Screen Australia has earmarked $3 million for 13 documentaries, including SBS’s The Secret DNA of Us, which explores Australian identity through DNA testing.
Screen Australia has announced a $3 million funding allocation to support the production of 13 new documentaries, including both producer and commission programs.
These funds will be distributed among 11 projects in the Producer Program and 2 projects in the Commissioning Program.
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Among the diverse documentaries receiving funding is the SBS documentary series The Secret DNA of Us, which delves into the hidden collective DNA within Australian communities. Another important project, We Are Jeni, chronicles the extraordinary journey of Jeni Hayes and her 2,500 alter egos as they seek justice for past trauma.
The documentary Mockbuster follows filmmaker Anthony Frith as he attempts to produce a low-budget feature film for the infamous American production company Asylum. Meanwhile, Yururu|Country documents Banjima elder Maitland Parker’s efforts to rehabilitate his ancestral lands scarred by asbestos contamination.
Richard Huddleston, Head of Documentary at Screen Australia, expressed his enthusiasm for the breadth and quality of the projects funded, saying:
“We are thrilled that this funding will support so many documentary makers, from up-and-coming and established filmmakers to international award-winning artists and our leading Even investigative journalists.
The mix of genres, subject matter explored and creative approaches are equally rich and will appeal to a diverse audience in Australia and internationally. ”
This latest funding round marks the end of Screen Australia’s investment activity for the 2023/24 financial year. The Department provided a total of $12.4 million in production, development and initiative funding across more than 100 projects, including the Fresh Cuts Initiative in collaboration with the Australian International Documentary Council (AIDC).
This funding accounted for 51% of all paper applications submitted during the fiscal year.
Documentaries funded in the 2023/24 fiscal year include International Emmy Award-winning Harley & Katya, This Is Going to Be Big screening at Canada’s Hot Docs Festival, and Hot Potato: The Story of the He has already achieved notable success with projects such as “The World”. Wiggles debuted at the inaugural SXSW Sydney. In addition, John Farnham: Finding the Voice became Australia’s highest-grossing documentary feature ever, and the top-grossing documentary of 2023.
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Highlights of funded projects
Producer program:
Edge of Life: Directed by Lynette Walworth, this feature film explores the use of synthetic psilocybin in palliative care and features the perspectives of Melbourne doctors and Indigenous people on the end of life. Hard as Puck: Directed by Isaac Elliott, this documentary follows Australian para ice hockey players as they try to qualify for the world championships. Making it look real: Directed by Kate Blackmore, this film takes you behind the scenes at the work of intimacy coordinators in film and television. Mockbuster: Directed by Anthony Frith, this film captures the challenge of producing a low-budget mockbuster for Asylum in Australia. Phenomena: Directed by Josef Gatti, this documentary combines art and science in a journey that reveals patterns in nature and their impact on humanity. Queens of Concrete: A coming-of-age story about three young women pursuing their dream of competing on Australia’s first Olympic skateboarding team. Sentient: Directed by Tony Jones, this film explores the ethical and emotional ramifications of animal experimentation in high-security laboratories. Spreadsheet Champion: This documentary directed by Kristina Kraskov and Anna Sharambous covers the high-stakes world of the Spreadsheet World Championship. Untitled Mental as Anything documentary: Directed by Matthew Walker, this film chronicles the rise of iconic Australian band Mental As Anything. We Are Jeni: A feature-length documentary produced for SBS that follows the extraordinary story of Jeni Haines. Yururu | Country: A documentary about Banjima elder Maitland Parker’s fight to rebuild his culturally significant but contaminated homeland.
Commissioning program:
Headliner: An ABC series led by Ellie-Mae Barnes and supported by her father, Jimmy Barnes, that focuses on the formation of a band of disabled musicians. Our Secret DNA: An SBS series exploring Australia’s identity through collective DNA testing.
Screen Australia offers a variety of funding programs to support documentary production. The Producer Program provides foundational funding to help producers develop their projects creatively and commercially. The Commissions Program, on the other hand, supports projects with a clear vision and cultural significance, especially those for television and SVOD platforms.
In addition, the Documentary Development Program supports filmmakers in the planning stages of their projects and further strengthens Australia’s documentary landscape with targeted initiatives like Fresh Cuts.
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