ABC awards Nicholls Indigenous documentary placement

The ABC has announced Dylan Nicholls as the recipient of the Indigenous Documentary Placement for 2025.

The annual placement provides emerging filmmakers with an opportunity to develop their craft within the ABC’s Factual and Indigenous teams. He will spend four months based at the ABC in Sydney starting next month.

“I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to develop my skills, experience and networks further as a documentary filmmaker at the ABC,” Nicholls said.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the ABC Indigenous team for this four-month placement and hoping I can bring something to the table with my skill set.”

ABC TV Head of Indigenous Kelrick Martin said the organisation was  overwhelmed with the number and quality of applications for the role.

“Dylan will be embedded within ABC Indigenous and gain valuable insights into how ABC creates its factual programming for Australian audiences. He’s in for an experience few get to be part of — we can’t wait to have him join us,” he said.

Dylan is an emerging filmmaker who was a recipient of the inaugural First Nations Netflix Scholarship in 2023 to undertake a Master of Arts Screen: Documentary at the Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS).

During his time at AFTRS, Dylan directed and produced three short films: One in a Million (2023), currently screening on DocPlay; Echoes of Dissent (2025), which premiered at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival and Bringing His Spirit Home, which is set to premiere at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival where it is shortlisted for the First Nations Award.