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Screen Oz funds disaster, conflict docs

An ABC doc on Australia’s worst peacetime disaster is among 10 shows to have received a total of A$2.9m (US$2.16m) from Screen Australia through its documentary producer and doc commissioned programmes.

Marry Me, Marry My Family is heading for a second season on SBS

Renegade Films’ Aftermath – Beyond the Firestorm will chronicle the recovery, rebirth and human resilience after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which killed 173 people in Victoria.

Fellow pubcaster SBS has also received funding via the documentary commissioned programme. Blackfella Films’ First Wars (3×51’) will tell the story of Australia’s frontier conflicts.

In addition, CJZ will produce a second series of SBS’s Marry Me, Marry My Family (3×60’), which promises to uncover new stories about love, heartbreak, colour and chaos involving cross-cultural weddings. TCB Media has the international rights.

Among the documentary producer projects is Artemis Media’s Storm in a Teacup for the ABC, which follows renowned Western Australian artist Leon Pericles as he embarks on his biggest retrospective exhibition to date, juggling his roles of artist, husband and carer to his wife Moira.

Robot Army and Ruby Entertainment’s The Hunt will chronicle the controversial sightings of big cats in the Australian bush by people who have dedicated their lives to proving these creatures exist, despite the many naysayers.

DNX Media’s The Victoria Project (working title) will be written and directed by Jennifer Peedom (Mountain, Sherpa); details will be revealed later.

Bright Lights – The Perils of the Pokies is a short animated online doc from writer, director and producer Charby Ibrahim that explores the impact of gambling addiction through one addict’s stories.

The slate also includes two Virtual Reality (VR) projects: Stuart Campbell’s Future Dreaming, which will bring to life the future dreams of four Australian Aboriginal youths by using VR tools; and Rone, a profile of street artist Rone from writer-director Lester Francois, who will produce with Anne Brady.

Finally, Good Thing Productions and UK-based Passion Pictures are coproducing the previously announced feature doc The Australian Dream, which will focus on Australian rules football legend Adam Goodes as the prism to tell a deeper story about race, identity and belonging.

The funding round will be one of the last overseen by Liz Stevens, who is departing Screen Australia at the end of August after serving as senior manager for documentary since the agency was created in 2008.

Screen Australia has advertised for a head of documentary, a wider role that includes working with head of production Sally Caplan on scripted projects across any genre, format or platform.

Stevens, who will pursue other creative opportunities, said: “Over the last 10 years I have been impressed by the dedication and skill of Australian documentary filmmakers. I have seen the great care and craft they’ve used to record a snapshot of our shared history.”

Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason added: “Liz Stevens has been a fierce advocate for documentary and is one of those rare people who embrace change in her chosen art form. Her legacy is literally a catalogue of true Australian stories, having overseen countless memorable and significant documentaries from the landmark Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail, blue-chip Life on the Reef, to the confronting and international Emmy award-winning Go Back to Where You Came From, the touching Matilda & Me and hit social-change titles like War on Waste, That Sugar Film and Embrace.”

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