Three original short films from emerging First Nations writer and directors in South Australia have entered the final stage of production, as part of the second round of the South Australian Film Corporation’s (SAFC) First Nations Short Film Program.
The selected projects are Digital Abyss by Whadjuk Noongar filmmaker Joshua Barbo, The Secret by Yankunytjatjara filmmaker Lilla Berry, and Catchin’ Mumoo by Aboriginal Kokatha/Greek writer/director Dylan Coleman.
Each film has received $45,000 in production funding from the SAFC, following a development phase that supported seven First Nations screenwriters in 2024 through workshops, mentorship and script development sessions with industry professionals.
The initiative aims to provide emerging South Australian First Nations creatives with industry experience and meaningful screen credits across writing, directing and producing.
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SAFC First Nations short film program: the selected projects
In Catchin’ Mumoo, written and directed by Dylan Coleman and produced by Gregory Read (Like Minds, Own the Sky), a seven-year-old boy takes it upon himself to row out to sea and catch a Great White shark that keeps stealing his father’s fishing catch.
Coleman has a strong track record in Indigenous storytelling, with previous shorts Spin Out and Secret Pretty Things earning awards at the South Australian Screen Awards and the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards. She is also a lecturer in Indigenous Health at the University of Adelaide and is developing a feature inspired by her father’s story.
Digital Abyss, written and directed by Joshua Barbo and produced by Travis Akbar (Tambo), follows a grieving mother who receives late-night calls from her deceased son. As she clings to his memory, she discovers that reconnecting with the past may come at a dangerous cost.
Akbar, a Wongutha man and experienced producer based on Peramangk Country, was named Best Emerging First Nations Practitioner at the 2024 SASA Awards and currently works with Dicentium Films as a Development Executive.
The Secret, written and directed by Lilla Berry and produced by Piri Eddy (The Last Elephant on Earth), tells the story of a young woman grappling with isolation and emotional weight as she undergoes an abortion at home. The film marks Berry’s directorial debut.
An award-winning filmmaker and artist, Berry has previously worked on documentary content for SBS/NITV and ABC iView and is currently developing the feature The Debt through the SAFC’s Film Lab: New Voices program. Eddy, a past AWGIE winner and Film Lab: New Visions participant, brings experience across both experimental and narrative screen content.
SAFC program impact
This marks the second iteration of the SAFC’s First Nations Short Film Program, following its 2023 pilot which supported the production of five shorts, including Black Time, White Time and Tambo. Those titles premiered at SXSW Sydney and were later screened at the 2023 Adelaide Film Festival.
SAFC CEO Kate Croser said the program plays a vital role in career development for First Nations creatives: ‘We know that the most important thing for writers, directors and producers to get their shot at working professionally in the industry is through gaining credits and developing their craft through short films.’
SAFC Head of First Nations Kirstie Parker commended the filmmakers’ progress: ‘How thrilling it is to see Joshua, Dylan, and Lilla take their short films from concept to script and now into production. Their films will be important additions to the national wellspring of story and inspiration.’
South Australian Minister for the Arts Andrea Michaels also acknowledged the initiative, saying: ‘The Malinauskas Government is proud to empower South Australian First Nations creatives to share their voices, stories and culture through film.’
All three films are currently in the final stages of production.
For more information head to the SAFC website.
