Fancy being an Indigenous film maker, telling stories about First Nations people?

Screenwest in WA has launched a First Nations VR Truth-Telling Documentary Initiative and will provide up to $150,000 in production funding to produce a short virtual reality documentary that will be shown in museums and festivals around the world.

The State’s minister for culture and the arts, David Templeman, said the initiative is designed to uncover distinctive WA First Nations voices, support their career progression and enable practitioners to explore new story-telling mediums and markets.

“The Kimberley is home to some of our State’s most prolific First Nations filmmakers and it’s my pleasure to launch this brand-new opportunity in Broome,” Mr Templeman said.

“By supporting local creative industries, we’re helping to tell unique stories, building richer communities and diversifying our economy.”

Screenwest executive officer Rikki Lea Bestall said she was keen to see First Nations film makers use the initiative to communicate their stories.

“As a storytelling medium, VR allows the filmmaker to place the audience directly into their story,” she said.

“We’re excited to see our local First Nations film makers use the initiative to convey untold truths about the experiences, past and present.

Guidelines for the Screenwest First Nations VR Truth-Telling Initiative are available on the ‘Special Initiatives’ page on the Screenwest website with registrations for an online workshop opening soon.

www.screenwest.com.au