10 projects for Bunya Talent Hub LA

10 Indigenous creative teams and projects have been announced for the Bunya Talent Hub LA.

The incubator program for mid-career writers, showrunners, directors and producers by Bunya Productions (Mystery Road, Sweet Country), Netflix, Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department was originally scheduled for May 2020 in LA, but was delayed due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

It will now take place as a virtual hub in early February 2021.

10 productions will each receive development funding to further develop their projects with Bunya. As part of the Hub, each project will also receive one-on-one international mentorship for their production from Australians in Film (AiF).

A final pitch session to Netflix commissioners in early 2021 will see one of the projects land a formal development deal with Netflix, with Bunya Productions engaged as producers.

The participants and teams are:

Aaron Fa’Aoso (Blue Water Empire, The Straits)
Nakkiah Lui (Black Comedy, Get Krack!n, Kiki and Kitty) and Miranda Tapsell (Top End Wedding, Get Krack!n, The Sapphires)
Tony Briggs (The Sapphires) and Damienne Pradier (Laurel’s Story-from Sapphire to Saigon)
Dena Curtis (Thalu, Grace Beside Me)
Adrian Russell Wills (Redfern Now, Black Divas) and Gillian Moody (Nice Shorts, Little J, Big Cuz)
Ryan Griffen (Cleverman)
Jub Clerc (The Heights, Molly and Cara)
Dylan River (Robbie Hood, Mystery Road S2) and Tanith Glynn-Maloney (Robbie Hood, She Who Must Be Loved)
Shari Sebbens (The Sapphires, Thor Ragnarok)
Wayne Blair (Firestarter, The Sapphires, Mystery Road Series 2)

Penny Smallacombe, Head of Indigenous at Screen Australia, said “This is such an exciting collaborative program and despite the delay due to COVID-19 we are really pleased to provide development support to such an incredible mix of projects from some of our best screen storytellers. There is so much talent in this group and with the support of Bunya Productions and Netflix I feel confident we can continue to take our First Nations stories to global audiences.”

Que Minh Luu, Director of Originals for Netflix in Australia, said: “Our investment in Australian content begins with harnessing the best of Australian creative talent. We are thrilled to invest in this cohort of gifted storytellers in partnership with Bunya Productions and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department.”

Sophia Zachariou, CEO Bunya Productions, said: “All hats off to Netflix and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department that we are able to support and further develop these incredible projects led by some of the strongest First Nations talent in the country.”