Screen Australia will partner with NITV and SBS on a slate of documentaries called A Moment in History.
In his opening address to AIDC, Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason described the series as "bold, innovative, and compelling documentaries [that] will explore the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia in the months leading up to the proposed 2017 Referendum on Indigenous Constitutional Recognition".
"It’s important to note that 2017 also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Yes Vote referendum and the 25th anniversary of the Mabo Native Title High Court decision", he said.
"This exciting series is an example of filming excellence and landmark storytelling from some of our most leading Indigenous filmmakers. It will help shape national discourse and we are proud to be able to support an ambitious project of this calibre that is not only culturally significant, but also inspiring and innovative".
The five projects, with teams that include Warwick Thornton, Erica Glynn, Trisha Morton Thomas, Darren Dale, Dean Gibson and Tyson Mowarin, are Literacy for Life, from Blackfella Films; Constitutionally Confused, from Brindle Films; Connection to Country, from Weerianna Street Media; We Don’t Need a Map, from Barefoot Films; and A Rightful Place, from Bacon Factory.
"Culture doesn’t have to mean high-brow or worthy", said Mason, "but it does mean a uniquely Australian voice and an ability to resonate with audiences beyond their first viewing".
"What excites me and Screen Australia about A Moment in History is that it is shaping conversations about our national identity – and is ground-breaking in its approach, with five vastly different stories on what constitutional recognition means to different communities throughout Australia".