A slate of seven new climate-focused documentary projects will take centre stage at the inaugural Climate Story Lab Australia.
Climate Story Lab Australia, a three-day workshop for creatives hosted by Documentary Australia and global nonprofit Doc Society, will be held from 26 to 28 August in Sydney.
Held at Artspace, the lab aims to ‘supercharge the impact of documentary storytelling’ on climate justice by connecting filmmakers with a multidisciplinary network of collaborators – including First Nations leaders, scientists, strategists, funders and advocates.
Selected works include feature-length films, podcasts and series, each tackling urgent environmental issues through the lens of lived experience, cultural knowledge, and community resilience. Among the projects are:
- Connected to Country – a podcast led by Genevieve Grieves that amplifies the wisdom of First Nations Elders on climate, cultural survival and stewardship.
- Testimony – Maya Newell’s feature doc following Torres Strait Islanders as they sue the Australian Government for failing to protect them from rising sea levels.
- Floodland – a portrait of post-flood Lismore by Jordan Giusti, capturing the tensions and trauma of a community repeatedly overwhelmed by water.
- Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay – Karla Hart’s docuseries following Malgana entrepreneur Michael Wear and his Indigenous startup as they attempt to revive Australia’s sea cucumber trade while restoring fragile marine ecosystems.
- Moblands – a cinematic journey with three First Nations cowboys armed with intergenerational knowledge to protect Country in the face of colonisation and climate crisis.
- Austinmer 2515 – a ten-part podcast from Kellie Riordan documenting one beachside town’s ambitious push to electrify itself and go fossil-fuel free.
- Confidential Gas Project – a still-embargoed feature examining the global supply chain of the gas industry.
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About Climate Story Lab Australia
The lab, modelled on the successful Climate Story Lab format developed by Doc Society and Exposure Labs in 2019, has previously sparked impact-driven storytelling events in over 30 locations globally – from the Brazilian Amazon to East and West Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Participants will receive tailored pitch and impact strategy training, present their projects to an invited cohort of changemakers, and in many cases receive support for interstate travel. The stated goal is to ‘foster powerful alliances’ between storytellers and those on the front lines of climate action.
Stephanie King, Impact Director at Documentary Australia and co-lead of the initiative, said the selected projects exemplify the depth and urgency of regional storytelling.
‘We could not be more passionate about supporting these independent climate documentary projects characterised by their interrogation of power, their elevation of research and lived experience, and their visions of climate-just futures.’
Doc Society’s Director of Special Projects Hollie Fifer, who helped bring the program to Australia, called the event a vital moment in the country’s climate communications landscape.
‘We will bring together change-makers across the country – First Nations leaders, climate experts, storytellers, funders and the doc community – to exchange knowledge, strategies and the power of documentaries to shift Australia’s understanding of climate justice.’
Key backers from across the screen sector echoed their support.
The initiative is supported by Shark Island Foundation, Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland and Screenwest.
For more information visit the official Climate Story Lab Australia website.
