From West Africa to the Outback

20 April 2016 By Screen Australia

New TV documentary projects share in more than $1.4 million of funding.

The Surgery Ship

Screen Australia has allocated more than $1.4 million of funding under its Documentary Broadcast Program to a range of exciting new projects. Designed to support the production of a diverse range of quality documentaries for television broadcast, the Documentary Broadcast Program is especially for projects that have clear and enduring cultural value beyond the initial broadcast.

“We’re really pleased to support this strong slate of projects from high quality Australian story tellers,” said Liz Stevens, Senior Manager, Documentary at Screen Australia.

“Most of these documentaries come with solid international finance attached which gives both Australian and international audiences a chance to broaden their understanding of the world through this diverse group of programs.”

Successful projects in this round of funding include (amongst others):

Media Stockade’s The Surgery Ship Series is an eight-part documentary for National Geographic and SBS. Taking place on a ship over the course of a year, a team of medics face life or death decisions to help thousands of patients.
For National Geographic and from Jade Productions is Jade’s Quest, an extraordinary journey to the top of the world with an unassuming 14-year-old who sets out to inspire young girls to chase their dreams, no matter how impossible her own might seem.
Through the eyes of those who devote their lives to the land, Northern Pictures’ Outback is a three-part series for the Nine Network that gives a deep insight into the elemental power of nature and its dramatic extremes.
Prospero Production’s Islands of Oz is a three-part documentary series for Channel Seven that follows acclaimed actor and comedian Martin Clunes as he explores the most diverse, intriguing, remote and spectacular islands that surround Australia.

The Documentary Broadcast Program was established following the documentary guidelines review in 2015, allocating notional funding for domestic broadcasters to support projects that offer compelling vision with cultural resonance beyond broadcast.