Stan has announced the next slate of documentary titles to screen under its Revealed banner, with four new projects featuring the work of directors Julie Kalceff, Janine Hosking, and Gracie Otto set to debut on the streamer next year.
Launched in March with Bentley Dean’s Amongst Us – Neo Nazi Australia, the branch of long-form investigative factual content is designed to make use of the production partnership between Stan and Nine through journalists and producers from across 60 Minutes, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review, and more.
Included in the upcoming phase of the series are individual portraits of former AFL player and coach Danielle Laidley and entertainment icon Barry Otto, as well as a true crime examination of the fishing clans of Cape York, and an investigative exploration of the toxic chemicals that have sparked an international health and environmental catastrophe.
Stan chief content officer Cailah Scobie said the new additions were “guaranteed to enlighten and spark debate”.
“From intimate portraits of trailblazers Danielle Laidley and Barry Otto, to a detailed examination of a global health disaster and the unravelling of two shocking disappearances in Cape York, these uniquely Australian stories come from an outstanding collection of journalists, directors and producers,” she said.
“We can’t wait to share these stories on Stan next year.”
Co-directed by Kalceff and Sam Matthews, and produced by JAMTV, Danielle Laidley (working title) charts Dani’s early childhood in a working-class Perth suburb through her career in Australian football, while also taking a deep dive into her battles with identity, drugs, the media, Victoria Police, and subsequent court investigations.
A markedly different journey is chronicled with a similarly personal tone in Otto on Otto, which offers new insights into the life of stage, screen, and television legend Barry Otto via the lens of his director daughter, Gracie.
Produced by Nicole O’Donohue and Cody Greenwood, the story delves into the relationship between the pair as the younger Otto tries to capture her father’s memories before they disappear, ranging from his formative years growing up in Brisbane and his various roles throughout his career, to his quieter years surrounded by art, poetry, and cat Bogart.
With The Cape, Stan takes on true-crime as director Michael Ware portrays an isolated community forever changed by a mysterious tragedy. When a ten-year-old boy and his father vanish while checking their shark nets, it unravels a dynastic alliance between mighty fishing clans of the region. A mother and son are accused of murder and a love triangle gone horribly wrong raises questions of guilt and complicity that ripple out far beyond the alleged killers.
Written by Justine Rosenthal, The Cape is produced by Richard Finlayson and Jude Troy of Wooden Horse. Murray Lui is the DOP with Karryn de Cinque editing.
Completing the quartet of new documentaries is Safe to Drink, an investigation conducted in collaboration with Walkley Award-winning journalist Carrie Fellner and The Sydney Morning Herald, about the devastating impacts of toxic chemicals and the contaminated communities that are fighting for justice, both in Australia and across the world.
Directors Katrina McGowan, Hosking, and Mat Cornwell produce with iKandy Films and Gari Yala Films, as well as Shark Island Foundation, which also provided funding.
All four of the Revealed titles received principal production funding from Screen Australia, with Screen NSW providing funding for Safe to Drink and Otto on Otto and supporting post, digital and visual effects on The Cape. The latter will be distributed by Fremantle, as will the VicScreen-supported Danielle Laidley.
Screen Australia head of documentary Alex West said he was confident each of the documentaries would “inspire reflection and help spark change”.
“We are proud to support these filmmakers who have demonstrated immense expertise in crafting bold investigations and intimate human portraits, exploring equality and identity in our society,” he said.
Revealed continues later this year with Revealed: Reefshot.