Screen Australia announces $2.3million funding for 10 documentaries

Screen Australia has announced $2.3million of documentary production funding for eight projects through the Producer Program and two projects through the Commissioned Program.

The projects include feature documentaries about Australian music icons John Farnham, Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach, and legendary racehorse Winx; as well as Embrace Kids, a follow up to hit 2016 documentary Embrace.

Alex West, Head of Documentary at Screen Australia said, ‘We’re proud to announce this impressive mix of projects which rounds out our documentary funding for 2019/20.

‘It’s great to support so many feature documentaries covering a range of exciting topics, including shining a light on a number of Australian icons, and I’m confident they will captivate audiences.’ 

The Commissioned projects include: Nurses, a 10-part series from ITV Studios Australia for the Seven Network about nurses in NSW; and Outback Ringer, a seven-part series from Ronde Media for the ABC about the families that risk their lives catching feral bulls and buffalo in the Australian outback.

The Producer Program projects are: Embrace Kids, a documentary about body image; Gloriavale, about the infamous Gloriavale Christian Community cult; Ithaka, which follows Julian Assange’s father, John Shipton, in his legal fight to free his son; John Farnham – Finding the Voice, about the legendary Aussie singer; Knowing the Score, about Simone Young, the first woman to be Chief Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; The Giants, a documentary on environmentalist Bob Brown; Wash My Soul In The River’s Flow, which tells the story of musicians Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach; WINX, a film that chronicles the bay filly from Lot 329 who went on to be crowned the best race horse in the world.