First Nations professionals working on the medical front line and an elite female cycling team are among the subjects for nine documentary titles to share in $2.3 million of Screen Australia production funding.
NITV series Our Medicine, an NITV series that follows those trying to achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and communities, while Second to None, a three-part series for Eurosport and DocPlay, documents the journey, Lidl-Trek, as they compete in the Tour de France Femmes 2023.
There is also The Kimberley, an ABC series that explores the animals who inhabit the region and the individuals working to protect its unique biodiversity; and The Colleano Heart, a 90-minute documentary about the Colleanos, an Indigenous family and self-made entertainers of circus.
Screen Australia documentary head Richard Huddleston said the slate reflected the agency’s determination to support Australian filmmakers who want to tell stories from not just within the nation but further afield.
“They all push boundaries, play with form and reflect the rich, wide range of storytelling approaches we have in the Australian documentary community,” he said.
First Nations department:
Our Medicine: A 6 x 30-minute documentary series for NITV following First Nations professionals working on the medical front line as they try to achieve better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and communities. The series examines how these professionals navigate the medical system with their culture and identity at the forefront and look at the strategies necessary to close the unacceptable gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcomes. Attached is series director Kimberley Benjamin, co-director Karla Hart and post director Jeremy Thomson, with Karla Hart and Sam Bodhi Field producing. It has received major production investment from NITV with support from Screenwest, Lotterywest and the WA Regional Screen Fund.
Commissioned program:
The Jury Project: From Northern Pictures, The Jury Project is a four-part series for SBS that puts the jury system on trial and explores the challenges and intricacies of the justice system. The Jury Project is directed by Tosca Looby and executive produced by Karina Holden. It has received major production investment from SBS.
Producer program:
When the Front Fell Off: This feature-length documentary is an intimate tribute to the life and work of John Clarke, told through the eyes of his daughter, Lorin. When the Front Fell Off is a unique look at a funny man and lifts the lid on a treasure trove of archival material, and personal stories revealing the creative, often hilarious, and sometimes not quite as funny struggles and successes of Clarke. Directing is Lorin Clarke and producing is Richard Keddie. It is financed in association with the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Premiere Fund, VicScreen, Soundfirm, and Rialto Distribution, who are also distributing locally.
Guardians of the River: A 90-minute documentary that charts the journey of Papua New Guinean activist Manu Peni and his people as they launch an urgent mission to protect the Sepik River from an enormous, nearby mine. In Guardians of the River, audiences will witness Project Sepik’s work on the ground as they build a powerful indigenous grassroots movement to resist the mine on their own terms, using traditional decision-making structures. The film is written and directed by Lachlan McLeod and Matasila Freshwater. It is produced by Kerry Warkia, David Elliot-Jones, Maria Tanner, and Emmanuel Peni, with Chris Kamen executive producing. Guardians of the River is financed in association with the Pacific Islanders in Communications, The Post Lounge, and VicScreen, with support from the Shark Island Foundation and the Three Springs Foundation.
Sand Roads: This 90-minute film documents the journey of three Sydney boys in their twenties, Valerio, Jamie and Ted, as they set off in 2010 on a great adventure crossing Europe, Africa and Australia on quad-bikes, as an initiation to their adulthood, self-filming their epic journey. But tragically, while in Malawi, a car overwhelms one of the quads and Valerio dies. Weaving archive footage with contemporary interviews, Sand Roads is a story of resilience and remembrance – showing how healthily accepting grief and paying heed to loss can heal. Sand Roads is from writer/director Gabriele Gianni, writer/director Lorenzo Conte and writer Vittoria Pasquini. Michael Wrenn from Invisible Republic, Sally Browning from Emerald Films and Alessandro Borrelli from La Sarraz Pictures are producing. It is financed in association with Ministry of Culture Italy, with support from Lazio Film Fund.
Second to None: A three-part series for Eurosport and DocPlay that follows the journey of elite female cycling team, Lidl-Trek, as they compete in the illustrious Tour de France Femmes 2023. After years of riding in the shadow of men, Second to None shines a spotlight on how the team has banded together, overcome the lows, and ridden the highs to show the world that no mountains are high enough when immersed in the heart of their passion. Second to None is an original concept created by Sweetshop & Green with Sonia Dauger and Renée Mao attached as directors. Gal Greenspan and Alice Burgin, and Fabrice Estève are producing. It is financed by United King, in association with VicScreen and co-producer Yuzu Productions.
The Colleano Heart: A 90-minute documentary about the Colleanos, an Indigenous family and self-made entertainers of circus, who miraculously escaped oppression and racism to rise to the upper echelons of the world’s vaudeville and circus, until the next generation of Colleanos knew nothing of their Aboriginal heritage. Generations later, American-born, octogenarian Molly Colleano O’Donnell meets Australian family historian Deb Hescott who helps Molly build a bridge across the oceans on a quest to reclaim identity, connect to ancestors and unearth family secrets – breaking the cycle of the Hidden Generation and reignite The Colleano Heart. The Colleano Heart is written and directed by Pauline Clague and written by Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe. The film is executive produced by Alan Erson and Michael Tear and produced by Bettina Dalton. The Colleano Heart is financed in association with the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund, with support from Screen Canberra. Local distribution will be by Umbrella Entertainment, with WildBear International managing international sales.
The Iron Winter: A 90-minute documentary providing insight into the rituals and traditions of herders in Mongolia’s Tsaikhir Valley who, on the eve of every winter, would assemble thousands of the community’s horses into a giant herd – travelling vast distances in search of pastures. The Iron Winter will document these young herders as they battle one of Mongolia’s most devastating winters, testing friendship and faith to keep the herd alive and preserve an ancient way of life. The film is from writer/director Kasimir Burgess and writer Ed Cavanough, with Morgan Wright and Ben Golotta of Repeater Productions, Chris Kamen, and Enebish Sengemugaa attached as producers. It is financed in association with the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Premiere Fund and VicScreen, with development support from VicScreen and the South Australian Film Corporation. The Iron Winter will premiere internationally in early 2025 and in Australia at the Melbourne International Film Festival in mid-2025. Bonsai Films will distribute in Australia/New Zealand.
The Kimberley: A 3 x 58-minute series for the ABC covering the land that defies time – a 400,000 square kilometre stretch in the North-Western corner of Australia containing sprawling savannas, towering gorges, rivers, tropical coastlines, and desert. This natural history series captures never-before-seen animal sequences as it explores a year in the lives of the unique wildlife that calls the Kimberley home and follows the missions of the Aboriginal custodians and passionate experts working to save the biodiversity of the region. The Kimberley is directed, written, and produced by Nick Robinson, written and produced by Peta Ayers, and produced by Electra Manikakis, with Mark Coles Smith writing and producing. It is financed with support from the ABC. The series will also broadcast internationally on Love Nature and Arte. Blue Ant Studios will manage international sales.