Spotlight on First Nations voices

ARAATIKA: RISE UP! follows NRL star Dean Widders’ journey to invent a new pre-game ceremony in response to the Maori Haka, to celebrate Aboriginal cultures and counter racism in rugby league.

A feature documentary about opera singer Tiriki Onus who finds a 70-year-old silent film believed to be made by his grandfather, Aboriginal leader and filmmaker Bill Onus. As Tiriki travels across the continent and pieces together clues to the film’s origins, he discovers more about Bill, his fight for Aboriginal rights and the price he paid for speaking out.

After the Apology

2017 - Completed

It shocks many people to learn that the number of Aboriginal children being removed today by welfare agencies is much higher than during the time of the Stolen Generations. After the Apology is a landmark documentary exploring the continued practice of child removal and the community response. Grandmothers Against Removal are fighting back and bringing the children home.

Alick and Albert

ALICK AND ALBERT explores the intersection of art, science and nature. At an exhibition of Torres Strait art in Monaco, artist-activist, Alick Tipoti, invites Prince Albert of Monaco to Badu Island. To Alick's surprise, Albert accepts the invitation but it takes some years before he is able to visit Badu with a delegation from the Monaco Oceanographic Museum. Albert stays at the local motel, goes reef diving with Alick, meets with artists and talks with Elders. The two friends reflect on the similarities of their tiny communities, worlds apart but interconnected by the ocean. They agree to raise awareness about the global tsunami of plastic pollution and rising sea levels facing the Torres Strait.

Between Two Lines

When two WWI enemy soldiers become stranded in No Man’s land, an unlikely bond is formed. Will they still be able to pull the trigger if the time came? Or will their bond be the very thing to save their lives?

Black Comedy series 4

The fourth series of BLACK COMEDY will continue an acerbic, witty and altogether unapologetic comedic exploration of what it means to be black in contemporary Australia. The sketch comedy show is written and performed by some of the sharpest and funniest blackfellas in the country who carve up sacred cows, dismantle stereotypes, and turn modern Australian culture inside out.

Black Divaz

BLACK DIVAZ goes beyond the glitz, glue guns and glamour of black drag to reveal a fun, fabulous and sometimes fearful place. A sassy, intimate portrait of what it means to be an Indigenous Drag Queen today.

Black Man's Houses

1993 - Completed

Since the Tasmanian Aborigines were declared extinct in 1876 the survivors have lived with the denial of their existence. Their search for ancestral graves on tiny Flinders Island, the site of a disastrous colonial experiment, prompts a new assessment of white racism and black resistance. In exploring the cultural renaissance in Tasmania and challenging the notion that 'only black-skinned people are real Aborigines' the film relates to many post-colonial societies.

Blue Water Empire

A dramatised documentary series on the unique and astonishing history of the Torres Strait Islands.

Boxing For Palm Island

2010 - Completed

There is a new generation of warriors coming out of Palm Island, a place with a dark history and a less than stellar reputation. A new era of hope, strength and courage is about to show the world that the kids from Palm Island are fighting back and have the makings of champions. This group of boxers are defying stereotypes and taking the future into their own hands with the help and support of Uncle Ray – the man who has brought boxing back to Palm Island.

Carry The Flag

2017 - Completed

There is a rich and powerful story stitched into a few pieces of coloured fabric of a man whose design created meaning for a nation of people once invisible to the mainland of Australia. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Torres Strait Islander Flag as we journey into the Straits with Bala B to uncover and honour the life and times of his late father – Bernard Namok Senior, the flag’s creator.

Coniston

2012 - Completed

In 1928, following the murder of a white dingo trapper, central Australia would witness the last known massacre of its Indigenous people. With over one hundred killed during a series of punitive expeditions, those who survived fled far and wide from the massacre sites. Denied a voice at the official inquiry and dislocated from their lands, the survivors passed down the story of this bloody episode to their children and grandchildren.

Dark Place

SHOCK TREATMENT is a collection of short horror films that brings together the next generation of Aboriginal writer/directors in a genre that is equal parts gore, schlock and gruesome. But the scariest moments are not just on screen, with all filmmakers having something unsettling to say about the plight of Aboriginal people in post colonial Australia.

Doug the Human

A man wakes up on an isolated beach, he doesn't know how he got there. On the beach is a black, female mannequin. The mannequin is an avatar used by an alien to communicate with the man. The alien has kidnapped the human and turned him into a pet. The "beach" is actually an enclosure in which he cannot escape. The alien names the human "Doug" and this is his new life. Like all good pet stories, Doug is loved at first but then starts to be neglected as the alien's life gets too busy!!

Elders

Two Elders feel that their grandson is old enough to start learning vitally important lessons that will equip him with the necessary tools to maintain the future survival of his culture. His classroom is the expansive country of his ancestors. But is he ready for the challenge that is placed before him, and will he know what to do when the time comes?

Finding Jedda

Two girls go head to head for the role of a lifetime.

Firestarter - The Story of Bangarra

Firestarter marks the 30th anniversary of Australia’s most iconic performing arts company: Bangarra Dance Theatre. Told through the personal family story of its celebrated and longstanding artistic director, Stephen Page.

First Australians

2008 - Completed

Produced by Australia's finest Aboriginal filmmakers, this astonishing series chronicles the birth of a country and the collision of two worlds. It's an epic story that comes alive through the struggles of individuals, both black and white. Beautifully filmed, the series melds landscape, art, interviews and first-hand accounts with a vast archival collection to present the birth of contemporary Australia as never seen before, from the perspective of its first people: the first Australians.

First Weapons

A journey to discover the genius of the world’s oldest, most innovative and deadliest weapons.

Her Name is Nanny Nellie

A trio of nameless statues buried in the archives of the Australian Museum trigger a granddaughter’s journey to rewrite how Aboriginal people are represented in Australia’s public history.

History Bites Back

Aboriginal filmmaker Trisha Morton-Thomas teams up again with Comedy Director/Writer, Craig Anderson and some of Australia’s freshest comedic talent to bite back at negative social media comments and steer the conversation to look into the historical context of the fortunes and misfortunes of Aboriginal Australians from social security, citizenship and equal wages to nuclear bombs and civil actions.

Incarceration Nation

2022 Logie Award Winner for Most Outstanding Documentary and BronzeLens Winner Best Documentary, INCARCERATION NATION tells the tragic story of the systemic injustice and oppression of Aboriginal people in their own lands at the hands of our justice system.

Jandamarra's War

2010 - Completed

In the pantheon of Australian outlaw heroes there are no Aborigines. The time has come to add the name of Jandamarra. Jandamarra's War is the story of an Aboriginal warrior who led one of the most effective rebellions in the history of Indigenous peoples' resistance to European colonisation. The one time friend of the white station owners, Jandamarra, a Bunuba warrior of West Kimberley turns against the invading pastoralists to defend his land and culture from decimation, his tactics of retaliation bring him admiration from his own and retribution from the colonists, writing his name into the history books as one of Australia's unsung outlaws.

Kindred

KINDRED explores the importance of discovering your place in the world, a visual journey into the complexities of family, self-love, isolation and belonging and in realising that home and love truly can be found in the people and places that your heart connects to.

Larapinta

LARAPINTA is oldest river in the world and home to the oldest continuing culture. The series looks at its past, present and future and what it can tell us about culture and our environment.

Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky

A songline for 21st century Australia – a fresh look at the Cook legend from a First Nations’ perspective – the songline tells of connection to country, resistance and survival and features the cheeky, acerbic and heartfelt showman – Steven Oliver and a host of outstanding Indigenous singer/songwriters.

Maralinga Tjarutja

When the dust settles, culture remains…The Maralinga people survive and, through their tenacious spirit and cultural strength, fight to retain their country.

My Name is Gulpilil

Early in 2017, legendary Australian actor David Gulpilil was diagnosed with lung cancer. His doctors estimated six months for him but David, being David, was always likely to defy the odds. And he continues to do so with probably his last great work, My Name is Gulpilil. For the first time, it's all Gulpilil, his story, in his words. He takes us boldly on the journey that is his most extraordinary, culture-clashing life.

Mystery Road series 2

Detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen) take on a grisly case in a new town in order to be closer to his family, but has he left it too late? Set in a small coastal community where the desert meets the ocean, secrets past and present run deep and dark. Jay must reconcile the law and deep lore and confront a dangerous enemy in a world where deception is king.

Mystery Road: Origin

It's 1999, and Constable Jay Swan, a charismatic young officer arrives at his new station. Fresh from the city and tipped for big things, Jay might be the new copper, but he's not new to this town. His estranged father Jack lives here, as does the woman who will change his life forever, Mary.

No Way to Forget

1996 - Completed

NO WAY TO FORGET is based on Richard Frankland's experiences as a field officer during the 1988 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The Royal Commission investigated the deaths of 99 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders held in police custody throughout Australia.

Occupation: Native

2017 - Completed

In this country, the Aboriginal story is often buried deep beneath the accepted 247-year Australian historical narrative. It’s not that the Australian story is wrong, it’s just that it’s a wee bit one sided. Getting all historical, Aboriginal filmmaker Trisha Morton-Thomas, bites back at Australian history.

Off Country

OFF COUNTRY is a candid documentary series which follows the lives of seven Indigenous students over a year at the prestigious Geelong Grammar School, grappling with family tragedy, mental health and identity issues.

Our Law series 1

Could Indigenous police officers be the ultimate front-line in changing police culture and building trust with Aboriginal peoples?

Our Law series 2

OUR LAW: AUSTRALIA expands nationwide with its unique brand of intimate and candid access to First Nations police officers, recruits, and cadets as they attempt to break the cycle of Indigenous incarceration and repair deeply troubled Aboriginal-police relationships, while giving a rightful voice to the First Nations communities being policed.

Rebel With a Cause

BLAK PORTRAITS celebrates the personal journeys of four outstanding First Nations trailblazers from Queensland, who against the odds created amazing pathways for future generations.

Servant or Slave

2015 - Completed

Servant or Slave follows the lives of five Aboriginal women who were stolen from their families and trained to be domestic servants. With the government exercising complete control over their wages, many thousands of Aboriginal girls and boys were effectively condemned to a treadmill of abuse, from which there was little hope of escape.

She Who Must Be Loved

She Who Must Be Loved is a documentary that tells the epic life story of Alfreda Glynn – 78 year old Aboriginal woman, stills photographer, co founder of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA), and Imparja TV, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, radical, pacifist, grumpy old woman, who in equal measure loves the limelight and total privacy.

Still We Rise

In 1972, activists erect an Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns opposite Parliament House - fifty years on, this all archive documentary takes a bold dive into a year of protest and revolutionary change for First Nations people.

Sweet As

Some journeys last a lifetime.

Sweet Country

A period western set on the Northern Territory frontier where justice is put on trial.

The Australian Dream

The Australian Dream is a theatrical feature documentary that uses the remarkable and inspirational story of AFL legend Adam Goodes as the prism through which to tell a deeper and more powerful story about race, identity and belonging.

The Beach

Film maker, Warwick Thornton’s international success has come at a personal cost. He has reached a crossroad in his life and something has to change. He has chosen to try giving up life in the fast lane for a while, to go it alone, on an isolated beach in one of the most beautiful yet brutal environments in the world, to see if he can transform and heal his life.

The Dark Emu Story

A thought-provoking documentary that charts the impact of Bruce Pascoe's DARK EMU - the book that challenged Australia to rethink its history and ignited a debate that continues to rage.

The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson

In the Snowy Mountains, Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned. A searing reimagining of Leah Purcell's play and Henry Lawson's classic short story.

The First Inventors

Rob Collins investigates the innovations, knowledge systems and science of Indigenous Australia.

The Heights series 2

The Heights is a ‘slice of life’ serialised drama that explores the relationships, work lives and everyday challenges faced by six families living in an inner-city social housing tower and the leafy surrounding streets of Arcadia Heights.

The Intervention

2008 - Completed

THE INTERVENTION examines the process of the federal intervention taking place in Indigenous communities in the Katherine region in the Northern Territory in the name of neglected and abused children.

The Moogai

An Aboriginal psychological horror, THE MOOGAI is the story of a family terrorised by a child-stealing spirit.

The New Boy

Depicts the mesmeric story of a 9-year-old Aboriginal orphan boy who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun.

The Redfern Story

2013 - Completed

A small group of passionate, determined visionaries pioneered Redfern's National Black Theatre at a politically volatile time in our history, transforming Australian culture and politics forever.

The Tall Man

2011 - Completed

This is the story of Palm Island, the tropical paradise where one morning Cameron Doomadgee swore at a policeman and forty-five minutes later lay dead in a watch house cell. This is also the story of that policeman, the tall enigmatic Christopher Hurley who chose to work in some of the toughest and wildest places in Australia and the struggle to bring him to trial. THE TALL MAN is a story in luminous detail of two worlds clashing - and a haunting moral puzzle that no viewer will forget.

Total Control series 1

An unlikely national hero, Alex is catapulted into government in a cynical power play. Used, abandoned and underestimated, now she's on a path that will send the political establishment into meltdown.

Total Control series 2

Alex Irving is back, but this time she’s doing things her way. Can the ultimate outsider find a new way in and take control of a political establishment determined to shake everything she values?

Total Control series 3

2024 - Completed

It’s been two years since the explosive events of the second season and outsider turned kingmaker, Alex Irving, is completely at home in the nation’s capital. But what she’s about to discover will test her like never before.

Transblack

Following the day-to-day lives of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island transgender men and women; this is the story of how they changed the perceptions of themselves and those closest to them. So, what happens after you ‘come out’?

Truth Be Told: Lest We Forget

Descendants of Aboriginal soldiers who fought as part of the WW1 Palestine campaign were amongst the hundreds of Australians who, in October 2017, gathered in Israel to mark the 100 year anniversary of the legendary battle of Beersheba. Truth Be Told: Lest We Forget, journey's with some of these descendants to explore why this was such an important event.

Unheard

An investigative documentary into racial injustice in Australia.

We Are Still Here

WE ARE STILL HERE is a multi-protagonist drama film where eight Indigenous heroes from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific must overcome obstacles in their way so they can finally be masters of their own destiny.

Who Killed Malcolm Smith?

1992 - Completed

This is the true story of Malcolm Charles Smith who, like many Aboriginal people, was taken from his family as a child and died a shocking and early death after a life of institutionalisation and deprivation. In this documentary Richard Frankland, who helped investigate his death for the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, revisits Smith's friends and family who tell the story of Malcolm's life and death.

Wik vs Queensland

In 1996 The High Court of Australia granted native title co-existence rights to the Wik Peoples of Cape York. The “Wik Decision” should have been a catalyst for positive change, but instead sparked a national cultural and political fallout. With unique access to never-before screened footage of a young Noel Pearson and Marcia Langton, this uncompromising feature documentary forensically explores the racism, fearmongering and political manoeuvring that occurred in the lead up to the case, and its aftermath. Told from the very personal Wik Peoples' perspective, Wik vs Queensland causes us to question who we are as a nation today.

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