Latest Screen Australia doco funding

Screen Australia has announced three documentaries funded through the Commissioned Program and four projects through the Producer Program that will share in over $1.7 million of production funding.

They include docos on Thai Cave Rescue divers Richard Harris and Craig Challen in freshwater tunnel exploration, the world of rugby league and women’s sport and Osher Günsberg on chronic pain.

Screen Australia Head of Documentary Alex West said, “From exploring the natural phenomena and the power of Mother Nature to the complexity of our minds and bodies, this diverse collection of documentaries is not to be missed. We are proud to be supporting such talented creatives in our shared mission to bring voices from all walks of life to the screen and are excited that viewers will have the opportunity to be immersed in these deeply personal stories.”

Commissioned Program:

Osher Günsberg: My Journey Beyond Pain (SBS)
1 x 52 mins
Lune Media Pty Ltd
Writer David Galloway
Executive Producers Ashley Davies, David Galloway, Leonie Lowe
Synopsis In this new documentary My Journey Beyond Pain, presenter Osher Günsberg will spearhead a very personal investigation into the causes of chronic and persistent pain, meet the individuals and families it affects, and reveal what surprising new science, medications and alternative therapies are being used to treat and manage it.

Skin In The Game (NITV)
1 x 60 mins
Southern Pictures Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Dena Curtis
Executive Producers Laurie Critchley, Georgia Woodward, Marlee Silva
Synopsis Marlee Silva, proud Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman, emerging media star and rugby league royalty embarks on a deeply personal exploration of the future of Australia’s most loved sport – and what it says about who we are as a nation.

Unofficial History (SBS)
3 x 52 mins
Unofficial History Pty Ltd
Directors Chris Eley, Pauline Clague, Ili Baré
Writers Chris Eley, Ili Baré
Producers Jo-anne McGowan, Rebecca Bennett
Synopsis A forgotten vault of films from the 1970s reveals a decade of startling transformation in Australia… a country that had resisted change for so long.

Producer Program (titles may be cinema release):

Welcome to Yiddishland
1 x 90 mins
Racing Pulse Productions Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Ros Horin
Producer Jeff Daniels
Synopsis A feature-length observational documentary about a global movement of artists as they revive the ancient and endangered Yiddish language, to share an inclusive and progressive understanding of their world.

Deeper
1 x 90 mins
Stranger Than Fiction Films Pty Ltd
Writer/Director Jennifer Peedom
Producer Blayke Hoffman
Executive Producers Sarah Noonan, Jo-anne McGowan
Synopsis In a remote cave system in New Zealand, two friends risk it all to pursue a dangerous obsession.

Floodland
1 x 80 mins
Sweetshop & Green
Writer/Director Jordan Giusti
Co-Writer Joseph Nizeti
Producers Gal Greenspan, Rachel Forbes
Executive Producer Alice Burgin
Synopsis A town that prides itself on its resilience in the face of persistent flooding is shattered by the most expensive climate disaster in Australia’s history. It’s a time of hard truths and difficult decisions for those who call Lismore home – and a cautionary tale for a changing world.

The Musical Mind A Portrait In Process
1 x 83 mins
Musical Mind Pty Ltd
Director Scott Hicks
Writer Scott Hicks, Jett Heysen-Hicks
Producer Kerry Heysen
Co-Producer Jett Heysen-Hicks
Executive Producers David Chiem, Mikael Borglund
Synopsis Inspired by the 25th anniversary of his movie Shine, director Scott Hicks explores the creative process of four elite international musicians, with unprecedented access to their private worlds. The film celebrates how each neuro-atypical artist expresses their unique creativity, power and pain of their art with passion, emotion and humour.