DOCUMENTARY FUNDING ANNOUNCED BY SCREEN AUSTRALIA

This image: The Fight (supplied by United Notions Film)
Banner Image: Working Class Boy. Photo :Andrew-Farrell

Screen Australia has announced production funding for 12 documentary projects through the Documentary Producer and Commissioned programs.

The slate includes an adaptation of Jimmy Barnes’ memoir WORKING CLASS BOY ; a feature-length version of Violeta Ayala and Daniel Fallshaw’s award-winning Guardian short THE FIGHT; a second season of FILTHY RICH & HOMELESS, the most watched documentary series on SBS in 2017; and a three-part series delving into the life of cult leader Anne Hamilton-Byrne from the team behind feature documentary THE FAMILY.

In addition to commissions for ABC, SBS, Network Ten and the BBC, there are two feature documentaries, two online projects and one designed specifically for dome cinemas and planetariums.

In total $850,000 was allocated through the Producer program and $2.66 million through the Commissioned program.

The six projects supported through Documentary Producer are:
ABC iview series Gun Ringer about Indigenous Ringer Jeff Harrower, who does one of the most dangerous jobs on earth – feral bull catching in regional Northern Territory. 

ABC Arts one-off special Death Art from Ruby Girl Productions, about one woman’s journey to explore what it means to use a dead body in artworks. 

Mission: Whalesong  Designed as an immersive experience to be screened in dome cinemas and planetariums, it will explore far flung corners of the Indian Ocean to uncover the mysteries of the largest creature on the planet – the blue whale.

A feature length version of The Fight, examining the discrimination faced by people with disabilities in Bolivia.

An ABC iview series The Horrors from Mashup Pictures, which will examine common themes of Australian life by reinterpreting real-life situations where things have gone horribly wrong. 

CJZ’s feature Working Class Boy based on Jimmy Barnes’ best-selling book of the same name, about the early years of Australia’s biggest rock star from his childhood in Glasgow to life in the forlorn immigrant suburbs of Adelaide.
The six projects supported through Documentary Commissioned are:

Australia in Colour The four-part series will take a look at pivotal moments in our nation’s history from 1900 – 1970, using cutting-edge technology to colourise black and white archival footage. Decade by decade the story of Australia, its people and culture will be given new life and shown in vibrant colour for the first time. 

A second season of SBS’s thought-provoking series Filthy Rich & Homeless.  The second season will follow the format of the first and recruit five new high-profile Australians to trade in their privileged lives and discover what life is like for the nation’s homeless. 

My Family Secret also for SBS, a three-part series helping regular Australians scrutinise the silences from both their family’s and our country’s past. 

 The Magical Land of Oz This wildlife series will explore the unique exotic creatures of Australia that have evolved in a country shaped by a distinctive climate and years of isolation, and is set to air on the ABC in Australia, BBC2 in the UK and PBS in the US.   

The Cult of the Family commissioned by the ABC, a three-part investigation into the rise and fallout of an insidious cult led by the charismatic Anne Hamilton-Byrne. 

The Secret Life of Four Year Olds, revealing the secret world of four year olds at a pivotal age of their development. Capturing the ups and downs, tears and laughter of a group of young children.

More information can be found at Screen Australia.