ABC expands Oz doc slate
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Editor
| 04 March 2019

As part of what it says is its commitment to telling great Australian stories, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has announced a new range of documentary titles.

ABC says that its documentary content is designed to spark and shapes discussion and debate. The new slate is headed what is said to be the blue-chip documentary feature The Australian Dream. Written by Stan Grant and featuring Adam Goodes, The Australian Dream chronicles the national conversation that took place after Goodes was racially vilified during an AFL match. That event and Goodes’ response led to years of abuse at games, fuelling heated radio talkback and commentary. The feature-length documentary is an official co-production from and Passion Pictures (UK) with Madman Distribution.

Other docs in the slate include historical series Australia Remastered and Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra. Australia Remastered is said to ‘tell timeless stories’ with the latest discoveries in Natural History, History and Science while the latter tells the story of Bangarra Dance Theatre through the eyes of their long-standing artistic director, Stephen Page in what is said to be a ‘stunning’ hybrid of factual and dramatic storytelling produced by Ivan O’Mahoney at In Films and co-directed by filmmakers Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin.

“Documentary and factual content are a vital part of what makes the ABC distinctive, providing us with opportunities to tell Australian stories in authentic, ambitious and innovative ways,” explained Josie Mason-Campbell, head of factual and entertainment, ABC. “Factual and documentary programmes – across our factual, indigenous, arts, science, regional and local and ABC children’s teams – bring people together to explore and understand issues that matter to them. Our creative partnerships with all levels of the external production community are invaluable and we are thrilled to announce productions with Good Thing Productions, WildBear Entertainment and In Films, delivering more outstanding content to audiences across the country.”