ABU members win international doco funding

Two ABU members have won special funding for new documentaries from Australia’s screen funding agency – one of them for a film on the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in South-East Asia.

Screen Australia has announced production investment of over US$1.5 million in five new projects as part of its International Documentary Program, triggering more than US$6 million for producers in Australia and partners in the United States, Ireland, Britain and Germany.

Screen Australia Senior Manager Documentary Liz Stevens said: “With two single-hour projects, two series and a feature-length project funded this round, it is a strong and diverse finish for the end of the financial year.”

The projects funded include After the Wave: The World’s Greatest Forensic Detective Story, recounting one of the most devastating natural disasters in modern times – the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami – which struck 13 countries and killed more than 200,000 people. The documentary will be produced for Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and Discovery (UK).

Roar Film’s Death or Liberty, the story of how political activists exiled to Australia during the 19th century helped to create the world’s first true democracy, will be produced for ABC TV.

Writer/producer Todd Sampson’s acclaimed program Redesign My Brain returns with a second series, investigating ways to train the brain to be resistant to the psychological problems faced by humans today. It will be produced for ABC TV, Discovery Network International, and Discovery Science USA.

Twisting the Dragon’s Tail tells the untold story of the most wondrous and terrifying rock on Earth in a three-part series for SBS Australia and PBS America, while Truck It follows road train drivers as they battle some of the toughest and most demanding journeys across Australia, for Seven Network.