by FilmInk Staff
Held from 26-28 August at Artspace on Gadigal Land, Sydney, the inaugural Climate Story Lab Australia saw over 100 financial and in-kind pledges made in support of seven documentary projects and their social impact campaigns, including four feature films, one series and two podcasts.
Shark Island Foundation announced a $25,000 outreach grant for feature documentary Floodland, Regen Studios pledged a free impact consultation for each of the projects, and a major climate organisation offered to convene a new working group for documentary storytellers and the climate movement. Individuals offered a free Blue Zone badge to COP30, and introductions to key stakeholders such as UN special rapporteurs and COP31 programming teams.
Experts in media and entertainment law, whistleblower protections and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) offered pro-bono legal advice, while key philanthropists offered to introduce the projects to major environmental giving networks.
Climate experts pledged to provide rough cut feedback and to collaborate on developing impact and education resources; academics offered to include documentaries in teaching curricula and to connect the documentaries with research projects; and a number of major climate organisations and member networks pledged to support documentary pathways to audiences, by distributing documentary release information to significant databases, using documentaries as tools in their campaigns, and hosting screenings or podcast listening parties.
Over the three days, co-hosts Documentary Australia and Doc Society brought together the climate and documentary sectors to strengthen existing climate documentaries and impact campaigns, workshop the priorities for the next generation of strategic climate stories, spur partnerships to mobilise audiences and funding opportunities, and grow confidence in the power of social impact storytelling.
“I was blown away by the energy and generosity shown by the 100 participants in the lab – both to the documentary projects presenting, and the goal to boost collaboration across our interdisciplinary group. A number of guests have shared that the lab was a transformative experience, and I look forward to seeing how the seeds sown will go on to benefit climate storytelling, the broader climate movement and the documentary sector,” says Stephanie King, initiative lead and Impact Director at Documentary Australia.
“This was the first time the Climate Story Lab was hosted in Australia and the generosity in the room exceeded our expectations. We’re so grateful to all those who participated, both from the documentary sector and the climate movement. We will also be collating all the strategic advice gained over the 3 days to share back what climate stories Australia needs in the immediate future, ideas for reaching new audiences and the innovations needed to get there,” says Hollie Fifer, initiative lead and Director of Special Projects at Doc Society.
The projects that presented included feature documentary Floodland, documentary podcast Connected to Country, feature documentary Confidential Gas Project (working title), feature documentary Testimony, documentary podcast The Electric Postcode, feature documentary Moblands, and documentary series Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay.
Guest speakers included Torres Strait Island Elder Aunty McRose Elu (The Australian Climate Case), Rikki Dank (Gudanji for Country), Tamika Sadler (Common Threads), international human rights lawyer Kavita Naidu, Mithra Cox (Global Strategic Communications Council), Byron Fay (Climate 200), Te Raukura O’Connell Rapira (350.org), Kirsten Tidswell (Climate Council), Hollie Fifer (Doc Society), Stephanie King (Documentary Australia), Dr Mitzi Goldman (Documentary Australia), Anna Kaplan (2040, Regenerating Australia, Regen Studios), Genevieve Grieves (Power to Country, Garuwa) and Kate Hodges (Frackman, Shark Island Foundation), with actress and climate advocate Yael Stone and Kulkalaig woman and climate advocate Tishiko King as MCs.
A detailed report with key recommendations for the climate and documentary sectors will be forthcoming.
About the organisations
Documentary Australia is a unique not-for-profit organisation committed to fostering social impact through documentary storytelling. By offering tax deductibility to donors to support films, Documentary Australia enables social impact documentaries to be made and seen. Through our impact programs and capacity-building activities, Documentary Australia supports film teams and impact partners to place documentaries at the heart of social impact campaigns, engaging broad audiences in initiatives for positive social change. We continue to advocate for the documentary sector on issues relating to the recognition and support of documentary filmmaking in Australia.
Doc Society is a global non-profit working with the boldest and most impactful filmmakers all over the world. Doc Society is committed to backing the independence and impact of storytelling, providing grants, filmmaker support and building the field for a more justice-centred, impactful media ecosystem. Beyond the right to self-expression we are focused on the right of all citizens to access media in the public interest – and building the global ecosystem that makes that possible.
Learn more about Climate Story Lab Australia and the documentary projects here.
Climate Story Lab Australia was co-hosted by Documentary Australia and Doc Society, and proudly supported by Shark Island Foundation, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland and Screenwest.
