Little Johnny, Robbie and Blue in ‘Robbie Hood.’
SBS will mark NAIDOC Week 2019 (July 7-14) with a raft of programming that celebrates the success and shares the unique stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, starting July 5.
Ludo Studio’s Robbie Hood, a short-form comedy series from writer-director Dylan River, will premiere on SBS On Demand on July 5 and on SBS Viceland on July 9.
The six episodes follow precocious 13-year-old Robbie (Pedrea Jackson) and his friends Georgia Blue (Jordan Johnson) and little Johnny (Levi Thomas) as they skirt the law to right the wrongs they see going down in their Alice Springs home town.
Also screening on the free streaming platform that week will be Indigenous-themed classic movies including Bruce Beresford’s The Fringe Dwellers, John Honey’s Manganinnie, Steve Jodrell’s Tudawali and Philippe Mora’s Mad Dog Morgan.
The new free-to-air movie channel SBS World Movies will broadcast Stephen Johnson’s Yolngu Boy (July 10) and Rolf de Heer’s Charlie’s Country (July 11).
SBS and NITV will simulcast Gurrumul (July 7, 8.30pm), Paul Damien Williams’ documentary profile of blind singer-musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.
Hosted by Elaine Crombie, Megan Wilding, Rachael Hocking and Aaron Fa’Aoso, the 2019 National NAIDOC Awards will be simulcast on NITV, SBS On Demand and NITV Facebook Live at 6.30pm on July 6. The awards recognise individuals who have contributed their talents, expertise, knowledge and lives to Australia’s First Peoples.
‘She Who Must Be Loved.’
She Who Must Be Loved, a portrait of Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association and Imparja TV co-founder Freda Glynn, directed by her daughter Erica Glynn and produced by her granddaughter Tanith Glynn-Maloney, will premiere on NITV at 8.30pm on July 14.
The NITV line-up includes Henri Safran’s classic family film Storm Boy (July 12, 7.30pm), Ben Strunin’s music documentary Westwind: Djalu’s Legacy (July 11, 8.30pm) and Phillip Noyce’s ground-breaking Rabbit-Proof Fence (July 10, 9.30pm).
SBS will broadcast episodes of documentaries First Contact (series two, from July 8), Who Do You Think You Are? (July 8) and Going Places With Ernie Dingo (July 10)
Living Black host Karla Grant will speak with former AFL footballers Adam Goodes, the subject of the docs The Final Quarter and Adam Goodes: The Australian Dream, and Nicky Winmar and former sprinter Cathy Freeman in special episodes of the Indigenous current affairs program from July 12.
SBS Viceland will air Island Queens (July 8), the second documentary in Vice’s Australiana series, which explores the gay and transgender Indigenous community of the Tiwi Islands.
Marshall Heald, SBS Director, Television and Online Content, said: “As Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster and the home of NITV, SBS is uniquely placed to share stories of First Nations cultures, communities and conversations with all Australians.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling is a core part of SBS’s offering all year round and NAIDOC Week is the perfect time for the network to present a broad slate of programs that encourage a deeper understanding of Australia’s shared history and shared future, and to celebrate together the achievements of our First Nations peoples.”