Screen Australia and AIDC have announced all five finalists of the inaugural Fresh Cuts Documentary Pitch initiative will receive development funding for their projects - Bimbo Biology Body Breakdown, Dying to Succeed, Glitter Gang, The Real Meaning of Pleasure and Replica. The initiative, aimed at supporting documentaries that appeal to younger audiences, saw the teams pitch to a panel of industry experts live at AIDC 2023 and the winners were announced at the AIDC Awards presentation on Wednesday.
Screen Australia's Head of Documentary Alex West said, "We were blown away with the quality of these pitches and, as we simply couldn't choose one winner, we're thrilled to be able to support them all with development funding. These projects will explore original, bold stories that we believe will engage the 15-35 year old market with themes of empowerment of young people, health, technology and identity. I look forward to seeing them develop further."
AIDC CEO, Natasha Gadd said, "AIDC congratulates all five project teams for their incredible live pitch to industry buyers at AIDC 2023 representing platforms including VICE, the New York Times Op-Docs, ABC, HotDocs and Doc Society. AIDC congratulates all five project teams for securing $30,000 in development funding from Screen Australia following their live pitch and can't wait to track these talented creators and their incredible and courageous films."
The teams will each receive $30,000 of development funding from Screen Australia. The successful projects are:
- Bimbo Biology Body Breakdown: A hyper feminine TikTok series about health presented by popular 'bimbo biologist', Dr Naomi Koh Belic. Each episode will focus on the surprising science behind different parts of the body, from exploring ovulation to natural curls, and will empower viewers with health knowledge and an appreciation of their bodies. The series is produced by Dr Koh Belic and Vanessa Hill (BrainCraft).
- Dying to Succeed: A 30-minute documentary that follows comedy influencer and double cancer survivor Kai, who sets out to rebuild and re-define the success he once had before turning 30. The project is directed by Kai's sister Yasmin Suteja (Woes) and produced by Jordana Johnson (The Moth Effect).
- Glitter Gang: A short series about Australia's first all-female drift racing team, and the thrill-seeking women who are breaking stereotypes and burning rubber across the country to challenge the notion of the male-dominated motorsport. This documentary is directed by Lyndal Redman (You Are Not Alone) and produced by Dan Clarke.
- The Real Meaning Of Pleasure: A short documentary about Wayne, a terminal cancer patient living with Aspergers and Cathy, his asexual, autistic sister who together set out to discover the true meaning of pleasure in a neurotypical world. Director Laneikka Denne teams up with producers Adam Finney (Where Is My Darling?) and Gabriel Murphy.
- Replica: A documentary that follows young Chinese women as they explore an alternative approach to intimate relationships with their artificially intelligent companions in the digital age. The creative team features director Chouwa Liang and producer Andy Huang.
To hear from Alex West and Natasha Gadd on the latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast, click here.
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