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62 Essential Works by First Nations Storytellers to Watch this NAIDOC Week

National NAIDOC Week celebrates and recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year, NAIDOC Week is being held from 3-10 July, with the theme Get up! Stand Up! Show Up!, encouraging the support of institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change while celebrating those who have already driven and led change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations.

Celebrate NAIDOC Week and the groundbreaking work of First Nations storytellers with this carefully curated collection of First Nations-authored screen and audio works—including plenty of titles by AFTRS alumni—streaming now.

 

FEATURE FILMS

Still from ‘Sweet Country’ | Dir. Warwick Thornton

BEDEVIL (1993)
Director: Tracey Moffatt
A trilogy of supernatural stories that traverse the outback to the city and Australia’s Indigenous-Anglo divide.
Watch on SBS on Demand

BENEATH CLOUDS (2002)
Director: Ivan Sen
Fair-skinned Lena, whose Irish father abandoned her alcoholic Aboriginal mother, runs away from home and meets a Murri teen scarred by crime and racism.
Watch on Netflix

BRAN NUE DAE (2009)
Director: Rachel Perkins
A young man is filled with the life of the idyllic old pearling port Broome until his mother returns him to the religious mission. After being punished for an act of youthful rebellion, he runs away on a journey that ultimately leads him back home.
Watch on Stan, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video Store, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV

EMU RUNNER (2018)
Director: Imogen Thomas
A spirited 8-year-old girl deals with the grief of her mother’s death by forging a bond with a wild emu. This spiritual dreaming is a bond she will do anything to keep, but one that puts her at odds with the new social worker.
Watch on Google Play and Apple TV

GOLDSTONE (2016)
Director: Ivan Sen
In this sequel to crime drama, Mystery Road, Indigenous detective Jay Swan arrives in the town of Goldstone to search for a missing person, and his simple duty becomes complicated when he uncovers a web of crime and corruption
Watch on ABC iview and Netflix

MABO (2012)
The remarkable life story of Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo; a Torres Strait Islander who left school at the age of 15, yet spearheaded the High Court challenge that overthrew the fiction of terra nullius.
Watch on ABC iview, YouTube, Telstra TV Box Office and Fetch.

ONE NIGHT THE MOON (2001)
Director: Rachel Perkins
One Night the Moon, based on a tragedy, which occurred in 1932, tells of the search for a small white girl who wanders off one night from the family’s remote home to follow the full moon. Her father won’t allow the black tracker Albert on his land or let him participate in the search, instead fruitlessly leading a band of white men across desolate country. The story is based on that of Aboriginal tracker Riley who was awarded the Kings Medal for his services to the police force. In 1997, his grandson, Michael Riley, made the documentary Black tracker about him.
Watch on ClickView

RADIANCE (1998)
Director: Rachel Perkins
In their remote childhood home, three estranged sisters are forced to confront long-simmering resentments after their mother dies.
Watch on SBS on Demand (available from Friday 8 July)

REDFERN NOW: PROMISE ME (2015)
Director: Rachel Perkins
The life-affirming drama concludes, as the two women who were raped bear the impact of the violent crimes, and their fight for justice culminates.
Watch on Netflix and Stan

SAMSON & DELILAH (2009)
Director: Warwick Thornton
Branded as outcasts, teens Samson and Delilah set out on a gruelling road trip in search of a place where they can lead a peaceful life.
Watch on Netflix, Stan, Kanopy, Fetch TV, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video Store

SPEAR (2015)
Director: Stephen Page
Djali, a young Aboriginal man journeys through his community to understand what it means to be a man with ancient traditions in a modern world.
Watch on Apple TV, Fetch and Beama Film

SWEET COUNTRY (2017)
Director: Warwick Thornton
Watch on SBS On Demand, Netflix, Binge, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video

THE DROVER’S WIFE: THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON (2021)
Director: Leah Purcell
On a remote homestead in the Snowy Mountains, a lonely bushwoman struggles to run the family farm and raise her children while her husband is away.
Out now in cinemas

THE SAPPHIRES (2012)
Director: Wayne Blair
It’s 1968, and four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in Vietnam.
Watch on Apple TV and Fetch

TOOMELAH (2011)
Director: Ivan Sen
A boy longs to stand out in his economically depressed community. But when the man he emulates is challenged by a rival, he must reevaluate his life.
Watch on Netflix

TOP END WEDDING (2019)
Director: Wayne Blair
Lauren and Ned are engaged, they are in love, and they have just ten days to find Lauren’s mother who has gone AWOL somewhere in the remote far north of Australia, reunite her parents and pull off their dream wedding.
Watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fetch

 

DOCUMENTARIES

Still from ‘She Who Must Be Loved’ | Dir. Erica Glynn

ALICK AND ALBERT (2020)
Director: Douglas Watkin
A unique and captivating documentary following the friendship of acclaimed artist Alick Tipoti and Prince Albert II of Monaco. Even though they live worlds apart, the two have united to help protect the world’s oceans and initiate change.
Watch on Stan

BLACK PANTHER WOMAN (2014)
Director: Rachel Perkins
Marlene Cummins recounts her time with the leader of the Australian Black Panther Party in 1972, and her 40-year fight with addiction.a
Watch on DocPlay

CARRY THE FLAG (2017)
Director: Danielle Maclean
This is a rich and powerful story of a man whose design created meaning for a people once invisible to mainland Australia, the people of the Torres Strait.
Watch on SBS On Demand

CONNECTION TO COUNTRY (2017)
Director: Tyson Mowarin
An exploration of the fight by Indigenous people to preserve Australia’s 40,000-year-old cultural heritage from destruction by the mining industry. Threats to sites from development are examined along with the efforts to preserve the area’s heritage.
Watch on Apple TV and Kanopy

FINKE: THERE AND BACK (2018)
Director: Dylan River
For the riders, the spectators and the town of Alice Springs, the Finke Desert Race is more than a race. FINKE: THERE & BACK delves below the surface to uncover what makes them tick and what drives them to put their lives on the line.
Watch on Stan, DocPlay, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play

FIRESTARTER: THE STORY OF BANGARRA (2021)
Directors: Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin
Celebrating Bangarra’s 30th Anniversary, Firestarter tells the story of how three young Aboriginal brothers Stephen, David and Russell Page turned a new dance group into a First Nations cultural powerhouse.
Watch on ABC iview and on the Sydney Opera House live stream

GURRUMUL (2017)
Composer/Producer: Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
The story of Indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, one of Australia’s most important and acclaimed voices, whose music took inspiration from his country in North East Arnhem Land.
Watch on Netflix, Ritz At Home, YouTube, Apple TV and Google Play

IN MY OWN WORDS (2017)
Director: Erica Glynn
Raw, heartfelt, sometimes painstaking but often funny, In My Own Words follows the journey of adult Aboriginal students and their teachers as they discover the transformative power of reading and writing for the first time in their lives.
Watch on SBS On Demand, DocPlay and Apple TV

LOOKY LOOKY HERE COMES COOKY (2020)
Director: Stephen McGregor
Presenter, co-writer and slam poet Steven Oliver takes the audience on an incredible and scenic journey across Australia from the cliffs of Kurnell to the Torres Strait. As he travels the land interrogating Cook’s legacy, he poses the question – in 2020, does Australia have a blurred history of Cook?
Watch on SBS On Demand

MY NAME IS GULPILIL (2021)
Producers: David Gulpilil, Peter Djigirr
A true icon of Australian cinema. David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu’s mesmerising, electrifying presence leapt off the big screen and changed Australian screen representation forever. Engaging with the camera like never before, David generously shares his own extraordinary story, in his final film—My Name is Gulpilil.
Watch on Netflix, Google Play, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video

SAVING SEAGRASS (2019)
Writer: Gary Hamaguchi, producer: Jodie Bell
An exploration of the priceless environment of Roebuck Bay, Western Australia – the traditional lands of the Yawuru people – now under threat on many fronts.
Watch on ClickView

SHE WHO MUST BE LOVED (2018)
Director: Erica Glynn
The life story of Alfreda Glynn, a 78-year-old Aboriginal woman and co-founder of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association and Imparja TV.
Watch on SBS On Demand

THE AUSTRALIAN DREAM (2019)
Writer: Stan Grant
The remarkable story of Indigenous AFL legend Adam Goodes. Through the backdrop of Goodes’ journey, the feature documentary explores race, identity and belonging in Australia today.
Watch on ABC iview, DocPlay, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and Fetch TV

THE BEACH (2019)
Director: Warwick Thornton
Filmmaker Warwick Thornton’s international success has come at a personal cost. He has reached a crossroad in his life and something has to change. He has chosen to try giving up life in the fast lane for a while, to go it alone, on an isolated beach in one of the most beautiful yet brutal environments in the world, to see if he can transform and heal his life.
Watch on SBS on Demand

THE SONG KEEPERS (2017)
Producer: Trisha Morton-Thomas
Four generations of song women that make up The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir go on a historic journey to take back the hymns that were given to their ancestors by the German missionaries, but in their own ancient Aboriginal languages and on their own terms.
Watch on SBS On Demand, DocPlay, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, ClickView and Kanopy

WE DON’T NEED A MAP (2017)
Director: Warwick Thornton
Warwick Thornton examines Australians’ relationship to the Southern Cross, a journey that takes him through Australia’s political and cultural landscape as he discovers the constellation’s astronomical, colonial and Indigenous history.

 

Watch on SBS On Demand, DocPlay and Kanopy

 

TELEVISION SERIES

Still from ‘Blue Water Empire’ | Dir. Stephen McGregor

ALL MY FRIENDS ARE RACIST (2021)
Director: Bjorn Stewart
In a survival-of-the-fiercest, two twenty-something black millennials decide it’s time to call the racists out. They think it could cause a revolution, instead it causes a downgrade in lifestyle.
Watch on ABC iview

BLACK COMEDY (2014)
Directors: Craig Anderson, Beck Cole, Steven McGregor, Nakkiah Lui, Erica Glynn
A sketch comedy show by Blackfellas, for everyone. Featuring an ensemble cast of Indigenous writers and performers and many special guest cameo appearances as well.
Watch on ABC iview

BLACK DIVAZ (2018)
Director: Adrian Russell Wills
Beyond the glitz, glue guns and glamour of black drag to reveal a fun, fabulous and sometimes fearful place. A sassy, intimate portrait of what it means to be an Indigenous Drag Queen today.
Watch on SBS On Demand

BLUE WATER EMPIRE (2019)
Director: Stephen McGregor
A dramatised-documentary series giving a unique insight into the compelling history of the Torres Strait Islands, told through key stories by the men and women of the region.
Watch on ABC iview

CLEVERMAN (2016-2017)
Directors: Wayne Blair, Leah Purcell
In the near future, creatures from ancient Aboriginal mythology with extraordinary physical traits battle for survival in a world that wants to exploit and destroy them. One young man struggles with his responsibility to unite this divided world.
Watch on Stan

DARK PLACE (2019)
Directors: Bjorn Stewart, Perun Bonser, Kodie Bedford, Liam Phillips, Rob Braslin
Mystery, terror, suspense and fantasy. Dark Place is a collection of five gripping Indigenous horror tales.
Watch on ABC iview

INCARCERATION NATION (2021)
Director: Dean Gibson
An examination of the connection between relentless government intervention since colonisation to the trauma and disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians – the two key drivers of incarceration.
Watch on SBS On Demand

LITTLE J & BIG CUZ (2017)
Directors: Tony Thorne, Beck Cole
This series follows the adventures of Indigenous Australian kids Little J and Big Cuz living with their Nanna and Old Dog. With the help of Nanna and their teacher Ms Chen they learn about culture, community and country. #LittleJBigCuz
Watch on SBS On Demand and ABC iview

MYSTERY ROAD (2018-present)
Directors: Rachel Perkins, Warwick Thornton, Wayne Blair
When Indigenous Detective Jay Swan is assigned to investigate the disappearance of two men from a cattle station, he clashes with local cop Emma James. Together their investigation will uncover a past injustice that threatens the whole community.
Watch on ABC iview and Stan

REDFERN NOW (2012-2013)
Directors: Rachel Perkins, Wayne Blair;, Leah Purcell, Catriona McKenzie, Adrian Russell Wills, Beck Cole
Six different families, all of whose lives are changed by a moment’s decision, an accident or a seemingly insignificant incident. This kaleidoscopic drama explores Indigenous life in Australia’s most infamous suburb, Redfern.
Watch on ABC iview, Stan, YouTube and Apple TV

TOTAL CONTROL (2019-present)
Directors: Rachel Perkins, Wayne Blair
Alex Irving, an Indigenous woman, gets media attention after her heroic action. Her life then changes when the prime minister recruits her as a senator.
Watch on ABC iview

TRUE COLOURS (2022)
Directors: Erica Glynn, Steven McGregor
A murder in central Australia takes Detective Toni Alma back to her hometown of Perdar Theendar. As the clues lead back to her own family, she must navigate two cultures and two laws to find justice. This is a murder mystery like no other, exploring culture, community, family and one woman’s pursuit to find her place within it.
Watch on SBS On Demand

 

PODCASTS AND AUDIO FEATURES

Rudi Bremer

AWAYE!
Presented by Ruby Bremer
Presenting a diverse and vibrant Aboriginal arts and culture from across Australia and the best from Indigenous radio broadcasters around the world.
Listen on ABC Radio National, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts

BLACADEMIA
Founder and host: Amy Thunig
A podcast of yarns with First Nations academics, here on the lands now commonly referred to as Australia.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN
Host: Mundanara Bayles
Mundanara Bayles hosts this uplifting conversational program featuring mainly First Nations people from Australia and around the world sharing their stories about their journey to highlight the diversity amongst First Nations peoples and the resilience of her people.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts

COMING OUT, BLAK
By Matika Little and Courtney Hagen
A podcast dedicated to supporting and celebrating First Nations mob in the LGBTQ+ community.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

CURTAIN THE PODCAST
Hosts: Amy McQuire and Martin Hodgson
Amy McQuire and Martin Hodgson pull back the blinds to shine a light on the darkest parts of our justice system and ask – who are the victims? Could an Aboriginal man who has served 25 years in prison for Murder be innocent?
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

DEADLY VOICES FROM THE HOUSE
Host: Rhoda Roberts
Featuring a diverse selection of guest appearances from prominent Indigenous leaders from the music, arts and culture sector, Deadly Voices from the House provides an important platform to discuss critical issues facing the Indigenous community and gives voice to a variety of upcoming indigenous music, arts and cultural projects.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

MOON HOLDS WATER
Writer/narrator: Dr. Romaine Moreton
AFTRS Director of First Nations & Outreach, Dr. Romaine Moreton, narrates Moon Holds Water, an episode of Common Ground’s Dreamy podcast a collection of sleep stories by First Nations storytellers.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

TAKE IT BLAK
Hosts: Rae Johnston and Jack Latimore
A podcast from the NITV News Online team.
Listen on NITV, Apple Podcasts and Spotify

TRUTH TELLING WITH LIDIA THORPE
Senator Lidia Thorpe yarns with First Nations Elders and Activists about the injustices facing First Nations people and importantly, the solutions and opportunities that can come from self-determination through the right policy.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

UNAPOLOGETICALLY BLACK
Hosts: Regina Orcher and Alicia Johnson
A project that has been developed by two Australian Indigenous women to offer an insight into the personal lives and distinctive sisterhood that Blak Australia exists within. Ginny and AJ embark on this journey of transparency, truth and strength, discussing topics that have been placed into the too-hard basket; laughing, crying and yarning along the way.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

WORD UP
Host: Daniel Browning
The diverse languages of black Australia from Anmatyerre to Arrernte, from Bidjara to Bundjalung, from Nyungar to Ngaanyatjarra, from Yankunytjatjara to Yorta Yorta — one word at a time.
Listen on ABC Radio National and Apple Podcasts

YARNING UP WITH CAROLINE KELL
Yarning Up showcases rich and raw conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, thinkers, creators, business owners, activists and more.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

 

 

SHORT FILMS

Still from ‘Doug the Human’ | Dir. Gary Hamaguchi

BLACKBIRD (2016)
Director: Amie Batalibasi
Blackbird tells the story of Solomon Islander siblings, Rosa and Kiko, who were kidnapped from their island home to work on a sugar cane plantation in Queensland, Australia in the late 1800s.
Watch on SBS On Demand, Vimeo and Kanopy

BETWEEN TWO LINES (2019)
Director: Jack Steele
When two WWI enemy soldiers become stranded in No Man’s land, an unlikely bond is formed. Will they still be able to pull the trigger if the time came? Or will their bond be the very thing to save their lives?
Watch on ABC iview

DOUG THE HUMAN (2019)
Director: Gary Hamaguchi
An alien kidnaps a human man and turns him into her pet.
Watch on ABC ivew

MARRIMARRIGUN  (2017)
Director: Kimberley West
Marrimarrigun is the story of Marrimarri, the giant spirit man who protects the ancestors of the Yawuru people.
Watch on ClickView

TIES THAT BIND (2019)
Director: Michael Hudson
Seventeen-year-old Thomas has to front his domineering mother Marlene. Forced outside as punishment, sounds from neighbours echo a connection to his past and present home triggering Thomas to make a life-changing decision.
Watch on ABC iview

ALPIRI: ROY YALTJANGKI – NPYWC (2019)
Director: Pantjiti McKenzie; By the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council
Roy Yaltjangki features in this edition of NPY Women’s Council’s Alpiri series of short videos, in which senior Anangu leaders send messages out to viewers. ‘Alpiri’ is a form of motivational or instructional speech traditionally used in the early morning in Anangu camps. Usually, an elder would get up early to broadcast a message to people waking in the camp.
Watch on ICTV