Five recipients of Doco180 series 2 announced

Hawanatu Bangura and Erin McBean.

Screen Australia and News Digital Networks Australia’s whimn.com.au today announced the five recipients of the second series of Doco180. In a maximum of 180 seconds the winners must create documentaries designed to make viewers ‘do a 180’ on topics important to Australian women.

Each team will receive $6,000 to bring their project to life and will be supported by a Screen Australia investment development manager through the entire process.

The universal female issues which will be addressed range from sexual assault, body hair and body image to gender parity in small business ownership.

“We know there are a million ways to be a woman today so naturally there are so many topics and issues that tug the heart strings, jerk those tears and fire up women to press for progress,” said whimn.com.au editor Melissa Shedden.

“We were hugely impressed by the insightful and compelling pitches from this year’s Doco180 entrants, which made it hard to select the final recipients. We’re very proud to be able to offer these talented female storytellers the chance to share these important issues with the whimn.com.au audience. Based on the success of Doco180 in 2017 achieving over 1.8 million views across the series we’re keen to see what 2018 has in store.”

The Doco180 season two documentary makers are:

• Blue Lucine and Mariel Thomas’ (NSW) Asking For It, which aims to investigate the fear, shame and intimidation that prevents most sexual assault victims from ever taking legal action.
• Can you be a solo mum and still have it all? Director Erin McBean and writer Holly Zwalf (NSW) will create Mother/Lover to examine what  it means these days to truly ‘have it all.’
• In A Hairy Problem director Rebecca Thomson (TAS) will address women’s body hair and how it is still a topic of much public discussion, judgment and shaming. The documentary intends to question if it should be anyone else’s business whether a woman chooses to mow or grow.
• As a female business owner and filmmaker, Laura Clelland (QLD) believes the fight for gender parity has seen the rise of a ‘girls’ club’ where women support other women. In Together She Succeeds, she puts her belief to the test to discover if there is a darker reality to acknowledge.
• Filmmaker and social worker Hawanatu Bangura (NSW) will direct Inner Demons, unpacking whether being a curvy woman is a blessing or curse. Hawanatu’s film will  depict her subject Rosaline’s tug-of-war story and how she banished her demons to become a celebrated mixed race, plus-size model.

“We’re proud to partner with whimn.com.au for a second year on this important initiative to encourage female storytellers in the documentary field,” said Liz Stevens, senior manager of documentary at Screen Australia.

“Now more than ever we need to see informative and passionate content by Australian women to shed light and challenge gender stereotypes. These three minute documentaries have the potential to reach a large online audience through the Whimn platform.”

The Doco180 selected projects will be housed on whimn.com.au and its associated social channels exclusively for 12 months from October 2018.