Funding Approvals
2023-2024 Documentary PRODUCTION
HEADLINERS
5 x 48 mins
Endemol Shine Australia Pty Ltd
Producer Kate Paul
Executive Producer Penny McWhirter
Synopsis Headliners is a raw, unflinching and insightful ob-doc exposing the lack of visibility, access, and inclusivity for some of Australia’s most talented musicians and performers who live & work in parallel to the established names in the industry but remain invisible, despite their incredible skill and passion.
THE SECRET DNA OF US
4 x 52 mins
Eureka Production Pty Ltd
Executive Producers Josie Mason Campbell, Sophie Meyrick
Synopsis This is the untold story of Australia told through cracking our collective DNA code. This first of-its-kind documentary series will uncover untold history, unknown ethnicity, and new connections through DNA testing entire towns.
ROLE OF A LIFETIME
5 x 48 mins
The Role of a Lifetime Pty Ltd
Directors Sophie Weisner, Hayden Guppy
Producer Sophie Weisner
Series Producer Bev Shroot
Executive Producer Debbie Cuell
Synopsis Role of a Lifetime is an innovative documentary series that explores modern parenting challenges in the face of a rapidly changing world. Featuring Australian performers re-enacting real life parenting scenarios, it combines immersive factual explorations with expert guidance on nurturing resilient, happy children.
SHIPWRECK HUNTERS AUSTRALIA SEASON 2
6 x 45 minutes
Shipwreck Productions Pty Ltd and Shipwreck Hunters One Pty Ltd
Director Brendan Hutchens
Producer Brendan Hutchens
Executive Producer Steve Bibb
Series Producer Russell Vines
Synopsis The fearless ocean adventure team of Ash, Ryan, Nush, Johnny, and Andre is back hunting for shipwrecks and diving deep into incredible stories of survival and devastating tragedies along Western Australia’s ruggedly beautiful Treasure Coast. Produced by VAM Media, Terra Australis Productions and Barking Mad Productions.
THE JURY PROJECT
4 x 54 mins
Northern Pictures Pty Ltd
Director Tosca Looby
Executive Producer Karina Holden
Synopsis We’re told that trial by jury is the best justice available, but is it? In a television first, we are putting the jury system itself on trial, as we re-run a real, complex, close call murder case – word for word – in front of a new jury.
OSHER GUNSBERG: MY JOURNEY BEYOND PAIN
1 x 52 mins
Lune Media Pty Ltd
Writer David Galloway
Executive Producers Ashley Davies, David Galloway, Leonie Lowe
Synopsis In this new documentary My Journey Beyond Pain, presenter Osher Günsberg will spearhead a very personal investigation into the causes of chronic and persistent pain, meet the individuals and families it affects, and reveal what surprising new science, medications and alternative therapies are being used to treat and manage it.
SKIN IN THE GAME
1 x 60 mins
Southern Pictures Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Dena Curtis
Executive Producers Laurie Critchley, Georgia Woodward, Marlee Silva
Synopsis Marlee Silva, proud Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman, emerging media star and rugby league royalty embarks on a deeply personal exploration of the future of Australia’s most loved sport – and what it says about who we are as a nation.
AUSTRALIA: AN UNOFFICIAL HISTORY
3 x 52 mins
Unofficial History Pty Ltd
Directors Chris Eley, Pauline Clague, Ili Baré
Writers Chris Eley, Ili Baré
Producers Jo-anne McGowan, Rebecca Bennett
Synopsis A forgotten vault of films from the 1970s reveals a decade of startling transformation in Australia… a country that had resisted change for so long.
MAGGIE BEER’S BIG MISSION
3 x 57 mins
Artemis Media Pty Ltd
Series Director/Producer Laki Baker
Senior Producer Phillipa Hutchison
Executive Producer Celia Tait
Synopsis Australia’s food icon and national treasure Maggie Beer leads an ambitious social experiment as she attempts to overhaul an aged care home by transforming meals, the dining experience and the surrounds, with the aim of improving the health and joy of the elderly, and the staff.
EAT THE INVADERS
6 x 30 mins
Closer Productions
Writer/Director Matthew Bate
Producers Rebecca Summerton, Sarah Wormald
Synopsis As invasive species cause unprecedented extinctions and devastate our native environment, should we be learning to catch, cook and eat these invaders in order to help save Australia?
TERRA FUTURA
1 x 90 mins, 2 x 60 mins
SAM Content Pty Ltd
Director Annamaria Talas
Writers Mike Bluett, Laurent Lichtenstein, Emilie Martin
Producers Aline Jacques, Sally Aitken, Gaëlle Guyader
Synopsis Come on a big screen journey 25 million years into the future of Planet Earth - where fantastical creatures roam unique new eco-systems long after humans have disappeared. This is Terra Futura, a live concert film exploring evolution and our planet’s cycle of life told for the big screen.
NORTHERN EXPOSURE (WORKING TITLE)
1 x 90 mins
WildBear Entertainment Pty Ltd
Director Kriv Stenders
Writer Matthew Condon
Producers Veronica Fury, Richard Jameson
Executive Producer Alan Erson
Synopsis Looking back at Queensland power and politics.
YURLU | COUNTRY
1 x 90 mins
Illuminate Films Pty Ltd
Director Yaara Bou Melhem
Writers Maitland Parker, Yaara Bou Melhem
Producers Yaara Bou Melhem, Lisa Main
Co-Producers James Saunders, Tom Bannigan
Executive Producers Maitland Parker, Chris Kamen
Synopsis Yurlu | Country follows Banjima elder, Maitland Parker whose final wish is to heal a landscape devastated by mining. The country that once nourished him has now made him terminally ill.
SENTIENT
1 x 90 mins
In Films and Sentient Pictures
Writer/Director Tony Jones
Producers Ivan O’Mahoney
Synopsis Sentient examines the consequences of animal testing – not just for the animals but for the people who do it.
EDGE OF LIFE
1 x 90 mins
Stranger Than Fiction Films Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Lynette Wallworth
Writer Chief Tashka Yawanawa
Producer Jo-anne McGowan
Executive Producers Jennifer Peedom, Lynette Wallworth
Synopsis Two remarkable doctors in Melbourne, using psilocybin to assist patients in palliative care, open a doorway to experiences for which they have no answers. Will their questions lead them to ancient knowledge holders?
SPREADSHEET CHAMPIONS
1 x 85 mins
GoodThing Productions
Director Kristina Kraskov
Producers Charlotte Wheaton, Anna Charalambous, Nick Batzias
Synopsis Students from around the world give it their all in the greatest competition you've never heard of, the Spreadsheet World Championships.
HARD AS PUCK
1 x 90 mins
Forward Media Pty Ltd, Norfolk Pictures Pty Ltd and Cockatoo Co.Lab Pty Ltd
Director Isaac Elliott
Producers Chanel Bowen, Noel Smyth
Executive Producer Rebecca Bignell
Synopsis A group of Para-Ice Hockey players vie for a place on the Australian team. With everything stacked against them as individuals and the sport itself, nothing will stop these athletes from showing up on game day.
WE ARE JENI
1 x 100 mins
Smith&Nasht
Directors Mariel Thomas, Akhim Dev
Producer Simon Nasht
Executive Producer Sara Kozak
Synopsis 2500 personalities inhabit the mind of one little girl. It will take her 40 years to be believed and find justice.
MOCKBUSTER
1 x 90 mins
Walking Fish Productions and Mostly True Media
Director Anthony Frith
Writers Anthony Frith, Sandy Cameron
Producers David Elliot-Jones, Sandy Cameron, Naomi Ball
Synopsis A struggling filmmaker’s chance at redemption collides with chaos and compromise as he navigates the eccentric world of notorious Sharknado production house, The Asylum.
PHENOMENA
1 x 90 mins
Mashup Pictures Pty Ltd and Gatti Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Josef Gatti
Co-Writer Joseph Nizeti
Producers Rob Innes, Josef Gatti
Co-Producer Niraj Lal
Executive Producer Jessica Harrop
Synopsis The story of the universe is visible all around us, written in the patterns of nature.
UNTITLED MENTAL AS ANYTHING DOCUMENTARY
1 x 90 mins
Beyond Entertainment Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Matthew Walker
Producers Carolina Sorensen, Susanne Morrison
Executive Producer Frank Chidiac, Martin Fabinyi
Synopsis The extraordinary rise of iconic Australian band Mental As Anything through their infectious pop sound and creative journey that has left an indelible mark on Australia’s music and art celebrating suburban Australia.
QUEENS OF CONCRETE
1 x 100 mins
Concrete Dreams Pty Ltd
Director Eliza Cox
Producers Eliza Cox, Gena Riess, Oscar Ascencio, CJ Welsh
Executive Producer Anna Kaplan
Synopsis Three Australian girls seek the ultimate success in the world of competitive skateboarding while sliding into an adolescence without handrails. Shot over seven years, this coming-of-age documentary chronicles the journey from childhood to adulthood and the moments that define us.
MAKE IT LOOK REAL
1 x 78 mins
Staple Fiction Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Kate Blackmore
Producers Bethany Bruce, Daniel Joyce
Executive Producers Bridget Ikin, Emma Cooper
Synopsis Intimacy coordinator Claire Warden guides actors through sex scenes on a film set, negotiating the vision of a director, the physical and psychological needs of the performers, and a documentary crew filming her every move.
GUARDIANS OF THE RIVER
1 x 90 mins
Walking Fish Productions Pty Ltd
Writer/Directors Lachlan McLeod, Matasila Freshwater
Producers Kerry Warkia, David Elliot-Jones, Maria Tanner, Emmanuel Peni
Executive Producer Chris Kamen
Synopsis When an enormous mine threatens the Sepik River, Papua New Guinean activist Manu Peni and his people launch an urgent mission to protect the waterway, by recognising the river’s own Right to Life.
SECOND TO NONE
3 x 40 mins
Sweetshop & Green
Directors Renée Mao, Sonia Dauger
Producers Gal Greenspan, Fabrice Estève, Alice Burgin
Synopsis After years of riding in the shadow of men, one team of incredible female athletes must band together, overcome the lows, ride the highs to show the world that no mountains are high enough.
WHEN THE FRONT FELL OFF
1 x 90 mins
Retaining Wall Productions Pty Ltd
Director Lorin Clarke
Producer Richard Keddie
Synopsis An intimate tribute to the life and work of one of the world’s greatest satirists, John Clarke, told through the eyes of his daughter, Lorin.
SAND ROADS
1 x 90 mins
Emerald Films Pty Ltd & Invisible Republic Pty Ltd
Directors Gabriele Gianni, Lorenzo Conte
Writers Gabriele Gianni, Lorenzo Conte, Vittoria Pasquini
Producers Michael Wrenn, Sally Browning, Alessandro Borrelli
Synopsis Sand Roads is a journey told in two chapters - one filled with the spirit of youth; the other imbued with the weight of adulthood - showing the eternal struggle for self-discovery, adventure and how friendships can transcend life itself.
THE IRON WINTER
1 x 90 mins
Winter Herd Film Pty Ltd
Director Kasimir Burgess
Writers Kasimir Burgess, Ed Cavanough
Producers Chris Kamen, Morgan Wright, Ben Golotta, Enebish Sengemugaa
Synopsis Four herders revive Mongolia’s most dangerous winter ritual in a last-ditch attempt to save their community's ancient way of life.
THE KIMBERLEY
3 x 58 mins
Wildpacific Media Pty Ltd
Directors Nick Robinson
Writers Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers, Mark Coles Smith
Producers Nick Robinson, Electra Manikakis, Peta Ayers, Mark Coles Smith
Synopsis The Kimberley is a land that defies time - a vast biodiversity wonderland and refuge for countless species. Experience a year in the lives of the fascinating animals that call The Kimberley home, and follow traditional owners and ecologists as they fight to protect the incredible biodiversity of the region.
THE COLLEANO HEART
1 x 90 mins
WildBear Entertainment Pty Ltd
Director Pauline Clague
Writers Pauline Clague, Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe
Producer Bettina Dalton
Executive Producers Alan Erson, Michael Tear
Synopsis Through the wisdom of their Aboriginal matriarch, the Colleano family outmanoeuvred 1900’s oppression and racism to rise to the highest echelons of international circus stardom, at the expense of concealing their Indigenous identity. Becoming part of the Hidden Generation - their descendants are compelled to peel back the layers of secrecy to reveal their true origins.
WELCOME TO YIDDISHLAND
1 x 90 mins
Racing Pulse Productions Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Ros Horin
Producer Jeff Daniels
Synopsis A feature-length observational documentary about a global movement of artists as they revive the ancient and endangered Yiddish language, to share an inclusive and progressive understanding of their world.
DEEPER
1 x 90 mins
Stranger Than Fiction Films Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Jennifer Peedom
Producer Blayke Hoffman
Executive Producers Sarah Noonan, Jo-anne McGowan
Synopsis In a remote cave system in New Zealand, two friends risk it all to pursue a dangerous obsession.
FLOODLAND
1 x 80 mins
Sweetshop & Green
Writer/Director Jordan Giusti
Co-Writer Joseph Nizeti
Producers Gal Greenspan, Rachel Forbes
Executive Producer Alice Burgin
Synopsis A town that prides itself on its resilience in the face of persistent flooding is shattered by the most expensive climate disaster in Australia’s history. It’s a time of hard truths and difficult decisions for those who call Lismore home - and a cautionary tale for a changing world.
THE MUSICAL MIND A PORTRAIT IN PROCESS
1 x 83 mins
Musical Mind Pty Ltd
Director Scott Hicks
Writer Scott Hicks, Jett Heysen-Hicks
Producer Kerry Heysen
Co-Producer Jett Heysen-Hicks
Executive Producers David Chiem, Mikael Borglund
Synopsis Inspired by the 25th anniversary of his movie Shine, director Scott Hicks explores the creative process of four elite international musicians, with unprecedented access to their private worlds. The film celebrates how each neuro-atypical artist expresses their unique creativity, power and pain of their art with passion, emotion and humour.
JOURNEY HOME – DAVID GULPILIL
1 x 94 mins
Savage Films, Brindle Films & Savage Films NT
Writer/Directors Maggie Miles, Trisha Morton-Thomas
Producers Trisha Morton-Thomas, Rachel Clements, Jida Gulpilil, Maggie Miles
Executive Producer Witiyana Marika
Associate Producer Cathy Gallagher
Synopsis David Gulpilil was a proud Yolngu man and one of Australia's finest actors. When he passed away in South Australia his family made a promise to return him to his Homeland, 4,500 kilometres north in the Arafura Swamp. This was an extraordinary logistical mission where Yolngu songlines were performed every step of the way to safely guide him home. This final chapter of David Gulpilil’s remarkable life is a story of triumph, of the enduring love of family, and a vital expression of one of the world’s oldest living cultures.