First Peoples filmmakers explore Treaty in Sovereign Shorts

by FilmInk Staff

VicScreen, National Indigenous Television (NITV) and Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), today announced the four distinctive projects that have been selected for Sovereign Shorts.

The four Victorian-made short documentaries exploring Treaty are set to premiere at MIFF 2026 on Wednesday 19 August.

The joint initiative by VicScreen, NITV and MIFF was announced following the historic signing of Victoria’s Statewide Treaty with First Peoples in 2025.

The initiative provides mentorship and resources for First Peoples screen storytellers to produce a 10–15-minute documentary exploring Treaty as lived experience.

The selected Sovereign Shorts films will have a gala world premiere screening at the 74th Melbourne International Film Festival in August.

Sovereign Shorts will also screen at MIFF venues following the premiere and be available to stream for free on MIFF Online, from 20-30 August. MIFF runs 6–23 August 2026.

Following MIFF, the films will be broadcast on NITV and available to stream via SBS on Demand.

The four projects are currently in production; the successful teams and their projects are:

Dya (Country) by writer/director/producer Tracey Rigney (Wotjobaluk) and co-producers Desiree Cross and Joel Boyd

A regional First Nations filmmaker explores the Wotjobaluk Nations’ underdog fight for recognition, revealing Treaty as a complex mosaic with deeply local, lived realities unfolding far from Melbourne.

Queens to the Front by writer/director Tammy Lee Rock (Pakana) and producers Carter Looker and Sophie Somerville

Queens to the Front is a dialogue between filmmaker Tammy Lee Rock and public figure Senator Lidia Thorpe, revealing insights into the personal impact of treaty and sovereignty.

Protest on the Dancefloor by writer/director Talia Liddle (Arrernte and Luritja) and producer Travis Cloudy-Hensgen (Torres Strait – Ugar, Iama, Erub)

Protest on the Dancefloor explores how Blackfellas in Melbourne use music and dancefloors to create spaces of sovereignty, connection, and liberation amidst an ever-changing political climate.

Slow Hours by writer/director/producer Theo McMahon and co-producer Lucie McMahon

Through the poetic, hopeful lens of Amelia, a young Indigenous teenager, we encounter the intertwined lives of three women, each embodying a different stage in the fragile evolution of First Nations hope in Victoria’s fight for sovereignty.

Minister for Creative Industries Vicki Ward said, “In 2025, Victoria became the first Australian state to sign a Treaty with its First Peoples — a landmark moment in our state’s history. We’re proud to support First Peoples filmmakers to reflect on and celebrate this significant milestone through these powerful documentaries.”

VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “VicScreen is committed to creating development opportunities for First Peoples screen storytellers and celebrating the depth of talent and bold storytelling emerging from Victoria. This exciting initiative has enabled First Peoples writers, directors and producers to share what Treaty means to them and their communities with wider audiences through MIFF, NITV and SBS On Demand.”

NITV Head of Indigenous Commissioning and Production Dena Curtis said, “These films are powerful reflections of identity and the lived experience of Treaty from the perspective of Victoria’s First Peoples’ creatives and communities. NITV is proud to partner with VicScreen and Melbourne International Film Festival supporting filmmakers to bring their stories to screen, beginning with their world premiere at MIFF before connecting with audiences across the country on NITV and SBS On Demand.”

MIFF CEO Damien Hodgkinson said, “MIFF is proud to partner with VicScreen and NITV to give First Peoples screen storytellers a platform to share what Treaty means to them and their communities. Sovereign Shorts showcases the vital voices, powerful stories and exceptional screen talent emerging from Victoria, and we are thrilled to present the initiative as part of MIFF 2026.”