Indigenous Film & Television
153 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year prev 1 2 3
Film and television titles written and directed by an Indigenous person.
2000s (continued)
Shifting Shelter 3 documentary – 2005
Shot over a ten-year period, and reminiscent of the British 7 Up series, Shifting Shelter follows four Indigenous teens into young adulthood.
Us Deadly Mob documentary – 2005
A 'surf family story’ featuring Amber Mercy, who describes Indigenous surfing competitions as ‘sharing waves and laughing’.
Agnes Abbott: Hard Worker documentary – 2006
An Eastern Arrernte woman’s journey from mustering cattle to performing at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Aunty Connie documentary – 2006
Narration by Deborah Mailman reading from Connie’s life story told in her book, When You Grow Up is skillfully blended with Connie speaking to camera.
Cheeky Dog documentary – 2006
Dion is profoundly deaf and has muscular dystrophy but his love of dogs and his carer’s love have transformed him.
Cool Drink and Culture documentary – 2006
These three young women are passionate about passing on their knowledge of bush tucker to the Amunturrngu community’s children.
Crocodile Dreaming short film – 2006
A short film highlighting the role of traditional custodians in maintaining balance between the natural and spiritual worlds.
Deadly Yarns 2 – Adrift short film – 2006
In this short film a boy responds to the healing power of the natural environment, Aboriginal cultural practices and family.
Deadly Yarns 2 – Frankie’s Story short film – 2006
A young boy excluded from a school trip to the fire station brings the fire trucks to him.
Footy The La Perouse Way documentary – 2006
Sydney’s La Perouse had an all-black football team in the 1930s but all nationalities were being welcomed by the 1950s.
Island Fettlers documentary – 2006
In the 1960s, Torres Strait Islander men moved to the Pilbara for work and stayed on. Island Fettlers starkly contrasts two cultures – visually, physically and aurally.
My Brother Vinnie documentary – 2006
When Vinnie made actor Aaron Pedersen his carer, he saw something in Aaron that Aaron himself could not understand.
Sunset to Sunrise (ingwartentyele – arrerlkeme) documentary – 2006
A yarn told by Rupert Max Stuart, an Arrernte and Mu-tujulu Elder, encapsualing his philosophies about passing culture on and keeping it alive.
Bit of Black Business – Back Seat short film – 2007
One day seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Janine, who is meeting her biological family for the first time.
Bit of Black Business – Bloodlines short film – 2007
Josh is putting off making a difficult phone call. His procrastination is interrupted by voices from his past.
Bit of Black Business – Custard short film – 2007
A young woman’s grandfather has died. She returns to Stradbroke Island to comfort her grandmother and discover the truth about her grandfather’s death.
Bit of Black Business – Days Like These short film – 2007
Days Like These is a day in the life of Dan, a young Aboriginal man trying to get ahead – but it seems the odds are stacked against him.
Bit of Black Business – Done Dirt Cheap short film – 2007
A tourist overhears two miners talking with Amos, a gold prospector. He buys a nugget from Amos that’s worth a lot less than he bargained for.
Bit of Black Business – Hush short film – 2007
Ethel’s daughter thinks her mum and Mary get together to play cards. She’s shocked to discover they’ve found an unexpected new way of supplementing their pensions.
Bit of Black Business – Jackie Jackie short film – 2007
Inspired by a dream, Jackie Jackie is reminiscent of Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Tracey Moffatt’s BeDevil (1993) in its stylised kitsch.
Bit of Black Business – Kwatye short film – 2007
Filmed in Alice Springs and inspired by a true story, Kwatye is a humorous lesson in being careful about what you say in front of the children.
Bit of Black Business – Nana short film – 2007
This short film from Warwick Thornton is a humorous portrait of an all-rounder told from the perspective of her adoring granddaughter.
Bit of Black Business – Sharpeye short film – 2007
An 11-year-old boy’s sharp eyes help thwart an invasion exercise by elite Special Forces soldiers in the Torres Strait.
Bit of Black Business – The Turtle short film – 2007
Jason’s mother sends him to a small coastal town to keep him out of trouble. But it takes a turtle hunt with his grandfather to bring Jason out of his shell.
Bit of Black Business – Too Late short film – 2007
Ben arrives home late to find his wife not talking to him and his son ignoring him. His pleas for forgiveness are ignored, and he uncovers a shocking truth.
Bit of Black Business – Two Big Boys short film – 2007
When their car breaks down at a drive-through restaurant, a speed bump becomes a seemingly insurmountable obstacle for two bickering brothers.
Bungalung: A Dreaming of Cannibals documentary – 2007
A dramatised documentary about an ancient ghost story told by two Anmatjere elders to a group of children.
The Circuit – It’s a Long Way Home television program – 2007
A fresh look at the interaction between the court system and Aboriginal people living in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Deadly Yarns 3 – Who Paintin’ Dis Wandjina? short film – 2007
When a Perth artist uses traditional iconography as graffiti, the traditional owners are not impressed.
Double Trouble – Episode 1 television program – 2007
Double Trouble is in the vein of Parent Trap, but with an Australian spin. It is an entertaining children’s program that offers insights into the lives of young people living in the Alice.
Double Trouble – Episode 4 television program – 2007
Double Trouble allows a cultural exchange to happen for the audience as well as the characters, as we follow the adventures of twin sisters who are both 'fish out of water’.
Double Trouble – Episode 7 television program – 2007
Double Trouble has entertaining and likeable characters and boasts an experienced cast. It also wonderfully captures an Indigenous sensibility and humour.
Message Stick – The Convincing Ground television program – 2007
The Kilcarer clan rally against a commercial development on a heritage-listed massacre site in Victoria known as the Convincing Ground.
Tnorala: Baby Falling documentary – 2007
An ancient central Australian dreaming story about the formation of a large meteorite crater in the Northern Territory.
Willaberta Jack documentary – 2007
Willaberta Jack and Harry Henty on the record, recalling an incident that occurred almost a century ago.
Bush Toys documentary – 2008
A group of boys from the Titjikala community maintain the desert tradition of making miniatures or ‘bush toys’ from materials found in the environment.
First Australians – Episode 1, They Have Come to Stay documentary – 2008
The opening episode of this landmark television series explores the first contact, meetings and relationships between the British and the first Australians.
First Australians – Episode 2, Her Will to Survive documentary – 2008
This episode covers the period from 1825–60 and European settlement in Tasmania, told through the stories of Truganini and George Augustus Robinson.
First Australians – Episode 3, Freedom For Our Lifetime documentary – 2008
Episode 3 focuses on the first Australians of Victoria and the lives of Simon Wonga and William Barack.
First Australians – Episode 4, No Other Law documentary – 2008
This episode examines the coming of the telegraph pole and white settlement to Central Australia.
First Australians – Episode 5, Unhealthy Government Experiment documentary – 2008
This episode explores the lives of Jandamarra, an Aboriginal stockman, and Gladys Gillian, an institutionalised half-caste.
First Australians – Episode 6, A Fair Deal for a Dark Race documentary – 2008
Episode 6 of First Australians explores Indigenous history from 1930–67, primarily in the south-eastern regions of Australia.
First Australians – Episode 7, We Are No Longer Shadows documentary – 2008
The final episode of First Australians covers the period 1967–93 and Eddie Mabo’s fight for land rights.
River of No Return documentary – 2008
A thought-provoking film that explores the issues involved in living a traditional lifestyle while trying to gain access to the larger, dominant society.
Bourke Boy short film – 2009
A father attempts to reaffirm his relationship with his adopted son as the son seeks to reconnect with his natural mother, culture and country.
Bran Nue Dae feature film – 2009
An uplifting musical about an Indigenous boy’s journey back home, Bran Nue Dae encourages the audience to relax, get on board and enjoy the ride.
Samson and Delilah feature film – 2009
A heartbreaking and thought-provoking film about two Indigenous teenagers growing up in central Australia.
Stone Bros. feature film – 2009
A fun-loving road movie about two cousins who travel home to Kalgoorlie from Perth to fulfil an obligation they’d made to their uncle.
2010s
Art + Soul documentary – 2010
Senior art curator Hetti Perkins travels across Australia to meet leading Aboriginal artists and talk about their works within an Aboriginal cultural context.
Here I Am feature film – 2011
A young woman attempts to reconnect with her mother and daughter after her release from prison.
Mad Bastards feature film – 2011
TJ returns to the Kimberley region of Western Australia to try and reconnect with his teenage son.
Toomelah feature film – 2011
A hard-hitting film about the impact of poverty, drugs and alcohol on the life of a young boy living in an Aboriginal community.
Blackbuster short film – 2012
In this comic love story a pirate-movie dealer’s daydreams seep into reality.
