Screen Queensland Launches Four First Nations Filmmakers

Screen Queensland and Network 10 have launched four emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander filmmakers through a structured skills placement and mentorship program, with their work set to broadcast during National Reconciliation Week.

The four practitioners — Wiradjuri woman Kellie Baxter, Bundjalung woman Gretta Ada O'Sullivan, and Torres Strait Islanders Abraham Mantey and Sio Tusa — each created a community service announcement during a four-week paid placement with Network 10. The four spots they wrote, produced and directed are available now on 10 Play and will air on the broadcaster's channels from Saturday.

The partnership represents a multi-stage investment in early-career practitioners. Beyond the initial four-week placement, each recipient now enters a six-month mentorship with Network 10 executives to build on the production skills and industry contacts they developed during the placement phase. This extended model — combining paid production work with sustained mentorship — provides a more substantial pathway than traditional short-term placements that often leave emerging practitioners without ongoing industry guidance.

The four community service announcements reflect Queensland's geographic and cultural breadth, shot across multiple Country. Productions were filmed in Hervey Bay and K'gari/Fraser Island (Butchulla Country), the Bunya Mountains (Wakka Wakka, Jarowair and Barrumgum Country), and Far North Queensland (Djabugay Country). Each of the four spots addresses distinct themes: language and storytelling, wildlife, cultural sites and rock art — subjects that resonate across reconciliation and environmental initiatives.

The shoots involved close collaboration between the Network 10 production team and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers. This coordination model gave the emerging practitioners exposure to both professional production standards and cross-sector land management partnerships, expanding their understanding of how screen production connects to broader policy work.

Screen Queensland's acting CEO Dr Belinda Burns positioned the initiative as part of the Queensland Government's Path to Treaty commitments. "In making these moving and authentic spots, the four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners were enabled to gain the practical skills, expert guidance and credits essential to launching long-term screen industry careers," Burns said.

"Screen Queensland is focused on the vital importance of bolstering the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander screen storytellers — raising their voices to share truths and valuable perspectives with Australian audiences."

Paramount Australia and New Zealand, the parent company of Network 10, frames reconciliation as a strategic priority. Daniel Monaghan, senior vice president of programming and content, said the partnership aligns with the broadcaster's goals to promote reconciliation through its reach and relationships.

"Allowing the recipients to be immersed in a professional production, and work alongside established and skilled crew to produce their own content, is a unique experience that adds to their practical understanding of the industry, including physical production, development, technical direction, and teamwork," Monaghan said.

The four community service announcements are currently available on 10 Play and will broadcast on Network 10 in metro Queensland from Saturday.