Often our first films are one’s family have asked us to document. These grass root films form the foundation of our drive to make that television series; 1hr broadcast; SVOD half hour or a feature documentary and then do it all over again!!! In this panel we talk to First Nations filmmakers at different stages of their factual careers: Douglas Watkins with big boots in the award winning sector for feature documentaries; and one hour broadcast debuts for Shontell Ketchell and Jessica Magro. Whilst Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe co-directs her first feature documentary with Rachel Ward, ‘Standing on the Soilution’.

PANEL GUESTS

Douglas Watkin

Douglas Watkin is a seasoned documentary writer/director/producer actively working in the film and television industry for over 25 years, including series producing and directing multiple series for ABC, SBS and NITV. Douglas is known for his award winning feature documentaries Alick and Albert (2021) and Ella (2016). Douglas was the Content Director for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program at Screen Queensland between 2017 and 2021, project managing feature films and award winning television / streaming series in both factual and scripted drama, with a focus on escalating new Black talent.

Shontell Ketchell

Shontell Leah Ketchell, is an Aboriginal (Kaanju Nation) and Torres Strait Islander (Badu & Mer Island) emerging screenwriter and producer from Cairns, Far North Queensland. In 2018 she was accepted into the Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film course at AFTRS. In the short time Shontell has been screenwriting she has had a number of amazing opportunities to work with producers and other writers across Australia including Black Comedy; NITV children’s show ‘Barrumbi Kids’ and she has been selected for initiatives by Screenworks and Screen Qld for regional talent. Her documentary ‘Sista’s in Mining’ premiering on SBS on 4th August.

Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe

Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe is a Bidjara, Dhunghutti woman with mixed European & Asian descent. She is an independent filmmaker, Indigenous Lead for WIFT Australia, SPA Ones to Watch (2020) with a slate of projects in the factual and narrative space. She is currently in development on two feature documentaries ‘Unsettled Bones’ and ‘The Shapeshifter’ and in post-production on feature documentary ‘Standing on the Soilution’. She has written, directed and produced several short documentaries for NITV and SBS.

Jess Magro

Jessica Magro is a proud Samoan-Maltese-Australian Meanjin (Brisbane) based 'SPA Ones to Watch' (2021) television producer and director of both scripted and unscripted formats. Jessica is currently working at Ludo Studio on the Emmy award winning animated children’s series 'Bluey' while developing her own slate of projects at Purple Carrot Entertainment, with a strong focus on Pasifika-Australian stories. This includes drama series 'DIVA' which recently received development funding through the SBS/SA Digital Originals initiative, and 'The Alexander Ball' documentary premiering August 4th on SBS, celebrating Samoan-Australian trans woman of colour, Ella Ganza, and ‘The Alexander Ball’.

MODERATOR

Katrina Irawati- Graham

Katrina Irawati-Graham is an Indonesian Australian writer-director and sits on the Diversity & Equity Taskforce (Screen Qld) and WIFT International board and sub-committee chair in advocacy and activism for Women in Film and Television (WIFT) Australia. She recently co-directed the Stan television series ‘Bali’ based on the Bali bombing. Katrina has a strong interest in cultural safety and protocols being implemented as an industry standard. She has been a moderator and judge for various film festivals over the last 5 years.