Film students from the SAE Creative Media Institute will have the opportunity to receive mentoring from the likes of Minderoo Pictures executive director Malinda Wink and ABC documentaries manager Stephen Oliver as part of new documentary competition, Uncovered.
Delivered in partnership with AACTA, the initiative will provide successful applicants with guidance from a panel of judges that includes Wink and Oliver, while introducing them to producers, distributors, and broadcasters.
The winners will also receive a 12-month AACTA membership and tickets to the 2023 AACTA Awards.
SAE general manager Luke McMillan said he was honoured to be working closely with AACTA, adding the competition would give students the platform to draw on their own personal experiences while exploring other valuable themes important to society
“A key element of the learning journey at SAE is to provide students with the skills and knowledge to be ‘industry-ready’ once they graduate,” he said.
“We are delighted to partner with AACTA and offer our film students the chance to develop their documentary filmmaking skills and receive expert advice from some of the leading filmmakers in this country.”
AACTA awards and industry development manager Ivan Vukusic said supporting new and emerging filmmakers was a “passion and priority” for the organisation.
“We’re committed to working directly with the education sector and with the screen industry to achieve meaningful outcomes for emerging filmmakers,” he said.
“With ongoing support and industry guidance, we anticipate that winning ‘Uncovered’ will be a significant career stepping stone for the successful filmmakers involved,” he said.
“The proliferation of new platforms has really expanded the pipeline, and emerging filmmakers are well-placed to explore those opportunities.
“The need for talented technical craft practitioners is at an all-time high. This is due to the rapidly increasing volume of productions in Australia – both domestic and the ever-growing number of international productions. That won’t come to an end any time soon, that’s for sure.”