by FilmInk Staff
Screen Australia has today announced over $5.7 million of production and development funding for 47 documentaries that bring distinctive Australian voices and perspectives to the screen, supporting both established and emerging filmmaking teams.
Projects include Bondi, a feature documentary from award-winning producers at Mint Pictures that explores the aftermath of one of Australia’s darkest days; Australian/German co-production Saving Tuvalu, which captures Tuvalu’s response to climate change through community-led storytelling; and a deeply personal story about traumatic brain injury from critically-acclaimed filmmaker Randall Wood.
Screen Australia Head of Documentary Richard Huddleston said, “The funded documentaries reflect Screen Australia’s commitment to supporting stories that are both local and globally relevant. From emerging to established creatives, it showcases an ambitious documentary sector finding new ways to collaborate and connect with viewers, from significant international co-productions to exciting direct-to-audience partnerships. Screen Currency 2026 found 71% of Australians have taken some form of action after watching local screen content – this speaks to the importance of documentaries as a catalyst for social change and shared understanding.”
Some of the supported projects include:
● Bondi: From the multi-award-winning producers at Mint Pictures (The Hunt for the Last Nazis) and director Amanda Blue (After the Wave), Bondi chronicles one of Australia’s darkest days through the voices of survivors, victims’ families, everyday heroes and first responders, examining an event that shattered lives and reverberated deeply through the Australian Jewish community. Principal production funding from Screen Australia. Developed and produced in association with SBS. Financed with support from Screen NSW. International sales by TVF Media. Post, digital and visual effects supported by Screen NSW. Developed with the assistance of Screen Australia and Screen NSW.
● Saving Tuvalu: An Australian/German co-production directed by Kate Blackmore (Make It Look Real), Amelia Tovey (It Starts With Us) and Bernard ‘Kato’ Ewekia and produced by Chris Kamen, Rebecca Barry, Madeleine Hetherton-Miau, Blackmore and Tovey, the film follows three young Tuvaluans using digital preservation to safeguard their culture and identity as rising seas threaten their homeland. Saving Tuvalu is a Media Stockade, Tellus Films and Filmtank co-production commissioned by ZDF/ARTE for French and German speaking territories. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW and Shark Island Foundation. Local Distribution by Bonsai Films.
● The Brain Garden: A deeply personal feature documentary from multi-award-winning filmmaker Randall Wood (Flyways: The Story of Migratory Shorebirds), producer Cathy Rodda (Bromley: Light After Dark) and executive producer Sonya Pemberton. Through a multidisciplinary approach that fuses science, research and factual storytelling, The Brain Garden sees Wood turn the camera on himself after a traumatic brain injury, embarking on a global journey to explore the brain’s recovery as a living ecosystem and uncover the connections between neuroscience, nature and healing. Principal production funding from Screen Australia. Developed with the assistance of Screen Queensland.
● My City, My Backyard: A 10-part direct-to-audience series from Skip Ahead alumni Never Too Small. My City, My Backyard celebrates the joy of living small as inspiring local architects, artists and designers around the world step outside their homes, revealing the community they’ve found in their own backyards. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen.
● Australia’s Lost Eden: From Southern Wild Films and led by Tasmanian director/producer and wildlife cinematographer Nick Hayward (The Platypus Guardian), Australia’s Lost Eden is the untold story of one of the last great wilderness areas on earth. Shot across one year, this coming-of-age story is an intimate and emotional portrait of a young Tasmanian devil growing up in a changing world. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Screen Tasmania. International sales by Terra Mater Studios.
● Stella: I Am Not Your Inspiration: Blending documentary storytelling with cinematic recreations, filmmakers Sarah Barton and Liz Burke (Defiant Lives) bring to life the defining moments of disability activist, comedian and broadcaster Stella Young. The documentary traces her rise from a small Australian town to the verge of international stardom, before her untimely death at the age of 32. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Melbourne International Comedy Festival fundraiser, Documentary Australia, and City of Melbourne. Local distribution by Screen Inc.
● Estranged: Blending observational footage, audio recordings and stop-motion animation, Estranged is a deeply personal documentary from Olivia Martin-McGuire (China Love) produced by No Thing Productions and Media Stockade. The film follows Olivia and her trans sibling Jack as they reconnect after two years of estrangement and embark on a global road trip, exploring queer community perspectives on healing separation. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Screenwest and Lotterywest. Financed with support from Shark Island Foundation. Local distribution by HedyMix.
● Hell Has No Fire Escape: A Closer and Try Hard Films production, this debut feature film from South African/Australian award-winning producer Georgina Savage follows a grieving South African pastor drawn into an online love scam that leads to heartbreak, financial ruin and a crisis of faith. Filmed over several years, the documentary blends vérité and dreamlike fantasy to examine faith, desire and belonging. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, produced with the assistance of the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund.
● Leigh Bowery: Eternal Sunshine: A feature documentary exploring the life and legacy of trailblazing Australian artist, performer and cultural provocateur Leigh Bowery. Directed by Ilinca Calugareanu, created and produced by Elinor Hughes and produced by Vee Shi (Time and Tide), Michael McMahon and Ned Williams, Leigh Bowery: Eternal Sunshine uncovers the Australian roots of a creative force whose radical vision transformed London’s underground scene and established him as a global cultural icon. The project received development funding.
The full list of documentary production blocklines is available here. The latest projects funded for documentary development are available here. Further information about our recently funded projects will be announced in conjunction with the ABC Media Showcase on 21 October.
