Black Screen

The Black Screen program makes DVD Compiles of contemporary Indigenous films available for loan to individuals and organisations for use at screening events, festivals and community celebrations. The compiles include works by renowned directors Warwick Thornton and Ivan Sen.

Three new Black Screen films

The NFSA will release a new Black Screen compile in April. The compile features three engaging and entertaining films. The first, Mitch Torres’s Jandmarra’s War won Best Documentary under one hour at this year’s AACTA Awards. Steven McGregor’s short film Tales from the Daly, is a cautionary tale from the Nauiyu community of the Daly River region. The release also includes the documentary Big Fella, a story about the crippling health effects of diabetes and obesity, and one man’s love for life and his battle to stay alive.

NAIDOC Week 2012

A screening of Indigenous short films can be a great addition to your NAIDOC Week celebrations.

The NFSA’s Black Screen Program can supply DVDs free to your community organisation or local council. Each DVD features a selection of contemporary short Indigenous films and is provided on a loan basis.

NAIDOC Week Celebrations 2011: Black Screen films were viewed in all states from the east to west coast in 93 locations across Australia. More than 3234 people attended 184 screenings during July celebrations of NAIDOC Week, exceeding figures from 2010.

Black Screen film screenings were hosted by large Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous organisations such as CAAMA Productions in Alice Springs, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and Voyagers Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara; city councils, small towns and local communities. For the first time a Black Screen event was held in Tasmania at the Aboriginal Hostel in Hobart to celebrate NAIDOC week 2011.

Message Sticks

The NFSA proudly continues its partnership with Blackfella Films, once again supporting the Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival’s national and regional tour. Message Sticks 2011 kicked off at the Sydney Opera House in May 2011. The tour included Blacktown, Brisbane, Canberra, Broome, Perth, Townsville, Woodford, Melbourne, Alice Springs, Garma, Cairns and Darwin.

For more information go to the Message Sticks Film Festival website.

Black Screen tour in remote WA — Black Screen in the Kimberley

The National Film & Sound Archive’s (NFSA) Black Screen program, in partnership with ScreenWest and LotteryWest, will present a screening tour through selected remote Indigenous communities in the Kimberley region of WA in May 2012.

The tour is funded to support and promote Indigenous films and Indigenous filmmakers in Western Australia, as well as encouraging and inspiring local Indigenous people to tell their own stories and pursue careers in the creative industries.

In 2011 remote Indigenous communities in the north of Western Australia had the opportunity to see short films by Indigenous filmmakers including Cornel Ozies’s Running Riot and Kelli Cross’s short comedy drama Bingo on the big screen. Black Screen also included the new WA feature film Mad Bastards by writer/director Brendan Fletcher.

Further links and information

• Black Book – information about Indigenous directors and films
• Dreaming in Motion – celebrating Australia’s Indigenous filmmakers