Screen Australia has announced its latest documentary fundraising. Thirty documents share $2.5 million across production and development.
Slate features iconic Australian social portraits and several social impact documentaries, including Jimmy Burns, George Miller, Henrietta Marley and Ken.
According to the head of Screen Australia’s documentary Richard Huddleston, they are “a wide, eclectic, moving set of films,” which ranges from Mount Isa to Ecuador.
“I will never surprise me with the diversity and scope of stories that the documentary community seems to look to us to fund,” he says.
“Australian documentary filmmakers, we are not only telling stories about Australian life and our world, but our tentacles flow around the world. We currently have filmmakers in Antarctica.
Read in-depth interview with Richard Huddleston about the documentary and the landscape of the new fundraising guidelines.
One of the stories that traverse the continent is the axis of impersonation of Princess Pictures. It depicts how Australia-based Kim Jong Unplanator worked with Vladimir Putin’s impersonators to rescue the impersonators of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
“This strange, satirical, almost black mirror episode continues,” says Huddleston.
“It has dark humor, but in the end, like a documentary, it spans so many different worlds. It’s geopolitical. Now we see the lives of migrant workers who are ultimately refugees.”
Huddleston is keen to see former career producers and directors teaming up with more established people across the slate.
“The more experienced production community there is, the more they have, the more knowledge they have. Then the more newer and early careers (practicers), the more different approaches and different ways of thinking about storytelling.
This will be led by Liyan: horses and from director and producer Sean O’Reilly. Sean O’Reilly explores Kimberly-based sanctuary, which uses horses as pioneering therapy by Aboriginal researcher Professor Juli Coffin. Among the executive producers are Mark Cole Smith, Stephen Page and Hunter Page Rochard.
“That incredible experience, knowledge, creativity, storytelling and tradition have married a young hungry producer to make a beautiful film in Kimberly. I think that’s a really exciting outlook,” says Huddleston.
Throughout the fiscal year 2024/25, Screen Australia funded 104 documentary projects for production and development for $11 million.
The agency-backed projects include Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line and Mozart’s younger sister. Songs Inside won the documentary Australia Award at the Sydney Film Festival. Spreadsheet champions screened at Hot Docs and SXSW. Maggie Beer’s Big Mission won the best host at the C21 International Format Awards held in Cannes.
“The Australian documentary community over the past few years has had some incredible success internationally,” says Huddleston. Oscar nominations for Porcelain War, every little thing in Sundance, Golden Spertres from CPH: DOX and Wolves always come in the evening at Tiff.
“It feels like our footprint is growing on a global scale.”
Supported projects include:
• Impersonation axis: According to Ally Willis, this feature documentary from director/producer Nicholas Coles and Alexis Spleck tells the true story of how Kim Jong-un’s impersonator teams up with Putin’s impersonator to save Zelensky’s impersonator from Keeif after the Ukrain invasion. It is produced by Laura Waters and executive producer Emma Fitzsimmons and is funded in conjunction with the Vicscreen and MIFF Premiere Fund, with support from private investment. Local distribution by Mushroom Studios and international sales led by CAA Media Finance.
•Bukal Bukal: A special documentary by director Rhoda Roberts. Written by Roberts and Julie Nihil, Bukal Bukal revolves around Idinj activist Henrietta Marley, who reformed the Australian government and the United Nations to benefit billions of Indigenous peoples, and is now fighting the British Museum to reclaim the stolen crafts of his family. Produced by Nihil and Yale McGilvay alongside executive producers Henrietta Marley, Susie Montague, Sean Miller, John Anastasiu and Mitch Stanley, Bukal Bukal is supported directly from philanthropy and through documentary Australia.
•It starts with us. A 30-minute documentary of emerging director Amelia Toby following a group of teenagers in a groundbreaking high school program for children at risk of domestic violence. With mentors like Rosie Batty, the program uses ART to deploy social pressures that lead to violence. The documentary is produced by Sophia Marinos with producers Larissa Behrendt and executive producers Genevieve Dugard and Deanne Weir. We are supported by respecting the Weiranderson Foundation, Shark Island Foundation, Nelson Meers Foundation, Screen NSW and Victoria.
•Mad Max and George Miller’s Genius: Serendipity Productions feature film related to Yuzu Productions, telling the impossible story of how Australian films of the 1970s grew into the country’s largest cultural exports. Produced by Margie Bryant and directed by Chris Eley, captures how George Miller’s singular film vision influenced global cinema and set him on a compassionate journey to the pinnacle of Hollywood’s success. Funded with support from Screen NSW.
•Liyan: Guided by Horses (Working Title): Set against Kimberly’s breathtaking background, this feature documentary by Shaun O’Reilly is a heartwarming and timely story. At its heart is a group of young people who have been nurtured in a unique sanctuary using horses pioneered by Aboriginal researcher Professor Juli Coffin as a powerful guide. This documentary is produced by O’Reilly along with Professor Julie Coffin and Sophie Crane. This is an executive produced by Hunter Page Rocard, Funa Am Willo, Daniel Gordon, Mark Coles Smith and Stephen Page.
• A Year at Yumburra: A special documentary of writer/director Grace Mackenzie based on the book “Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra” by author Bruce Pascoe, who wrote “Dark Emu.” The film was produced by Tom Zubrikki and chronicles the seasons of Yambra Farm in Gippsland, where Bruce and his partner run Black Duck Foods. Funded in connection with Vicscreen. Local distribution from Madman Entertainment.
•Northern Run: Directed by Rhian Skirving and Bill Bleakley, the featured documentary from Goodthing Productions travels to Northwest Queensland to compete for the largest and richest rodeo spots in the Southwest. The project was produced by Charlotte Wheaton and Nick Batias and is funded in conjunction with Vicscreen with support from Screen Queensland.
•Working Class Man: A special documentary from CJZ commissioned by Seven Network, which tells the wild journey of one of Australia’s true rock and roll legends. The follow-up to the working-class boy, directed by Andrew Farrell, who worked as a working-class boy and executive producer, and written by Anthony Griffith, is an honest reflection on success, fame, addiction and family, told through Jimmy’s eyes with his trademark honesty and insight. Pharrell and Griffiths are producing alongside executive producer Matt Campbell.
•Ken Done: Director and producer Ivan O’Mahoney and journalist Gabriella Coslovich have a film documentary centered around the life, careers of famous artists and the transformation from the award-winning Adman to the artists who helped shape the Australian worldview. Ken Done is funded with support from the Screen Queensland and Shark Island Foundation.
•Replica: Writer/Director Chouwa Liang’s observation feature documentary explores the growth trends of Chinese women turning to AI chatbots for romance and dating. The film is co-directed by Shannon Owen, produced by Andy Fan, co-produced by Kreistra Huilardkan and Leanne, and is executive producer by Stephen Ruby. The replica is being developed with support from Screen Queensland.
It was also funded by the ABC Mint Pictures series – previously announced by the broadcaster and announced by Rachel Griffiths when the war ended.
The documentary’s block line is here, and the projects under development are here.
