by FilmInk Staff
Five AFTRS documentaries will have their online premieres on DocPlay today, Monday 22 June, as part of the First Cut program, which builds on the success of previous showcases following its launch in 2024.
The short films Before the Lights Go Out, Cover Up, First Contact, Heel Turn and Top Dog present a wide range of stories, exploring themes of sport, social justice, LGBTIQA+, art, design and politics. Together, they bring to screen meditations on belonging, transformation through art, the bold world of wrestling, and the unexpected discovery of common ground and community.
Produced by Master of Arts Screen students as part of their curriculum and in response to a real-world industry brief, the First Cut program delivers a valuable opportunity to reach audiences across Australia after an industry-aligned production process. The films introduce the work of five documentary graduates: Catherine Young, Isabella Poynter-Symonds, Jacob Collings, Karly Marks and Maya Carmen.
Four of the five documentaries have already had their world premieres at festivals: First Contact and Top Dog premiered at Antenna Documentary Film Festival, with First Contact also screening at St Kilda Film Festival; Heel Turn premiered at Queer Screen; and Cover Up will have its screen premiere at Revelation Film Festival next month (screening 12 and 18 July).
AFTRS graduate and director of First Contact, Maya Carmen (Masters of Screen, Documentary), said: “I learnt a lot making an observational documentary while working to DocPlay’s brief. It was a deep dive into the world of doco – meeting interesting characters, shaping a story from unfolding events, and collaborating with fellow students. It’s epic that our short docs will now be available to watch online, allowing our films to reach the wider documentary community.”
AFTRS Discipline Lead, Documentary, Richard Welch said: “Now in its third year, the collaboration with DocPlay goes from strength to strength, with five new short documentaries being selected for the First Cut Strand on DocPlay in 2026. The initiative provides AFTRS Post-graduate students with a real-world industry brief, commissioning feedback, and a pathway to audience for their fantastic films to be seen right across Australia.”
DocPlay Documentary Executive, Rufus Richardson said: “As Australia’s premier destination for documentary streaming, DocPlay is delighted to collaborate with AFTRS to share this engaging and thought-provoking collection of short documentaries with audiences across the country. From the outset, we were impressed by the calibre of emerging filmmakers featured in this showcase. Through empathy, curiosity, and a strong sense of storytelling, these works explore a wide array of subjects and contemporary issues with depth and understanding.”
AFTRS First Cut is available to stream on DocPlay from 22 June here.
CREDITS
Before the Lights Go Out
A young South American Skateboarder on the brink of deportation finds belonging and resilience in Sydney’s skate community, as he attempts one last trick before facing an uncertain future.
Director, Writer, Cinematographer – Jacob Collings
Producer – Marisol Castro
Editor – Angus Burton
Composer – Jane Kim
Participants – Joaquin Gonzalo Idaberry and Victor Cares
Cover Up
Fernando, a tattoo artist who specialises in covering up self-harm scars confronts his own mental health challenges while helping Caitlin, a young woman wearing the scars of her past, reclaim her body through the transformative power of a single tattoo.
Director, Writer, Cinematographer – Catherine Young
Producer – Oliver Moir
Editor – Luke Daly
Composer – Peter Kostopoulos
Participants – Caitlin Franklin and Fernando Hideki Amasse
First Contact
When a surfer steps into a Contact Improvisation dance workshop, his ideas about touch and intimacy are upended, reshaping how he connects with others and himself.
Director, Writer, Cinematographer – Maya Carmen
Producer – Alexander Holiday
Participants – Luke Daly and Grace Gardiner
Community Contributor – Eamonn O’Flaherty
Heel Turn
Nikki Van Blair is the biggest diva you’ve never heard of. Legend in the Sydney wrestling community we follow her as she transforms into her wrestling alter ego and reflects on the ways wrestling has helped and hurt her as a queer trans woman.
Director, Cinematographer – Isabella Poynter-Symonds
Producers – Grace Stevenson and Cameron Manion
Composer – Peter Kostopoulos
Editor & Co-Writer – Jessie Shine
Participant – Nikki Van Blair
Top Dog
When a dog park community becomes divided, can they put their differences aside and cross the invisible line?
Director – Karly Marks
Producers – Sarah Moulton and Jeremy Lowenčev
Editor – Jiun Cze Seet
Music – Jane Kim
Image: stills from AFTRS Documentaries First Contact, Top Dog, Heel Turn, Cover Up, Before the Lights Go Out
