SBS On Demand and AFTRS have partnered to showcase emerging filmmaking talent with a curated collection of AFTRS student documentaries. The AFTRS Documentary Showcase is available to watch now exclusively on SBS On Demand.
The collection includes 10 short-form documentaries from AFTRS’ second-year Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production students, who were briefed to create a film of no longer than five minutes exploring culture and identity in Australia. The collection is a compelling mix of diverse stories, from living with Tourette’s Syndrome, refugee and asylum seeker activism and the drag king community to the use of Indigenous food and plants in Australian food culture, plus many more.
SBS On Demand & World Movies Channel Manager, Haidee Ireland said: “We are blown away by the calibre of talent in this showcase. The creatives of these documentaries have handled a wide range of topics and issues with incredible care and thought, producing programs that are equal parts moving, informative and entertaining. There is an extraordinary pool of talent at AFTRS, who have uniquely Australian stories to share and we’re excited to be giving a platform to the next generation of distinctive documentary makers. It was a pleasure to collaborate with the team at AFTRS, who share our commitment to championing diverse stories and creatives.”
AFTRS CEO, Nell Greenwood said: “Every filmmaker wants their work to connect with as wide an audience as possible and this is a wonderful opportunity for these brilliant films by AFTRS students to be discovered by viewers across Australia on one of Australia’s most popular streaming platforms, SBS On Demand. SBS has an impressive record for championing new Australian talent and, at AFTRS, we are proud of our own history of nurturing diverse Australian screen voices. This is a terrific collaboration.”
The AFTRS Documentary Showcase is available to watch now on SBS On Demand.
AFTRS Documentary Showcase
Born at Eighteen
Born at Eighteen highlights the underrepresented yet common experience of a delayed youth within the LGBTQIA+ community. The documentary features interviews with two people from different generations as they share their own personal experiences with this phenomenon, as well as how it has affected them in their adult lives.
Creatives: Abbey Hocking (Writer/Director), Mitchell Longton (Producer), David Smith (1st AD), Archie Whiting (1st AC), Ash Dunford (Editor), Chris Le Page (Cinematographer), Charlie Davies (Sound Recordist/Designer), Rosie Robertson (Production Designer), Thomas Howlett (Photographer), River Wilson (Participant).
Talent Over Tourette’s
Talent Over Tourette’s is a documentary exploring what it’s like to live with Tourette’s Syndrome and highlights the many talents of those with the condition. Featuring three individuals who live with Tourette’s, the film discusses tics, hyperfocus and the misconceptions associated, while highlighting the positive outlooks on Tourette’s Syndrome.
Creatives: Suzanna Steele (Writer/Director), Alan Dan (Producer/Editor), Kumar Sambhav (1st AD), Jack Fairclough (Cinematographer), Cleo Baldwin (Production designer), Ruby Swain (Sound Recordist), Thomas Howlett (Stills Photographer), Maddy Clare Lardner (Participant), Harrison Gabriel (Participant), Robyn Latimer (Participant).
Gentle Torture
Charismatic brave activist, Arad Nik, advocates his life for refugees and asylum seekers like him, enticing the public to hear his voice and make a change. After 10 years of activism, Arad still has hope to end temporary visas for asylum seekers in Australia.
Creatives: Joelle Sanounou (Writer/Director/Producer), Zofia Burak (Co-Producer), Chloe Bobbin (1st AD), Harry Holder (Sound Designer), Grace Clinton (Cinematographer/Colourist), Xella Turner-O’Malley (Editor), Anith Mukherjee (Pre-production assistant), Melvin Tu (Compositor).
Drawing The Line
Drawing the Line is a powerful, animated documentary told via Paralympic gold-medallist, Tiffany Thomas Kane, who was stripped and shoved into a cupboard when she was just fourteen years old. Tiffany tells her story for the first time, taking the audience on a journey as she defies the odds to win gold for her country, proving to the bullies, and herself, that she’s stronger than they will ever be.
Creatives: Elyse Landsberry (Writer/Director/Animator), Scarlett Kratochvil (Producer), Ashley Dunford (1st AD), Jessica Flanagan (Sound Designer), Tiffany Thomas Kane (Participant), Belinda Landsberry (News Narrator).
Little Cambodia
The daughter of a Cambodian-Australian refugee seeks to understand how the Cambodian genocide, devastating many with famine, has impacted her family’s values towards Cambodian food and culture. Her Aunty Phanny Bou, a survivor of the regime explores the circumstances that led to her family’s congruous connection with food.
Creatives: Alyssa Dimarucut (Producer), Vanessa Bush (Director/Writer), Yen Hoang (1st AD), Chris Le Page (Cinematographer), Holly Hunter (Sound Recordist/Designer), Alvin Lavilla (Editor).
Native Food
The uses, access and importance of Indigenous food and plants in modern Australian food culture are explored through the work of 100% Indigenous owned businesses, the Lillipad Café and Jiwah Indigenous Gardens.
Creatives: Juliette Hoffman (Writer/Director), Zofia Burak (Producer), Benjamin Taylor (1St AD), Lucas Howard (Sound Designer), Laura Rose (Co-Writer/Cinematographer), Jared Thompson (Editor), Zachary Wise (Editor).
Pills & Powder Milk
Pills & Powder Milk is a poetic and participatory hybrid docu-drama about a Torres Strait Islander woman who uncovers her childhood memories and simultaneously discovers her trauma and her triggers
Creatives: Nazareth Alfred (Writer/Director/Producer/Sound Recordist/Designer), Ricky James (Producer), Benjamin Menday (1st AD), Michael Sheppard (2nd AD/Production Assistant), Anita Mukherjee (Cinematographer), Antony Zhang (Cinematographer), Tatjana Hamilton (Camera Assistant), Michael Shepherd (Camera Assistant), Kerrod Meredith-Creed (Photographer), Robert Manzani (Production Design), Jasmine Stokes (Production Assistant/Make-Up/Hair Supervisor), Farazbanu Akhalak Ahmad Anarwala (Sound Recordist), Izzat Nadeem (Editor/Colourist).
Silent Guitar
Ngoc-Tuan Hoang tells the story of growing up in Nha Trang, a small beach town in the South of Vietnam. In this impoverished town, entangled in the backwash of the Vietnam war, he finds a place of refuge through the classical guitar. As his skills and passion for the art grow, he is torn between realising his dreams of becoming a musician or adhering to the expectations of his family and school to live a normal, inconspicuous life.
Creatives: Alex Turner (Producer/Editor), Yen Hoang (Director/Animator), Alyssa Dimarucut (1st AD), Vanessa Bush (Sound Recordist), Leo O’Donoghue (Production Designer/Animator), Jackson Daley (Cinematographer), Oliver Marsden (Animator), Ngoc-Tuan Hoang (Participant).
The King in Me
The King in Me is a short documentary that gives us a closer look at the drag king community. In the shadow of Drag Queens, the Kings show us what it is like to find yourself through the art of drag and to simply be human.
Creatives: Felix Dupuy (Writer/Director), Joelle Sanounou (Producer), Kat Silverosa (1st AD), Aydin Miles (Sound Designer/Mixer), London Hartard (Cinematographer), Asher Wighton (Editor), Emily Carson (Production Designer), Chloe Bobbin (Production Assistant), Jessica Flanagan (Production Assistant), Noah Bloom (Compositor), Anna Gambrill (Participant), Gian Lao (Participant), Ruvani Halwala (Participant).
Tracking Farmer Dave
Tracking Farmer Dave is a compelling short documentary on the life of Farmer Dave Graham, whose experiences with bullying and violence in a country town, contrasted with his heights of fame on reality television, aided him in discovering his life’s purpose back on the farm.
We follow Farmer Dave back to country where his lifelong skills of dog training and his youth program RuffTrack are changing young lives. Dave share’s his reasons for going back to the farm, his years of service to the youth program and why empowering disadvantaged young people to become future leaders has been an essential chapter in Farmer Dave’s vibrant life.
Creatives: Nic Puni (Writer/Director), Madeleine Jurd (Producer), David Graham ‘Farmer Dave’ (Participant), Asher Harris-Cohen (DOP), Juliette Hoffman (Sound Recordist), Amy Rose (Sound Recordist), Felix Dupuy (1st AD), Jeremiah Puni (Editor), Annidette Puni (Production assistant), Stephanie Puni (Production assistant), Ashton Kerston (Participant).
