Ahead of next week's Australian International Documentary Conference, IF spoke with both local and international decision makers about the current documentary and factual landscape, and the types of projects they're interested in.
Directors Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen were saving up for a house, but after hearing American director Trey Edward Shults speak at Austin Film Festival about making the micro budget 'Krisha', they decided their funds might be better spent making a debut feature that they could use as a calling card.
VFX supervisor Andrew Robinson talks to IF about using virtual production to create the environments for John Curran's 'Mercy Road' ahead of its screenings at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Jack Clark and Jim Weir's 'Birdeater', with its echoes of 'Wake in Fright', joins Australia's recent indie success stories. After snaring Sydney Film Festival's Audience Award, their debut feature - made on a shoestring - sold out all its sessions at the Melbourne International Film Festival, landed distribution with Umbrella and simply generated a significant amount of buzz.
In coming up with the story for his feature directorial debut 'The Rooster', starring Phoenix Raei and Hugo Weaving, Mark Leonard Winter tried to depict the strangeness and difficulty that came with a time of "deep depression".
Actor-turned-filmmaker James Ivor originally wrote and directed short 'Crushing Season' as a proof-of-concept for a feature he could shop to producers, so its film festival success has been an unexpected and welcome bonus.
Noora Niasari talks to IF about the making of her debut feature, the Sundance Audience Award-winning 'Shayda', which is screening in competition at MIFF and will close Locarno later this month.
The Melbourne International Film Festival has announced the nominees and juries for the Blackmagic Design Australian Innovation Award and the inaugural First Nations Film Creative Award.