luu, director of Netflix Originals in Australia, said: “Our investment in Australian content begins with harnessing the best of Australian creative talent. We are thrilled to invest in this cohort of gifted storytellers in partnership with Bunya Productions and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department.”
The ten creative teams are:
- Aaron Fa’Aoso (Blue Water Empire, The Straits)
- Nakkiah Lui (Black Comedy, Get Krack!n, Kiki and Kitty) and Miranda Tapsell(Top End Wedding, Get Krack!n, The Sapphires)
- Tony Briggs (The Sapphires) and Damienne Pradier (Laurel’s Story-from Sapphire to Saigon)
- Dena Curtis (Thalu, Grace Beside Me)
- Adrian Russell Wills (Redfern Now, Black Divas) and Gillian Moody(Nice Shorts, Little J, Big Cuz)
- Ryan Griffen (Cleverman)
- Jub Clerc (The Heights, Molly and Cara)
- Dylan River (Robbie Hood, Mystery Road S2) and Tanith Glynn-Maloney (Robbie Hood, She Who Must Be Loved)
- Shari Sebbens (The Sapphires, Thor Ragnarok)
- Wayne Blair (Firestarter, The Sapphires, Mystery Road Series 2)