Documentary Australia will support the impact campaigns of up to 10 films across the next three years as part of a new program designed to increase awareness and action on pressing environmental issues.
Announced today, the Environmental Accelerator builds on the organisation’s previous Environmental Incubator program — created to nurture strategic impact campaigns and partnerships for films — by establishing bespoke campaigns for relevant projects.
They will also support documentary projects to develop assets in line with their goals, provide guidance to support the effective implementation of campaigns, and collect and analyse impact metrics to produce evaluation reports.
The first three titles to benefit from the initiative are Rhian Skirving and Bruce Permezel’s Greenhouse By Joost, which follows internationally-renowned zero-waste crusader Joost Bakker’s mission to create a self-sustaining home; Laurence Billiet and Rachel Antony’s Bob Brown portrait, The Giants; and Karl Malakunas’ Delikado, in which three environmental defenders confront murder and betrayal to save an island paradise in the Philippines.
Documentary Australia co-founder and CEO Mitzi Goldman said the organisation had already borne witness to the “far-reaching change one film can create” and the subsequent tangible environmental outcomes, citing Jane Hammond’s 2020 examination of WA’s forests and their value in mitigating climate change, Cry of the Forests, as an example.
“A film like Cry of the Forests directly contributed to the end of native forest logging in WA, with Voices of the River generating one of the largest public responses to a Government inquiry,” she said.
“If one film can make such an enormous difference, imagine what a suite of films can do to build that momentum into action across a range of related issues.”
For Greenhouse By Joost, which is being distributed by Madman Entertainment, Documentary Australia will co-host Q&A screenings as part of the film’s national launch, featuring Bakker, Damon Gameau, Sarah Wilson, Clare Bowditch, and others.
Madman Entertainment co-founder and CEO Paul Wiegard said he looked forward to creating impact with the expertise and support of Documentary Australia.
“We’re thrilled to officially partner with Documentary Australia on the Environmental Accelerator with our films Greenhouse by Joost and The Giants, among others,” he said.
“Joost is a passionate crusader for zero waste, and the self-sufficient home he has created has the potential to move audiences to make significant changes in their own lives.”
Madman Entertainment is among the major partners of the initiative, alongside Intrepid Travel and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation.
Find out more information about the Environmental Accelerator program here.