How can documentary storytelling be harnessed to support advocacy, policy and long-term systems change?

We will meet Emma Macey-Storch – Director and Producer of the award-winning film Geeta, and Dr Allison Henry – Campaign Director from the hugely successful The Hunting Ground Australia Project, at the first Impact Producer Program Masterclass of the year.

The conversation, led by our CEO Dr Mitzi Goldman, will unpack how we can use documentary storytelling to support advocacy campaigns, influence policy decisions and create long-term systems change on pressing issues such as gender-based violence and assault. It will also share insights into evidence-based practice, working with politicians and convening a coalition of partners and activist groups to raise public awareness and advocate for new legislation and policies.

About the panellists

Emma Macey-Storch is an award-winning Australian Writer/Director with a passion for telling powerful, character-driven stories that delve into complex and nuanced social issues. In 2021, Emma released her first feature film, Geeta, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival, followed by an extensive festival run, including its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where it won Best Social Justice documentary. For her work on Geeta, Emma also won the inaugural Ferguson Film Prize for a first or sophomore Australian feature director who “exhibits captivating, daring, and ambitious storytelling”. Emma has decades of experience collaborating with communities on productions, managing outreach programs and advocating for the issues in her films, as well as developing talent acceleration programs for young people entering the film industry in the UK.

Dr Allison Henry has over two decades of experience in law, politics, public policy and advocacy. Allison was an impact producer on several Good Pitch Australia films, including Frackman and Constance on the Edge. Between 2015 to 2018, she was the Campaign Director of The Hunting Ground Australia Project, a collaborative multi-partner impact campaign credited with significantly raising awareness of campus sexual violence in Australia.

Following her role with The Hunting Ground Australia Project, Allison completed her award-winning PhD on 'Regulatory responses to sexual assault and sexual harassment in Australian university settings’ at the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW in 2023. She was a member of the Department of Education’s Expert Reference Group, which led to the development of the new Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education. In 2024, Allison served as a subject matter expert on the Expert Reference Group developing the National Gender Based Violence Code for Higher Education.

About the films
Geeta is a vibrant, raw and honest film about a mother's heartfelt attempt to change her daughter's destiny after a brutal acid attack. Watch Trailer

The Hunting Ground is a critically acclaimed feature documentary that chronicles the personal stories of students who have been sexually assaulted on American university campuses. Watch trailer

The Storytelling for Policy Change Masterclass is presented as part of the Impact Producer Program which is supported by its major partners, The Snow Foundation, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Minderoo Foundation and Dyson Bequest, plus venue partner Shark Island Institute.

Storytelling for Systems Change Masterclass: Online

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