Funding approvals
2018–2019 documentary production

Producer Program | Commissioned Program | Doco180 | Art Bites| Pitch Australiana | Out Here

Producer program

JUNE 2019

BLIND AMBITION
Third Man Films Pty Ltd
Producers Rob Coe, Warwick Ross
Executive Producers Madeleine Ross, Paul Wiegard
Writer/Directors Rob Coe, Warwick Ross
Synopsis Four Zimbabwean refugees who were forced to flee their home country in search of a better life become Africa’s best and most unlikely sommeliers and compete in the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships – the Olympics of the wine world.

BRAZEN HUSSIES
Film Camp Pty Ltd
Producers Philippa Campey, Andrea Foxworthy
Executive Producer Sue Maslin
Writer/Director Catherine Dwyer
Synopsis Brazen Hussies, for the first time, tells the story of the bold women who ignited a feminist revolution in Australia during the Women’s Liberation era.

DARK ARTS
In Films Pty Ltd
Producers Ivan O’Mahoney, Yaara Bou Melhem
Executive Producer Nial Fulton
Writer/Director Yaara Bou Melhem
Synopsis Mass surveillance, data collection and A.I. are abstract but all pervasive realities of our lives. But how do you make the unseen accountable? This film is a part human, part A.I. driven journey into the works and mind of Trevor Paglen, the world's leading contemporary artist in revealing the unseen forces shaping our lives and futures.

GIRL LIKE YOU
Rush Films Pty Ltd
Producer Cody Greenwood
Directors Frances Elliott, Samantha Marlowe
Synopsis Over four years, a young woman watches her partner transition from male to female; adjusting to new breasts and hips, incredible mood swings, as well as coming to terms with her own changing sexuality. A raw, intimate and confronting ride into a relationship where little remains constant, Girl Like You challenges audiences to explore the fluidity of their own gender and sexual identity.

PETRICHOR VR
Pernickety Split Pty Ltd
Producer Emma Roberts
Writer/Director Ben Andrews
Synopsis An interactive VR installation placing audiences into the centre of an awe-inspiring storm in the world’s oldest rainforest, encouraging sustained action for the Australian environment.

RECORDER QUEEN
Music Films Pty Ltd
Producers Sophie Raymond, Clare Sawyer
Executive Producers Helen Panckhurst, Bob Connolly
Director Sophie Raymond
Writers Genevieve Lacey, Sophie Raymond
Synopsis Recorder Queen is a hybrid documentary that invites audiences into the sensory world of Australian musician, Genevieve Lacey, as she explores what lies beyond becoming a virtuoso.

RICHARD LEPLASTRIER – FRAMING THE VIEW
Mitra Films Pty Ltd
Producers Susan MacKinnon, Anna Cater
Writer/Director Anna Cater
Synopsis Revered by architects around the world, Richard Leplastrier’s search for beauty in his career is interwoven with his own life in a bush camp on the edge of Sydney.

ROSEMARY’S WAY (working title)
Bower Bird Films Pty Ltd
Producer Pat Fiske
Executive Producer Joe Skrzynski
Writer/Director Ros Horin
Synopsis Charismatic changemaker, Rosemary Kariuki, is on a mission to empower migrant women, enticing them out of cultural silos, exposing them to new ideas, experiences and the wider Australian society - her means are anything but orthodox and laughter her secret weapon.

SLIM & I
Pictures in Paradise Pty Ltd
Producers Chris Brown, Aline Jacques, James Arneman
Executive Producer Joy McKean
Writer/Director Kriv Stenders
Synopsis Australia’s Queen of country music, Joy McKean takes us on the road of her life, revealing the story of her career, her decades of touring around Australia, her marriage of more than fifty years to Slim Dusty, and her determination to be recognised as a performer and songwriter in her own right.

SUZI Q
The Acme Film Company Pty Ltd
Producers Tait Brady, Liam Firmager
Executive Producers Stephanie Stevenson, Jason Byrne, Shaun Miller
Writer/Director Liam Firmager
Synopsis Trailblazer. Inspiration. Survivor. Suzi Q is an intimate feature length theatrical-doc on the life of 70s rock star Suzi Quatro - the first female rocker to play an instrument, front the band, sing lead, write songs - in an era when women were invisible in rock'n'roll bands. Aged 69, still performing and recording, The Queen is here to claim her crown.

THE KIDS
6 Seasons Productions
Producer Shannon Swan
Writer/Director Eddie Martin
Synopsis The Kids is a strikingly personal, all access documentary about the real life individuals who inspired Larry Clark’s 1995 cult classic film Kids.

THE SIDE SHOW
The Side Show Move Pty Ltd
Producers Michaela Perske, Christopher Nelius
Executive Producers Rob Galluzo, Michael Hilliard,  Paul Wiegard
Writer/Director Christopher Nelius
Synopsis The untold story of how a band of renegade surfer girls in the 1980s fought to create their own professional sport, changing the face of international surf culture forever.

VISIBLE FARMER
15 x 6 mins
Kaufmann Productions Pty Ltd
Producer Carsten Orlt
Executive Producer Gisela Kaufmann
Writer/Director Gisela Kaufmann
Synopsis Visible Farmer criss-crosses the country to reveal the extraordinary stories of Australia’s female farmers.

MARCH 2019

A GAME OF THREE HALVES
6 x 3 mins
Closer Productions
Producer Katrina Lucas
DirectorMatthew Bate
Synopsis Soccer is a game of three halves: The first half, the second half, and… something else.

LUCY IN THE SKY
1 x 80 mins
Samantha Griffin T/A One With Salt , Essential Media Group
Executive Producer Chris Hilton
Producers Sam Griffin
Co-producerMaya Kuzina
Director Maria Dudko
Writer Maria Dudko
Synopsis Lucy Dudko spent 7 years in prison for hijacking a helicopter to pluck her lover from jail. The director, her daughter Maria, explores events that led to her mother’s conviction, the impact on herself and the truth behind Lucy’s claims of innocence.
Production funding for this title was revoked in November 2019.

THE FIGHT
1 x 85 mins
UNF Pty Ltd
Producers Daniel Fallshaw, Redelia Shaw, Violeta Ayala
Director Violeta Ayala
Writers Daniel Fallshaw, Violeta Ayala
Synopsis Feliza and Marcelo lead a group of people with disabilities on a march that sees them trek in their wheelchairs over the Andes, only to find themselves fighting toe-to-toe with the Bolivian government.

THE REAL JAWS: THE VALERIE TAYLOR STORY
1 x 90 mins
Wildbear Entertainment Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Alan Erson
Producer Bettina Dalton
Director Sally Aitken
Synopsis Valerie Taylor is a shark fanatic. A pin up novelty in the nascent days of SCUBA, her incredible love affair with the ocean’s most fearsome predators spans half a century and whole lot of danger. Until now her remarkable life story has never been told.

WILD THINGS
1 x 85 mins
360 Degree Films Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Shaun Miller
Producer Sally Ingleton
Directors Sally Ingleton, Caro Macdonald
Synopsis Wild Thingsis a feature documentary about environmental activism in a time of crisis.

November 2018

GEETA
1 x 80 mins
Colour Films Pty Ltd
Producers Nayana Bhandari, Adam Farrington-Williams, Dipanjali Rao
Executive Producers Clement Dunn, Tony Nagle, Geoffrey Smith
Writer/ Director/ Producer Emma Macey-Storch
Synopsis GEETA is a feature documentary about a mother’s inspiring and transformative love for her daughters and the change that follows.

JELENA; UNBREAKABLE
1 x 90 mins
Cordell Jigsaw Productions Pty Ltd
Director Amanda Blue
Writer Amanda Blue, Andrew Farrell
Synopsis Jelena Dokic – Unbreakable. Refugee, tennis prodigy, fighter, survivor.
Production funding for this title was revoked in April 2019.

MILKMAN
1 x 90 mins
Carver Films Pty Ltd
Producer Sarah Shaw
Executive Producers Luke Davies, Andrew Mackie, Anna McLeish, Richard Payten
Co-Directors Eddie Martin, Luke Davies
Synopsis Milkman is the story of Luke Davies – poet, author and Oscar-nominated screenwriter – whose semi-autobiographical novel Candy and its big screen adaptation placed him at the intersection of fiction and his own reality. Milkman tells the story of a life still being written.
Production funding for this title was revoked in April 2019.

MY BIG FAT ITALIAN KITCHEN
1 x 85 mins
Yarra Bank Films Pty Ltd
Producer Trevor Graham, Lisa Wang
Writer/ Director Trevor Graham
Synopsis A delicious, feel good story with entrée, main course & dessert.

NO TIME FOR QUIET
1 x 85 mins
Film Camp Pty Ltd
Producers Philippa Campey, Samantha Dinning, Hylton Shaw
Executive Producer Claire Jager
Writer/Directors Hylton Shaw, Samantha Dinning
Synopsis Struggling to establish a sense of belonging and identity, a group of teenagers find their voice through a unique rock n roll community.                          

THE BIKES OF WRATH
6 x 50 mins (series)
1 x 100 mins (feature)
Doss Flamingoss Pty Ltd
Writer/Director/Producers Cameron Ford, Charlie Turnbull
Synopsis Five Australian friends attempt to cycle from Oklahoma to California in honor of the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s. The Bikes of Wrath is a story of adventure, humanity, and America today, told through the lens of Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath.

VIDEO NASTY – THE MAKING OF RIBSPREADER
8 x 8 mins
Closer Productions Pty Ltd
Producer Katrina Lucas
Writer/ Director Matthew Bate
Synopsis Infamous for creating ‘splatter-punk video nasties', filmmaker Dick Dale is about to make his first no-budget feature film, which promises to be an epic lo-fi filmmaking odyssey that will either make or break his career.

THE BURNSIDE CONVERSATIONS
10 x 10 mins
Rymer Childs Pty Limited
Producers Lois Harris, Judy Rymer
Director Judy Rymer
Synopsis In 10x10 short docs for digital viewing Julian Burnside is in conversation with some of the world's leading defenders of human rights in the West. With assylum as their focus, they share their future predictions, frustrations and fears about where the world is heading.

HEADON
6 x 5 mins
Darius Devas
Producer Anne Chesher, Darius Devas, David Elliot-Jones, Coralie Tapper
Writer/Director Darius Devas
Synopsis HeadOn is a documentary web-series presented by acclaimed short-form filmmaker Darius Devas that examines the lives of young Australians suffering in the midst of the mental health crisis. The series is driven by Darius’ desire to understand the loss of his friend to suicide and his own journey through anxiety.

UNDER THE VOLCANO
1 x 90 mins
Rush Films Pty Ltd
Producer Cody Greenwood, Richard Harris
Director Gracie Otto
Synopsis On a remote Caribbean island, in the shadow of a volcano, the world’s biggest recording artists made music and myth that defined an era.

AUGUST 2018

BONE TO PICK
1 x 80 mins
FanForce Productions Films Pty Ltd
Producer Danny Lachevre
Executive Producer Timothy White
Director Jo-Anne Brechin
Writer Jo-Anne Brechin
Synopsis A pet owner switches his dog from processed food to a raw diet in an effort to cure a range of chronic illnesses. The dog’s dramatic recovery compels the owner to embark on a journey to confront the pet food industry and end the global epidemic of sick pets.
Production funding for this title was revoked in June 2019.

CRYPTOPIA – BITCOIN, BLOCKCHAIN AND THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET 
1 x 70+ mins
3D Content Hub Pty Ltd
Producer Torsten Hoffmann
Executive Producer Brinda Paul
Director Michael Watchulonis, Torsten Hoffmann
Writer Torsten Hoffmann
Synopsis Is Bitcoin the biggest Ponzi scheme of our time or can its underlying technology called Blockchain provide a blueprint to build a better Internet? Join award-winning filmmaker Torsten Hoffmann (Bitcoin: The End Of Money As We Know It) on his five-year exploration of this complex and controversial technology and its sub-culture. Co-directed by Michael Watchulonis (The Wild Pacific).

FIRESTARTER – THE STORY OF BANGARRA
1 x 90 mins
In Films Pty Ltd
Producer Ivan O'Mahoney
Executive Producer Nial Fulton
Director Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin
Writers Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin, Ivan O'Mahoney
Synopsis Firestarter tells the story of Australia’s most iconic performing arts company – Bangarra Dance Theatre. Marking Bangarra's 30th anniversary and told through the eyes of its celebrated artistic director Stephen Page, Firestarter interweaves archive footage with exclusive interviews and intimate behind-the-scenes access to the company, its dancers and its staff. 

HEART OF THE QUEEN
1 x 85 mins
People Productions Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Tait Brady
Producers Carolina Sorensen, Clare Lewis
Director Matthew Walker
Writer Matthew Walker
Synopsis Wanita, a chaotic, talented, force of nature who has sacrificed everything for music, takes one last glorious stab at her lifelong dream – to become a country music great in Nashville.

MARTHA
1 x 90 mins
Projector Films 
Executive Producer Jennifer Peedom
Producer Daniel Joyce, Bethany Bruce (co-producer)
Director Selina Miles
Synopsis In the 1970s, photographer Martha Cooper captured the birth of the New York graffiti scene. Decades later, at age 60, she finds fame as an unlikely icon of the street art world, having unwittingly inspired the spread of graffiti around the globe.

THE BAMBOO BRIDGE
1 x 52 mins
Matadora Films Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Pat Fiske, Katherine Gibson
Producer Claire Fletcher, Alejandra Canales
Director Juan Salazar
Writers Juan Salazar, Katherine Gibson
Synopsis As the longest bamboo bridge in the world is dismantled for the last time, three generations of Cambodian bridge-builders share it’s stories from the past and its lessons for the future.

ULURU & THE MAGICIAN
1 x 90 mins
Brindle Films Pty Ltd
Producers Rachel Clements, Trisha Morton Thomas, Anna Broinowski
Director Anna Broinowski
Writer Anna Broinowski
Synopsis A struggling kids' magician decides to make Uluru disappear – with unexpected results.

STATES OF CONSENT 
1 x 20 mins
Jerboa Films
Producer Mariel Thomas
Director Blue Lucine
Writer Blue Lucine, Mariel Thomas
Synopsis Sexual consent should be simple, but in the courtroom it’s up for grabs. Who would know that the State or Territory where you take action can be the difference between guilty and not guilty….That we live in different States of Consent.

VIRTUAL YAGAN VR
6 x 5 mins 
Periscope Pictures Pty Ltd
Producer Alice Wolfe
Director / Writer Sam Field & Karla Heart
Synopsis This ‘time travel’ VR documentary immerses audiences in pre-contact Whadjuk Noongar culture, using the latest advances in interactive technology to give users a firsthand role in an important first contact story.  

Commissioned Program

JUNE 2019

ADDICTED (working title)
3 x 51 mins
Blackfella Films Pty Ltd
Producer Darren Dale
Series Producer Jacob Hickey
Writer Jacob Hickey
Broadcaster SBS
Synopsis Extraordinary access to the lives of a group of Australians and their families, as they confront their addiction head on.

AUSTRALIA IN COLOUR SERIES 2
4 x 50 mins
Stranger Than Fiction Films
Producer Jo-anne McGowan
Executive Producer Jennifer Peedom
Directors Lisa Matthews, Rose Hesp
Broadcaster SBS
Synopsis Australia in Colour will inject new life into our precious black and white archives, transforming them into glorious colour.

COME FLY WITH ME (working title)
3 x 52 mins
WildBear Entertainment Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Alan Erson
Series Producer Bernice Toni
Director Greg Appel
Writers Prudence Black, Greg Appel, Bernice Toni, Alan Erson
Broadcaster SBS
Synopsis The turbulent history of Australians in the air.

KILLER SNAKE ISLAND
1 x 60 mins
Sea Dog TV International Pty Ltd 
Supervising Producer Leighton De Barros
Producer Jodie De Barros
Executive Producer Jodie De Barros
Directors Leighton De Barros, Jonathan Rowdon
Writers Leighton De Barros, Jonathan Rowdon
Synopsis On an island off the west coast of Australia deadly Tiger snakes have hyper-evolved to become giants, but there may be an even more brutal and effective killer on the island that has stopped the snakes’ accelerated evolution in its tracks, this is Killer Snake Island!

MONEY SCHOOL
4 x 46 mins
Essential Media and Entertainment Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Brendan Dahill, Sam Griffin, Liz Pape
Director Bruce Permezel 
Writer Bruce Permezel
Broadcaster Foxtel
Synopsis Money School follows behind the scenes as Scott Pape (aka The Barefoot Investor) launches a financial revolution that he hopes will change the nation – starting with kids in school.

SOUTHERN STARS: RISING FROM THE ASHES (working title)
2 x 44 mins
Essential Media Group
Series Producer Cassie Charlton
Executive Producers Brendan Dahill, Sam Griffin, Justin Holdforth
Writer/Director Cassie Charlton
Broadcaster Seven Network
Synopsis This two part series examines the rise of women’s elite sport through the lens of the Australian Women’s Cricket team, on and off the pitch, during their quest to win the 2019 Ashes.

APRIL 2019

FAMILY RULES Season 3
6 x 26 mins
Metamorflix Pty Ltd and Karla Hart Enterprises Pty Ltd
Executive Producers / Producers Renee Kennedy, Karla Hart
Series Director Karla Hart
Field Director Claire Leeman
Writers Renee Kennedy, Karla Hart
Broadcaster NITV
Synopsis This up close and personal series gives an exclusive insight into modern Indigenous family life through the eyes of a remarkable mother and her daughters. Angela, Shenika, Kelly, Kiara, Sharna, Aleisha, Jessica and Hannah navigate their way through adolescence and adulthood as their mother, Daniella, tries to teach them life lessons. With their own unique senses of humour and style, these women learn to juggle their own aspirations with the reality of everyday life.

THE BEACH
6 x 26 mins
World Wide Mind Pty Ltd
Producers Michelle Parker, Mitchell Stanley, Tanith Glynn-Maloney 
Executive Producer Ben Nott
Director Warwick Thornton
Broadcaster National Indigenous Television (NITV)
Synopsis Award-winning film director, Warwick Thornton, alone in one of the most stunningly beautiful yet brutal outback environments in the world, attempts to disconnect and contemplate life's essentials; food, shelter and Country.

WHO SHOULD GET A PASSPORT? (working title)
3 x 55 mins 
ITV Studios Australia
Executive Producer Ben Ulm
Producer Elle Gibbons  
Broadcaster SBS 
Synopsis Approximately every three minutes someone gains permanent residency in Australia.  More than 60% of our annual population growth is due to net immigration. Who Should Get A Passport?is an immersive, emotional, high stakes observational documentary series following the migration lawyers and agents who advocate for those who aspire to live here. With privileged access, the series captures life-changing moments, giving an insight into the characters and the life changing outcomes.

November 2018

AUSTRALIA SAYS YES
1 x 53mins
Treehouse Moving Images Pty Ltd
Producers Kirk Marcolina, Margie Bryant
Director / Writer Kirk Marcolina
Broadcaster SBS
Synopsis A vivid picture of the five decades of struggle that created the personal and political change that brought about marriage equality in Australia.

KALDOR PUBLIC ART PROJETCS (working title)
1x75 mins
Felix Media Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Bridget Ikin
Producer John Maynard
Director / Writer Samantha Lang
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis: Bringing the world to Australia, one public art project at a time.

AUSTRALIA SAYS YES
1x53 mins
Treehouse Moving Images Pty Ltd
Producers Margie Bryant & Kirk Marcolina
Director / Writer Kirk Marcolina
Broadcaster SBS
Synopsis A vivid picture of the five decades of struggle that created the personal and political change that brought about marriage equality in Australia.

BODY HACK 3.0
8x48 mins
Essential Media Group
Executive Producers David Alrich, Chris Hilton, Todd Sampson
Director Jeff Siberry
Writer Jeff Siberry & Todd Sampson
Broadcaster Network 10
Synopsis Using science as his guide, adventurer Todd Sampson is on a mission to investigate the most extraordinary people on the planet to see what we can all learn from their lives.

EMPLOYABLE ME SEASON TWO
3 x 57mins
Northern Pictures Pty Ltd 
Executive Producer Karina Holden
Producer Jenni Wilks
Director Cian O’Clery
Broadcaster ABC 
Synopsis The critically acclaimed documentary series Employable Me returns in 2019 following the stories of nine more people with disabilities as they battle to find work.

LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM
4x57 mins
Northern Pictures Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Karina Holden
Supervising Producer Jenni Wilks
Series Producer/Director Cian O’Clery
Writers Karina Holden, Cian O’Clery
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis Relationships and the dating game is an exciting and sometimes overwhelming time for everyone but particularly for those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

SILENT NO MORE (working title)
2x60 mins
Southern Pictures Pty Ltd
Executive Producer Laurie Critchley
Director/Writer Anita Brown
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis This two-part primetime documentary joins campaigner Tracey Spicer to reveal the true story of Australia's hidden epidemic of workplace sexual harassment, its devastating personal and public cost, and how we can change things for the better.

THE ARTFUL DISSIDENT (working title)
1 x 60 mins
Identity Films and Productions Pty Ltd
Producer Danny Ben-Moshe
Director Danny Ben-Moshe
Writer Danny Ben-Moshe
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis Undisclosed at this time

THE POOL
2x58 mins
Mint Pictures
Executive Producer Adam Kay
Producer Dan Goldberg
Director Sally Aitken
Writer Christos Tsiolkas
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis On the surface the pool is a hedonistic playground regardless of race, sex, creed, colour or religion but beneath its alluring waters lies the surprising – and untold – story of the battleground where feminism was fashioned, racism was swept away, sexuality was liberated ... and where sporting heroes were born.

WILL AUSTRALIA EVER HAVE A BLACK PRIME MINISTER?
1X55 mins
Joined Up Films Pty Ltd
Producers Danielle MacLean, Jacqueline Willinge
Director Catriona McKenzie
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis Is Australia really the land of the ‘Fair Go’ or one that still favours the fair-skinned? We’re going to test this by asking a very simple question: Will Australia Ever Have a Black Prime Minister?

OCTOBER 2018

REVELATION
3 x 60mins
In Films Pty Ltd
Producer Nial Fulton
Director Deb Masters
Presenter Sarah Ferguson
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis After years of resistance, The Royal Commission finally broke the silence of the Catholic Church and unveiled the dark legacy of abuse of those in its care. In Revelation, Gold Walkley-winning journalist Sarah Ferguson pieces together the forces at play in one of the most profound stories in Australia’s history and the extraordinary drama that brought it to light. 

TRANS MISSION
1 x 51mins
Mint Pictures Pty Ltd 
Producer & Director Catherine Scott
Writer/Producer Dan Goldberg
Executive Producer Adam Kay
Broadcaster SBS 
Synopsis ‘Trans Mission’ follows transgender truck driver Holly Conroy, a in her bid to stage a Mardi Gras in Australia’s No. 1 Christian town: Wagga Wagga. Holly will battle priests, pastors and politicians as she works tirelessly to educate and create positive awareness of her fellow trans community.

SECRET LIFE OF DEATH
1 x 51mins
Mint Pictures Pty Ltd & Tangerine Pictures
Producer Nia Pericles 
Writer/Director Dan Goldberg
Executive Producers Adam Kay & Gary Russell
Broadcaster SBS 
Synopsis Secret Life of Death opens a multicultural window into the hidden world of two family-owned funeral homes in Sydney, following two young, and funny women: one who works with the living; the other who works with the dead.

BUSINESS AS USUAL (working title)
1 x 51mins
Heiress Films Pty Ltd 
Producer Jennifer Cummins 
Director / Writer Bruce Permezel
Broadcaster SBS 
Synopsis Business as Usual will be anything but, as we are given a behind the curtains peek into the colourful and chaotic world of Manjits, a family-run Events empire where ritual and family are the spice of life.

YOUNG, DATEABLE AND DISABLED
1 x 52mins
Southern Pictures Pty Ltd 
Executive Producer Laurie Critchley 
Director Liz Allen
Broadcaster SBS 
Synopsis Straight-talking relationship counsellor Liz Dore is on a mission to help six young people with intellectual disabilities find love.   

DOCO180

A HAIRY PROBLEM
Producer Rebecca Thomson
Director Rebecca Thomson
Synopsis Women’s body hair is still a topic of much public discussion, judgment and shaming. But why is it anyone else’s business whether a woman chooses to mow or to grow?!

ASKING FOR IT
Producer Mariel Thomas
Director Blue Lucine
Synopsis Fear, shame and intimidation prevent most sexual assault victims from ever taking legal action. When you are a stripper, and the alleged assault happened during a show, will anyone take you seriously, or will they believe you were ASKING FOR IT?

INNER DEMONS
Producer Taylor Litton-Strain
Director Hawanatu Bangura
Synopsis We all have our inner demons, but is being a curvy woman a blessing or curse? We see Rosaline’s tug-of-war story and how she banished her demons to become a celebrated mixed race plus size model.

MOTHER/LOVER
Producer Erin McBean
Director Holly Zwalf
Synopsis Can you be a solo mum and still have it all? And what exactly does it mean, these days, to truly ‘have it all’?

TOGETHER SHE SUCCEEDS
Producers Sam Weingott, Sascha Shipley
Director Laura Clelland
Synopsis As a female business owner and filmmaker, Laura Clelland believes the fight for gender parity has seen the rise of a 'girls' club' where women support other women - but she's putting her beliefs to the test to discover if there is a darker reality to acknowledge.

ART BITES

THE UNMISSABLES
6 x 5 mins
Film Camp Pty Ltd
Producer Samantha Dinning
Executive Producer Philippa Campey
Director / Writer Madeleine Martiniello
Synopsis Three artists confront the challenge of creating a work of public portraiture to reignite the search for those who have disappeared.

STUDIO A
6 X 5 mins
Plum Soda Pty Ltd
Producer Jessica Giacco
Executive Producers Lyn Norfor, Yaara Bou Melhem
Director / Writer Georgia Quinn
Synopsis For six individuals who struggle with mainstream communication, art has become a tool to connect with the world around them while challenging expectations of what people with an intellectual disability can do.

AGAINST THE GRAIN
6 x 5 mins
Arenamedia Pty Ltd
Producers Chloe Brugale, Kate Laurie
Executive Producer Robert Connolly
Director / Writer Santilla Chingaipe
Synopsis Six emerging Australian artists from culturally diverse backgrounds explore belonging.

BIOGENESIS
6 x 5 mins
Blue Forest Media Pty Ltd
Producer Dominique Pratt 
Executive Producer Brendan Hutchens
Director / Writer Steven Hughes
Synopsis Meet a group of ground-breaking biological artists who boldly challenge what we know about nature, our own bodies and life itself, forcing us to reconsider what it means to be alive.

Pitch Australiana

BURLESQUE BOYS
1 x 20 mins
Swag Film Pty Ltd
Director Isaac Elliott
Producer Lucy Knox
Platform Vice.com
Synopsis An observational documentary that follows a group of male erotic entertainers as they go on tour. The documentary strips back the world of male entertainers; introducing the men behind the fantasy and the women who attend. It explores both the gruelling schedules and how the performers navigate consent in-the-moment with female participants.

Out here

ALONE OUT HERE
1 x 22 mins
Biscuit Tin Productions
Producer Mick Elliott, Philip Busfield, Luke Cornish
Executive Producer Dylan Blowen
Director Luke Cornish
Synopsis An observational documentary set in regional NSW that follows gay, fourth-generation farmer Jon Wright. His 22-year commitment to transform his cattle farm into an environmental blueprint for the future demands that he overcome loneliness and a life without children. 

BELONGING
1 x 22 mins
Toyshop Entertainment
Producer Ruby Schmidt
Story Producer Dena Curtis
Executive Producers Noni Hazelhurst, Veronica Fury
Writer Matt Scholten 
Director Matt Scholten
Synopsis Belonging follows 18- year-old LGBTQI+ activist Sam Watson as he takes a road trip from Hobart to north-west Tasmania to examine the impact and influence of gay rights activist Rodney Croome’s public fight for gay law reform, which began in the 1980s and continues today. 

THE RAINBOW PASSAGE
1 x 22 mins
Lasting Kind
Producer Jain Moralee
Writer Cadance Bell
Directors Cadance Bell, Kelli Jean Drinkwater
Synopsis The Rainbow Passage is a story of transformation, love and community. It follows three people becoming the women of their dreams, falling in love, learning from one another and navigating the challenges of emerging womanhood as transgender women living in rural Australia.