Funding Approvals
2025-2026 Documentary Production
-
DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION FUND
THE HUNT FOR THE LAST NAZIS
80 mins
HIDDEN IN VIEW PTY LTD
Genre Documentary
Director Dan Goldberg
Writers Dan Goldberg, David Roach
Producers Danny Ben-Moshe, Dan Goldberg
Executive Producers Craig Graham
Broadcaster SBS
International Sales Abacus Media Rights
Synopsis With exclusive access to never-seen-before classified government files and explosive video and audio recordings, this is the scandalous story of how thousands of alleged Nazi war criminals hid in Australia after WWII and managed to evade justice – despite a government-sanctioned Special Investigations Unit desperate to prosecute them.
TESTIMONY
84 mins
Closer Films Pty Ltd
Genre Environment & Social Issues
Director Maya Newell
Writers Paul Kabai, Pariala Sedrick Waia, Pabai Pabai, Dr Togiab McRose Elu
Producers Maya Newell, Larissa Behrendt, Sophie Hyde, Alex Kelly, Lisa Sherrard
Executive Producers Dr Togiab McRose Elu, Deanne Weir
Synopsis As the climate emergency rises before them, Torres Strait Islanders too rise up, suing the government for failing to prevent climate harm. While the court can only hold part of the story, we dance, remember, and dream of possible futures with Saibai and her people. This film is their testimony.
UNTITLED WILD PACIFIC MEDIA PRODUCTION
3 x 52 mins
CROC KINGDOM SPV PTY LTD
Genre Natural History
Director Nick Robinson
Writers Mark Coles Smith, Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers
Producers Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers
Executive Producers Electra Manikakis
Synopsis Over one dramatic year on a wild Australian river, the secret lives of saltwater crocodiles are revealed - from fierce rivalries to unexpected alliances - as they navigate a rich ecosystem teeming with wallabies, dingoes, sea eagles, and more.
TELL ME NO LIES: THE REAL JOHN PILGER
90 mins
Shipton House Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Chris Martin
Writers Chris Martin, Gabriel Shipton
Producers Tom Brisley, Gabriel Shipton
Synopsis Tell Me No Lies: The Real John Pilger tells the definitive story of one of the world’s most celebrated and controversial foreign correspondents, who made over 60 films and broke high-profile stories from Cambodia to Palestine. The film charts his journey from Bondi Beach to the forefront of international journalism, exploring both his glittering career and the constant battles with authority that defined him.
ROLF HARRIS: PRIMETIME PREDATOR
2 x 52 mins
Northern Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Nick Sweeney
Producers Kerri Ritchie
Executive Producers Karina Holden, John Smithson
Synopsis For the first time, Australia reckons with its own #MeToo moment through the lens of a national icon, revealing how celebrity, nostalgia, and unchecked power allowed an abuser to thrive for decades.
ARRERNTE BOXING: A COMMUNITYS FIGHT
90 mins
NORA & RED DOG PRODUCTIONS
Genre Documentary
Director Trisha Morton-Thomas
Writer/Producer Bridget May
Executive Producers Jason Lord, Shaun Miller
Synopsis Arrernte Boxing: A Community’s Fight follows Jason Lord, an Arrernte man whose boxing academy offers discipline, belonging, and hope to young people growing up in Central Australia. Through intimate observation and lived moments, the film reveals how routine, care, and community can change lives, keeping kids out of jail and giving them a future worth fighting for.
THE MAN WHO ATE A SUCCULENT CHINESE MEAL
90 mins
Harrand Pty Ltd t/a Kicking Television
Genre Documentary
Director Heath Davis
Producers Heath Davis, Tim Randall, Jonathan Page, Ruth Harrison
Executive Producer David Elliot-Jones
Synopsis The untold, shocking life story of the man who became an Australian and global icon after his theatrical arrest while eating a “succulent Chinese meal”.
DANCE FOR YOUR LIFE
100 mins
Dance Documentary Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Writer/Director Luke Cornish
Producer Jade Barnes
Executive Producer David Alrich
Local Distributor Mushroom Entertainment
International Distributor Perpetual Entertainment Rights
Synopsis A group of Australia’s best dancers travel to London to audition for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to join a visionary new international dance company by world-renowned choreographer Dean Lee.
WE ARE THE ONES
90 mins
Walking Fish Rights Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Lachlan McLeod
Producers Naomi Ball, Lachlan McLeod
Executive Producers David Elliot-Jones, Sean Kenny, Tom Richardson
Synopsis With an unwavering message to deliver, the world’s largest accessible choir prepare for their most ambitious act to date: An original concert accompanied by Australia’s premier orchestra.
SHAUN MICALLEF'S GOING FOR BROKE
3 x 56 mins
CJZ
Genre Documentary
Director Sophie Meyrick
Writers Shaun Micallef & Anthony Griffis
Producer Anthony Griffis
Executive Producers Andrew Farrell, Paula Bycroft, Shaun Micallef
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis Shaun Micallef investigates Australia’s tumultuous love affair with gambling, tracing how a national pastime became a 32-billion-dollar industry and asking how we became the world’s biggest losers and what this rapid expansion means for our future.
OUTBACK TERROR: THE FALCONIO MURDER
2 x 44 mins
OUTBACK SEARCH PTY LTD
Genre Documentary
Producers Julia Redwood, Charlotte Hobson, Emma Wilkes
Executive Producer Julia Redwood
Broadcaster UKTV, Channel 9
International Sales Sphere Abacus
Synopsis Outback Terror: The Falconio Murder is a two-part true crime documentary revisiting the 2001 outback killing of British backpacker Peter Falconio, and Joanne Lees’ dramatic survival. Nearly 25 years on, the series re-examines the investigation, conviction of Bradley John Murdoch, and the enduring mystery of Peter’s missing body.
UNTITLED CJZ DOCUMENTARY
60 mins
CJZ Pty Ltd
Genre Sport, History
Director Damian Davis
Writers Damian Davis, Nick Price
Producer Nick Price
Executive Producers Damian Davis, Sarah Douglas
Broadcaster SBS
International Sales Cordell Jigsaw Distribution Pty Ltd
Synopsis Untitled CJZ Documentary explores how football became a defining symbol of modern multicultural Australia, tracing its journey from a sidelined sport to a central part of the nation’s identity. Using archival footage and interviews with high-profile footballers and well-known Australians.
THE WOMBAT GUY
24 x 8 mins
Five Storey Films
Genre Natural History, Adventure
Director Tahnee McGuire
Writers Tahnee McGuire, Emma Sargent, Rebecca McElroy, Anna Jeffries
Producers Emma Sargent, Rebecca McElroy, Anna Jeffries, Jenine Olliver
Executive Producers Jason Behan, Tom Powers
International Sales Apocalypso
Synopsis Shiftworking "sparky" and passionate wildlife rescuer Josh Neille and his family share their home with a lively ensemble of native Australian animals - nurturing every unique wildlife/animal character through recovery to release.
SALTWATER COWBOYS OF SHARK BAY
6 x 30 mins
Metamorflix Pty Ltd and SW Cowboys Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Kimberley Benjamin, Gary Hamaguchi
Writers Renée Kennedy, Nathan Gibbs, Karla Hart
Producers Karla Hart, Nathan Gibbs, Shari Hutchison
Executive Producer Renée Kennedy
Broadcaster NITV
International Sales Orange Smarty
Synopsis The Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay battle to keep their fledgling fishing business alive navigating shark-infested waters, equipment failures and community tensions, as CEO Michael Wear grapples with his bold expansion dreams and the day-to-day dilemmas of his loyal but overloaded crew.
UNTITLED LUNE PROJECT
3 x 46 mins
Lune Media Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Jodi Boylan
Writer David Galloway
Executive Producers Jodi Boylan, David Galloway, Leonie Lowe
Synopsis This three-part series takes a deep dive into the impact of ultra-processed foods.
TINA ARENA: UNRAVEL ME
90 mins
Helium Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Adrian Russell Wills
Writer/Producer Jessica Carrera
Executive Producer Mark Fennessey
Broadcaster Network 7
Synopsis A cinematic portrait of Italian Australian pop icon Tina Arena, unravelling five extraordinary decades devoted to music.
RAY MARTIN IS MISINFORMED
3 x 60 mins
BBC Studios Productions Australia Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Benjamin Jones
Writers Ray Martin, Sky Kinninmont
Executive Producers Sky Kinninmont, Deborah Spinocchia
Broadcaster SBS
Synopsis Legendary Journalist, Ray Martin, immerses himself in the worlds of next-generation news breakers and content creators to understand our increasingly fragile relationship with information, truth and trust in today’s world.
HOWZAT! THE STORY OF SHERBET
90 mins
Beyond Productions
Genre Music
Director Paul Clarke
Writers Paul Clarke, Angela Downing
Producer Angela Downing
Executive Producer Mikael Borglund
International Sales Bonsai Films Pty Ltd
Synopsis One worldwide hit, inches away from international superstardom, Sherbet are probably our greatest ever pop band. Howzat! The Story of Sherbet chronicles the rise and fall of Sherbet, on the 50th anniversary of their #1 hit ‘Howzat!’
ATOMIC PARADISE
90 mins
SAM Content Pty Ltd
Genre History, Culture
Writer/Director John Harvey
Producers Sally Aitken, John Harvey
Executive Producer Aline Jacques
Local Distributor Umbrella Distribution
Synopsis Atomic Paradise is a bold and unflinching feature documentary reclaiming the Pacific’s nuclear testing history through a global First Nations lens - a cinematic experience, fusing iconic archival footage with searing firsthand testimony, the film exposes one of humanity’s most reckless experiments—and reframes it in a new and prophetic light.
TASTES OF AFRICA
3 x 15 mins
Blacksand Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Rendah Haj
Writers Santilla Chingaipe, Kauthar Abdulalim, Rendah Haj
Producer Kauthar Abdulalim
Executive Producer John Gregory
Synopsis Santilla Chingaipe’s quest to host the ultimate dinner party takes her deep into Melbourne’s African food scene where aunties, friends, and flavour unlock stories of kingdoms, colonisation, migration, and the constant search for belonging.
EMPIRE IN COLOUR
4 x 52 mins
EIC SPV Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Directors John Harvey, Ernest Webb
Producers Jo-anne McGowan, Catherine Bainbridge
Executive Producers Jennifer Peedom, Sarah Noonan
Broadcaster SBS
International Sales Fremantle
Synopsis Empire In Colour is a four-part series using newly colourised archival footage to explore the lasting impact of the British Empire and prompt an honest reckoning with its legacy.
HOMELESS 300
3 x 52 mins
Smashing Films Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Anthony Barwell
Writers Anthony Barwell, Matthew O’Donnell
Producer Matthew O’Donnell
Executive Producers Daniel Brown, Sophie Meyrick
Broadcaster SBS
International Sales Marmalade Sky TV
Synopsis Every day close to 300 Australians are turned away from Homeless services. One of Australia’s most beloved personalities is on a mission to help them.
TAMPA: THE SHIP THAT TURNED THE TIDE
3 x 46 mins
Mint Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Documentary
Director Kriv Stenders
Writers Deb Richards, Ilona Bare
Producers Dan Goldberg, Ilona Bare
Executive Producer Craig Graham
Broadcaster ABC
International Sales ABC Commercial
Synopsis On its 25th anniversary, the explosive story of the 2001 Tampa crisis and its global impact still playing out to this day.