Fresh from her AACTA win for short Finding Jedda, Tanith Glynn-Maloney is set to make her directorial feature debut with Wind Catcher for Stan.
Written by Boyd Quakawoot, the family feature is the heart-warming tale of a young Aboriginal boy growing up in regional Australia, and the story of a friendship between an unlikely trio helmed by the fast and wily Percy Boy.
Against the odds, Percy Boy, Daisy and Keithy decide to compete in the upcoming sports carnival, determined to finally become the heroes of their own story. But when a natural disaster bears down on their remote township, putting the people he loves in peril, Percy Boy will find himself tested in ways he never imagined.
The project, due to shoot in Victoria later this year, is the first co-commission between Stan and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) since they flagged a partnership to back children’s, family and tween films back in 2021. Its greenlight was announced this evening by Arts Minister Tony Burke in Canberra at the ACTF 2023 Parliament House Showcase.
Unless Pictures’ Meg O’Connell and Every Cloud Productions’ Drew Grove are producing, with executive producers including Bernadette O’Mahony for ACTF, and Cailah Scobie and Rachel Okine for Stan.
Wind Catcher will be Glynn-Maloney’s first feature as a director after a career as a producer on projects such as She Who Must Be Loved, Robbie Hood and The Beach; she runs production company Since 1788 Productions with cousin Dylan River. In addition to winning an AACTA, her short Finding Jedda, which was executive produced by O’Connell, won Best Indigenous Short Film at CinefestOz.
The project is also Quakawoot’s first produced feature screenplay. He has previously worked with Stan on Black Snow, his first one hour series credit, and wrote on each of the six episodes of season four of ABC’s Black Comedy.
“We are thrilled to be delivering our first project with the ACTF, and we look forward to working with them and the extraordinary creative team on Wind Catcher, a heart-warming feature film for the whole family and an exciting addition to our Stan Originals slate,” said Stan chief content officer Calliah Scobie.
Screen Australia and ACTF have provided major production investment, in association with Stan. Screen Queensland helped to fund development.
“It is fantastic to be supporting Stan and the ACTF to tell this important and authentic Australian story,” said Screen Australia head of content Grainne Brunsdon.
“Wind Catcher is a culturally rich coming-of-age tale, and at its heart highlights the power of family and friendship. I am confident this film will resonate with Australian audiences and provide something for the whole family to enjoy.”
ACTF will handle worldwide distribution.