Indigenous programs
Documentary

The Indigenous Department seeks to provide emerging and experienced practitioners with the opportunity to create appropriate written and/or visual materials to ensure that projects are as strong as possible when competing for production finance.

Emerging Indigenous producers are encouraged to apply.

Development funding is for the development of a more detailed outline, treatment and/or script for one-off documentaries or documentary series, including, where appropriate, script and project development, research, securing production financing and, in some instances, for preliminary shooting.

Production and post-production funding typically provides documentary production investment in collaboration with broadcasters or other funding entities through joint initiatives. Funding is for production and/or post-production of one-off documentaries or documentary series. This program is designed to complete the film, not to fund a stage of production.

Special initiatives

Call to Country is the Indigenous Department's latest National Indigenous Documentary Fund (NIDF) initiative. In association with the ABC, and led by award-winning filmmaker Beck Cole, Call to Country will provide opportunities for passionate, emerging Indigenous documentary filmmakers to dig beneath the surface and uncover a slice of Indigenous life never before represented on our screens.

Past programs and projects

The Indigenous Branch was launched by the AFC in 1993 to promote the quality and diversity of Indigenous films and develop a wider audience for films written, directed and produced by Indgenous Australians. Over the years the Unit has carefully developed groups of Indigenous filmmakers through a sequence of drama series co-funded with state agencies and broadcasters and the National Indigenous Documentary Fund (NIDF).

Transferring to Screen Australia and becoming the Indigenous Department in 2008 we continue to support the voices, visions and stories of Indigenous filmmakers.

Browse through past Indigenous Department documentary programs.