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Eight female Indigenous writer-directors selected for anthology feature ‘RED’

Top: Ngaire Pigram, Mitch Torres, Kodie Bedford, Kelli Cross. Bottom: Karla Hart, Jub Clerc, Debbie Carmody, Chantelle Murray. 

Kodie Bedford, Debbie Carmody, Jub Clerc, Kelli Cross, Karla Hart, Chantelle Murray, Ngaire Pigram and Mitch Torres are the eight writer-directors who will helm RED, the feature anthology from Pink Pepper, Ramu Productions and Brown Sugar Apple Grunt, which will explore the theme of missing Indigenous women.

Supported by Screenwest, each practitioner will write and direct a ten minute short, to be then compiled into the anthology. Development workshops will take place online due to current COVID-19 travel restrictions, and it is anticipated that the project will go into production in 2021 once fully financed.

Screenwest will be making approaches to potential partners interested in supporting such a project.

RED follows the format developed by Brown Sugar Apple Grunt’s Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton with films Waru and Vai, which successfully launched Maori and Pacific filmmakers internationally. Warkia and McNaughton will executive produce the project with Indigenous WA producers Taryne Laffar (Pink Pepper) and Jodie Bell (Ramu).

Screenwest Indigenous manager Devina McPherson said: “I’m very proud and incredibly excited to be supporting such a unique initiative. RED will explore ground-breaking Western Australian stories from eight strong female Indigenous perspectives, giving them a united voice that will be heard around the world. It’s truly going to be something special and to be produced in this format by three incredible Indigenous production companies is a first in Australia.”

Laffar said: “As a Western Australian Indigenous woman, I can barely express my utmost pride and acknowledge the privilege of PiNK PEPPER working on anthology feature film RED. Producing with Jodie Bell of RAMU, our Executive Producer’s Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton of Brown Sugar Apple Grunt and these wonderful Western Australian Indigenous writer/director women is going to be super fun, very satisfying and some beautiful hard work”

Bell said: “I cannot wait to get into the writers room with these ladies – they are brimming with amazing story ideas and to be a part of bringing those ideas to the screen and to then share these important stories with the world is exciting. I feel extremely honoured to be involved and look forward to sharing this journey with Taryne Laffar, Kerry Warkia, Kiel McNaughton, our writers and our script editors – Dot West and Louise Gough.”