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NAIDOC Week 2019: NITV, SBS, ABC.

Broadcasters celebrate Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples all next week.

NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week takes place from July 7 – 14, celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

SBS / NITV and ABC have dedicated programming.

SBS / NITV:

As the National NAIDOC Principal Media Partner this year’s multiplatform offering includes the exclusive broadcast of the 2019 National NAIDOC Awards on NITV, SBS On Demand and NITV Facebook Live, the premiere of new short-form drama Robbie Hood on SBS On Demand and a range of documentaries, movies and news and current affairs programs across the network.

SBS Director, Television and Online Content, Marshall Heald, said: “As Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster and the home of NITV, SBS is uniquely placed to share stories of First Nations cultures, communities and conversations with all Australians.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling is a core part of SBS’s offering all year round, and NAIDOC Week is the perfect time for the network to present a broad slate of programs that encourage a deeper understanding of Australia’s shared history and shared future, and to celebrate together the achievements of our First Nations peoples.”

NITV Channel Manager, Tanya Orman, added: “NITV plays an invaluable role in providing a trusted platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and experiences.

“NITV’s NAIDOC offering will recognise the contributions made by Indigenous Australians, with the exclusive broadcast of the 2019 National NAIDOC Awards. We’ll also bring audiences comprehensive news and current affairs delivered each day from the 2019 NAIDOC host city, Canberra, which will provide further context and discussion around this year’s theme – Voice, Treaty, Truth – through a multitude of perspectives.”

The heart of the NAIDOC Week programming schedule is the 2019 National NAIDOC Awards. The live broadcast will be hosted by Elaine Crombie, Megan Wilding, Rachael Hocking and Aaron Fa’Aoso on NITV, SBS On Demand and NITV Facebook Live (Saturday 6 July, 6.30pm). The awards recognise individuals who have contributed their talents, expertise, knowledge and lives to Australia’s First Peoples.

SBS and NITV will simulcast Gurrumul (Sunday 7 July, 8.30pm), a special documentary about one of Australia’s most acclaimed voices, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. Blind from birth, Gurrumul found purpose and meaning through music inspired by his community and country on Elcho Island in far North East Arnhem Land. Living a traditional Yolngu life, his breakthrough album ‘Gurrumul’ brought him to a crossroads as audiences and artists around the world embraced his music.

Further highlights on NITV include She Who Must Be Loved (Sunday 14 July, 8.30pm) a film about the life story of Alfreda Glynn, the inspiring founder of the first Aboriginal TV and radio network across Australia, classic film Storm Boy (Sunday 6 July, 6.30pm), music documentary, Westwind: Djalu’s Legacy (Thursday 11 July, 8.30pm) and the ground-breaking film Rabbit-Proof Fence (Wednesday 10 July, 9.30pm).

NITV’s flagship news and current affairs program, The Point will broadcast from Old Parliament House in Canberra (Wednesday 10 July, 8.30pm), featuring a group of young leaders from across the country and NITV News will broadcast daily from the capital, covering the week’s events and celebrating NAIDOC Award winners each day.

The Point’s Rachael Hocking will host a special episode of SBS’s Insight (Tuesday 9 July, 8.30pm), focused on the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trailblazers. Rachael will also host an Indigenous focused episode of SBS VICELAND’s The Feed (Thursday 11 July, 8.30pm), alongside presenter Laura Murphy-Oates. In addition, The Point’s John Paul Janke will host an episode of Small Business Secrets (Saturday 6 July, 6pm, NITV and Friday 12 July, 3.30pm, SBS).

SBS will broadcast episodes of documentaries First Contact (series two) (from Monday 8 July, 2pm), Who Do You Think You Are? (from Monday 8 July, 3pm), Going Places With Ernie Dingo (from Wednesday 10 July, 7.30pm) and Tudawali (Sunday 14 July, 1.45am), a film about Robert Tudawali, the first Aboriginal film star. Living Black host Karla Grant will speak with former Australian Rules footballers, Adam Goodes and Nicky Winmar as well as former sprinter, Cathy Freeman in special episodes of the Indigenous current affairs program (from Friday 12 July, 4pm). While SBS World News will cover events and stories happening across the nation in NAIDOC Week.

SBS’s new free-to-air movie channel, SBS World Movies will broadcast First Nations films Yolngu Boy (Wednesday 10 July, 11.35pm) and Charlie’s Country (Thursday 11 July, 1.40am).

SBS On Demand will premiere Robbie Hood, a mischievous short-form comedy series from director Dylan River. Set in Alice Springs, the series follows Robbie, a precocious little misfit with a heart of gold, who along with his two best friends, does the right thing, even when it’s a little bit wrong. Audiences will also be able to enjoy a wide variety of Australian movies with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander themes on the free streaming platform, including The Fringe Dwellers, Manganinnie, Tudawali and Mad Dog Morgan.

SBS VICELAND will air Island Queens (Monday 8 July, 11pm), the second documentary in VICE’s Australiana series, which explores the gay and transgender Indigenous community of the Tiwi Islands, the television premiere of Robbie Hood (Tuesday 9 July, 9.30pm) and mini-documentary series on the 2019 National NAIDOC Award winners (Sunday 7 July, 3pm).

On SBS Food, audiences will get a taste of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flavours and bush foods with shows like Kriol Kitchen and On Country Kitchen airing nightly at 5pm and 5.30pm throughout the week.

Film Victoria:

Four Victorian-made short documentaries exploring the theme of Treaty are set to hit screens during NAIDOC Week 2019, with the support of Film Victoria and NITV.

The Treaty initiative supported Indigenous Victorian filmmakers to create an original short film about what Treaty means to them and their local community, and links in with the theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week, Voice.Treaty.Truth.

What If, from writer/director Daniel King, brings five Victorian community members together to contemplate what if a Treaty was signed in 1788, when the first British ships arrived in Botany Bay.

In Unceded, by musician and filmmaker Robbie Bundle (Keeping Harmony: The Earth Songlines & Mixing It Up), three Aboriginal men meet in a recording studio to discuss what a Treaty is all about and record a song titled ‘Unceded’.

Tarneen Onus and Paul Gorrie teamed up on Young Mob Questioning Treaty, asking young Aboriginal people who are traditional custodians in Victoria to share their insights into what has been happening and what they believe needs to happen in the Treaty process.

Social commentator and screenwriter Nayuka Gorrie has written and directed Treaty Now?, reflecting on her own position on a Treaty, alongside that of her grandmother Aunty Sandra Onus and friend Oscar Monaghan.

The filmmakers were supported through the development of their idea and into production, under the mentorship of Executive Producer Beck Cole (Redfern Now, The Warriors, First Australians), Series Producers Tony Briggs and Damienne Pradier of Typecast Entertainment (The Sapphires, The Warriors) and Philippa Campey and Samantha Dinning of Film Camp (Bastardy, Words from the City).

Film Victoria CEO, Caroline Pitcher, said: “We’re so excited to see these four compelling works by Victorian Indigenous filmmakers premiere on NITV to mark the start of NAIDOC Week. The subject of Treaty is an important and critical national conversation and each of these films voices a perspective that is unique, propelling audiences to connect with Australia’s indigenous culture.”

NITV Chanel Manager, Tanya Orman, said: “We are very proud to be able to facilitate the creation of such strong, fresh, short-form documentaries from Victoria-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers. The films speak directly to this year’s NAIDOC theme of Voice, Treaty, Truth and form an important part of our NAIDOC offering. We are also grateful for the ongoing support and partnership offered by Film Victoria that made this possible.”

Executive Producer Beck Cole said: “This incredible collective of stories documenting the issues around Treaty in Victoria brings previously unheard voices to the screen. It was a privilege to work with this group of emerging Indigenous film makers on four inspiring, poetic and sometimes funny short films that probe deeply at a complex and sometimes misunderstood movement. I can’t wait to share this formative series with engaged audiences.”

Treaty will air on NITV on Sunday 7 July at 6.30pm, preceding Songlines, with a repeat at 1.20pm on Monday 8 July. NAIDOC Week 2019 runs from 7-14 July.

ABC:

An exclusive ABC iview collection of new short-form dramas, docos and comedy screening from Sunday 7 July.

For a contemporary look at a slice of life and culture of the Torres Strait Islander people, watch the 6-part short-form documentary series Yatha Pathay on ABC iview and ABC Indigenous social media platforms. Yatha Pathay is a ‘coming of age’ series that explores the emotional strings that bind family, lineage, place and story together.

Catch all the episodes of the comedy KGB set in Perth’s notorious KGB (Koondoola, Girrawheen, Balga). The series follows two rookie Indigenous detectives, tough guy Jack (Clarence Ryan) and gentle giant Nigel (Bjorn Stewart), as they deal with the chaos of their new jobs, no-nonsense boss (Genevieve Morris), work rivals, drug dealers and suspects who consistently turn out to be family.

Other ABC iview premieres include a collection of short-form dramas including:
Between Two Lines, two WWI enemy soldiers become stranded in No Man’s Land, an unlikely bond is formed. Will they still be able to pull the trigger if the time came? Or will their bond be the very thing to save their lives?
Brown Lips, after sharing a kiss, Keira and Des, two cousins from the western suburbs decide that the only way to feel loved, is to escape to the city and turn their backs on their family for good…

Etched in Bone, Jacob Nayinggul, an Aboriginal elder from Arnhem Land in Northern Australia, knows that bones of his ancestors were stolen by scientists in 1948 and held for sixty years by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC as part of a large collection of human anatomy. When after years of argument, the Smithsonian finally agrees to repatriate the bones, Jacob Nayinggul creates a new form of ceremony. Wrapped in paperbark, the stolen bones – and with them the ancestors’ spirits – are welcomed home and put to sleep in the land they were born.

In Water – its January 26, 2038, it’s been 250 years since the invasion of Australia and rain has not fallen for 20 years. The country’s vast aquifer supplies have been contaminated by fracking. The only hope of life is in isolated Aboriginal homelands in outback Australia.

Also screening exclusively on ABC iview is Back Roads Dreaming and Other Stories, a series that shares the old, new and living stories told by Australia’s First Peoples about the locations featured in the ABC series Back Roads.

On ABC + ABC iview, watch Blue Water Empire, the 3-part landmark series that gives a unique insight into the history and culture of the Torres Strait Islands, screening Tuesdays at 8.30pm.

The Logie Award winning series Gardening Australia will turn its focus on Indigenous stories including; bush regeneration, bush foods, reading the land, education programs, native plant profiles, and cooking with bush foods. Back Roads visits Burketown QLD, while Compass looks at the strong connections that are forged when girls from a Sydney high school travel to Brewarrina to play netball with a team of young Indigenous people. Anh Do returns to his studio to paint and chat with singer Archie Roach on Anh’s Brush with Fame. And guest programming RAGE on Saturday July 13, are Nooky, Philly, Birdz and Briggs from Bad Apples Music. Throughout the week, there will also be guest appearances from the likes of Baker Boy, Thelma Plum and Dallas Woods.

On ABC COMEDY, watch the sketch series; Black Comedy, then follow up with Nakkiah Lui’s hilarious Kiki and Kitty, before Comedy Next Gen, with comedian Corey White’s award-winning ‘The Cane Toad’ effect stand-up show which sifts through the wreckage of a broken home, mental illness and failed loved delivering an hour of sparkling stand- up comedy that cuts through woe to the beautiful heart of life. Round out the late-night evening viewing with some of the new buddy cop series KGB.

On ABC ME, there is more for kids to watch and learn, including; Grace Beside Me, Little J and Big Cuz, Bushwacked, Move It Mobstyle and a special This Place for younger viewers.

During NAIDOC Week on ABC KIDS, meet Kiya, our new Play School toy, who will make her debut on in the special Acknowledgement of Country episode, celebrating our Indigenous language and culture and furthering the commitment to embed Indigenous perspectives and viewpoints in ABC Children’s content. In this special episode, airing 8 July from 9am on ABC KIDS, presenters Miranda Tapsell, Luke Carroll and Hunter Page-Lochard will find out where Kiya is from and learn to say hello in her language. In Play School Celebrity Covers, we invite Australia’s most iconic performers and entertainers to perform a song, story or nursery rhyme. First up, Baker Boy sings “Hickory Dickory Dock”.

Don’t forget Giggle and Hoot – Owl Pals, where Owl Pals Maliyaan and Mirii visit Hoot, Hootabelle and Hootogadget in the Giggle and Hoot House! They teach Hootogadget some words in their Indigenous languages and show Hoot and Hootabelle some traditional Indigenous dances!

In an ABC first, the ABC homepage (abc.net.au) will feature all Indigenous design, stories and programming in an ABC Homepage Blakout*. Running for an entire week from midday Sunday 7 July to midday Sunday 14 July the Blakout celebrates Indigenous culture and NAIDOC week 2019, by showcasing stories from and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

ABC News’ Indigenous Affairs reporter and Walkley Award winner Isabella Higgins will feature as Guest Editor.

The ABC Homepage Blakout features the original artwork by artist and designer Jessica Johnson, who is a descendant of the Warumungu/Wombaya people north of Tennant Creek.

On the Blakout Isabella said: “First Nations’ people have always been storytellers, it’s how we have passed down our knowledge for millennia, it’s the stories of my own family’s strength and survival that inspire me to do what I do.

It’s their stories of heartbreak and hardship, of trials and triumphs, that didn’t just shape me, but offer an insight into the true depth of history and culture in this nation.

I’m privileged to now tell the stories of so many Indigenous Australians for the ABC, who offer Australia an insight into our shared history.”

Kelrick Martin, ABC Head of Indigenous said:

“There is nothing more unique to Australia than its Indigenous people and culture. NAIDOC is our national annual event to unite, reflect and take pride in the value of that uniqueness. But NAIDOC shouldn’t just be left to our Indigenous community to celebrate alone. The spirit of NAIDOC should also be a recognition that Indigenous culture is a part of every Australian, to be worn with honour and respect.

In 2019 and beyond, I am proud to be part of the commitment by the national broadcaster to ensure all Australians have an opportunity to embrace Indigenous culture into their own identity – to incorporate Indigenous language into their everyday vocabulary, recognise and take collective ownership of both the good and bad historical accounts of this country.”

One Response

  1. I find the NAIDOC week themes to be quite impressive. Last year’s theme was “Because of her, we can!” The theme for 2019 is “Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together”. It’s a powerful message and I hope the programming, particularly the news, current affairs and live broadcasting can explore the theme with the issues like reconciliation, compromise and acknowledgement regarding the shared bond between first nations and non-Indigenous now and into the future.

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