ABC and the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) have announced Dylan Nichols as the recipient of the 2025 Indigenous Documentary Placement.
Nichols will be spending four months based at ABC in Sydney starting next month.
“As an ABC documentary filmmaker, I am very grateful to have this opportunity to develop more skills, experience and networks. I am truly looking forward to joining the ABC Indigenous team for the last four months of placement and hope to bring something to the table with my skill set,” he said.
In 2023, Nicholls was one of the first recipients of the First Nations Netflix Scholarship and was able to undertake a documentary for Master of Arts Screen: AFTRS. While at school, he oversaw and produced three shorts. It premiered at Flickerfest, brought back his spirit and was scheduled to premiere at the Sydney Film Festival next month, and was a finalist for the First Nations Award.
Past participants in the ABC-AIDC program include filmmaker Daniel King, Ngarluma author and director Perun Bonser, and cinematographer Anna-Marie Harding.
ABC director for Indigenous Kelric Martin said the station was delighted with the number and quality of applications for this year’s placement.
“Dylan will be embedded in ABC Indigenous people and will provide valuable insight into how ABC creates de facto programming for Australian audiences.
Natasha Gadd, CEO and Creative Director of AIDC, congratulated Nicholls and supported First Nations filmmakers to revise the conference’s dedication to sharpening crafts, building new industry connections, and finding new pathways to tell stories.
“We have been tracking the impressive work of previous winners Daniel King, Pern Bonser and Anna Marie Harding. We look forward to what Dylan brings to the ABC Indigenous team, as well as the new skills and career opportunities he will take away from the experience,” she said.
