by FilmInk Staff
Colombian born and Melbourne based filmmaker Mateo Guerrero has secured the inaugural I See Doco Lab, Momentum award for his project, Echoes of Memory.
A complex and deeply political, environmental and social justice crusade, Echoes of Memory is an investigation of the deaths and murders of hundreds of Colombian park rangers and environmental defenders, told through the eyes of passionate activist and park ranger, Gisela Paredes.
The A$20k Momentum prize was awarded, after a competitive pitch, to one of three selected finalist teams that took part in the12 week intensive development Lab.
Founder of the I See Doco Lab, Sal Balharrie said the project and the filmmaker exemplified the values of the Lab’s purpose. “From the get-go of the Lab, we talk about two key ingredients – passion and clarity. This is exactly what Mateo used as his super- powers. He used clarity to explain exactly how this award unlocks other funding opportunities, turning $20k into $60k. And passion to share his story ensuring that there is filmmaker momentum.”
Guerrero told FilmInk that he felt that he had “already won” being part of the inaugural 12-week Lab, which he said provided a wealth of support and learnings and allowed him to refocus the intent and structure of the multifaceted narrative. “Building that narrative structure opens so many doors, from the production company to the partnerships. It will just keep going. The evolution of the project has been superb,” he said.
This largely untold story and its unrelenting protagonist have evaded mainstream coverage despite its political urgency. The narrative follows Paredes’ recent two-year journey through war-torn territories, gathering evidence in order to deliver an unprecedented and comprehensive victims report to the Colombian government, aiming to vindicate the deaths and demonstrate that both park rangers and nature have been victims of the armed conflict, lobbying for protection under the peace treaty mechanisms.
“Going into the final pitch, I went with confidence knowing that I’ve done the hard work, that the story is one that the world needs to know, so I just needed to put the pieces together. Doing honour to the award’s name, this prize will help us to keep building momentum and move the project to the next stage. Cheers to more labs like this,” Guerrero said.
I See Doco Lab’s foundational philanthropic partner Collis Ta’eed said that he is drawn to support documentary, “for the conversation starter and change agent it can be, and I’m thrilled that I See Doco has opened a fresh pathway for documentary filmmakers to hone their stories and connect with each other.”
As part of judging jury, Taéed said, “I was delighted at the quality and range of voices in this first lab, it’s so encouraging and I can’t wait to see where they take their projects. Mateo has a wonderful passion and conviction for this story, and the experience and skill to pull off something potentially very impactful for his country. He’s put together a great funding strategy to use these funds to unlock other funds, and it’s clear he can build the momentum to get this project over the line.”
Fellow judge and I See Doco Lab advisor, Dogwoof’s Chief Content Officer Oli Harbottle added, “Mateo’s pitch was very strong, both in its delivery but in his passion as well. The story is undeniably very powerful, and one which should resonate with international audiences.”
The project, which is being filmed in dangerous and challenging terrains through Colombia’s majestic nature reserves, was conceived in Australia after Guerrero, a director and photographer, moved to Melbourne ten years ago and he viewed his homeland’s complex struggles with a new perspective.
“My line of work has always been around indigenous cultures, social minorities through Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Nepal. This is the first time that I am doing a project with my home country, Colombia. I want this to be my love letter to Colombia because after living many years in Australia, I understood there is a better way. There is a better way to protect nature and its defenders,” he said.
The project has already attracted international attention, securing the inaugural BANFF Pitch in 2025, which helped Guerrero move the project forward after a litany of funding rejections and roadblocks to development.
His tenacity is a synchronistic match to that of his subject Parades, who has been championing this cause, unassisted and placing her own life in peril. Guerrero’s initial and subsequent shoots include access to Colombia’s breathtaking and dangerous landscapes which will be juxtaposed with recreations of actual events and entwined with a magical realism aspect that blends the cultural and political.
The two other fetured finalists in contention for the award were Chinese/Australian emerging documentarian Jess Zhang from Melbourne with her project Balancing Acts and Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Eguiluz with The Fragility of Crabs.
In Balancing Acts, Zhang profiles Chinese immigrant performing arts trailblazer Mr Lu who transformed the Australian circus arts sector and is the mentor behind generations of performers. This culturally astute documentary weaves the evolution of circus arts in Australia with the deeply personal physical transformation that the subject is undergoing. The Fragility of Crabs is a poignant and personal narrative about the filmmaker’s own journey through cancer, fatherhood and creativity told through a unique first-person prism of found and created footage. The jury commended all finalists for their bravery and authentic vision.
Applications are now open for the second I See Doco Lab, which takes place from Sept-November. The deadline for submissions close on August 14. It will take on up to eight projects and is open to documentary makers at any stage of their career, from anywhere on the planet.
**The 2026 judges included the Lab’s founding philanthropist Collis Ta’eed, Dogwoof Chief Content Officer Oli Harbottle, UK based documentary filmmaker and visual artist Rosemary Baker and journalist, Natalie Apostolou.
