Documentary Australia has announced the two participants for the 2024 Impact Producer Program.
The selected participants are filmmaker Aprille Asfoura and sustainability and environmental advocate Anna Jane (AJ) Linke, both from regional New South Wales.
Now in its second year, the unique program enables professionals from diverse professional experiences and interests to focus on becoming the next generation of Impact Producers.
“Last year’s inaugural program produced very encouraging outcomes, with two immediately gaining employment with impact producing for film projects and all four participants actively engaged in the industry,” said Documentary Australia CEO, Dr Mitzi Goldman.
“This is a much-needed program for the sector and we look forward to working with two new participants while retaining one of our last year’s cohort, Natasha Akib, to work as an impact producer on a film launching soon.
“We will be running several public events where we encourage emerging impact producers and the wider documentary filmmaking community to attend to share experiences and build networks. As with so many things, we can do more working together than alone.
“Thank you to our funders who share the vision with us and understand the importance of this role. We can only do this work of storytelling and social change with your belief and support,” added Dr Goldman.
Documentary Australia’s Impact Producer Program is made possible thanks to the support of its major partners, including The Snow Foundation, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Minderoo Pictures and Dyson Bequest, plus venue partner Shark Island Institute.
Off the back of completing the 2023 program, Natasha Akib has joined the Documentary Australia team as an Impact Producer for The Stan Original Documentary Trailblazers, which captures the transformational journey of the Australian national women’s football team.
“It has been a great opportunity to put everything we learned on the program into action, with the aim of progressing gender equality in sports and beyond,” she said.
“We are thrilled to have Natasha’s energy and enthusiasm on the impact campaign for Trailblazers to be released later this year. We are looking forward to continuing to support the documentary ecosystem by training new impact producers to support documentary films to create change on pressing social issues,” said Documentary Australia Impact Director and Program Lead, Lisa Kanani.
MORE ABOUT THE 2024 PARTICIPANTS
Aprille Asfoura [right in main image]
Aprille is a Palestinian-Australian woman and mother with a background in the arts and screen industry in Australia and overseas. She studied documentary production at AFTRS, inspired by her time in New York collaborating with acclaimed documentary filmmakers on their award-winning documentaries (Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson); and Life, Animated (Julie Goldman)). Her diverse roles span story development, directing, creative writing, and project management across festivals, scripted shorts, VR, and documentary features. She worked for two years with Screen Australia supporting the Gender Matters Task Force headed by Fiona Cameron. Aprille would like to continue to develop her own documentary practice and is dedicated to using documentary storytelling as a tool for political-structural change and advocating for human rights and social justice.
Anna Jane (AJ) Linke
AJ is a change-maker at heart, determined to shape the narrative around our changing climate with stories that inspire action in people and communities from all backgrounds. AJ founded an environmental non-profit at the age of 21. Its programs were responsible for educating over 10,000 people about the reality of the plastic and textiles industries, as well as the potential for an alternative. Having broadened her focus to food production systems, AJ is inspired to bring a holistic lens to capture stories of regeneration and community transformation.
Learn more about the Impact Producer Program HERE
ABOUT DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA
Since 2008, Documentary Australia has been Australia’s only not-for-profit organisation fostering social impact through storytelling. By offering tax deductibility to donors to support filmmakers, Documentary Australia enables documentaries to be made and seen, and to make a positive social impact. To date, Documentary Australia has facilitated over $35 million in philanthropic funding. Website: documentaryaustralia.com.au
