Joel Brown, a recent graduate from Flinders University Media Studies, is among four filmmakers selected by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) for writing residence in the Pirrku Kuu Hub, a new ‘story room’ for Aboriginal screen makers.

Joel was the Screen Australia Goalpost Pictures 1st Assistant Director Attachment on the second series of ABC TV’s Cleverman. He has directed two micro-documentaries with NITV and also worked as an actor, choreographer and animator.

Pirrku Kuu, a Kaurna term meaning ‘Story Room’, is a key initiative of the SAFC’s Aboriginal Screen Strategy 2015-2020.

The strategy has already made significant investment in the State’s emerging and established Aboriginal filmmakers with five writers receiving Aboriginal Project Development Funds and a further five projects funded through the Aboriginal Short Drama Fund.

Linked to that, SAFC facilitated an Aboriginal Short Drama Workshop in 2016 led by Beck Cole and Warwick Thornton for the selected short drama filmmakers.

South Australian Film Corporation CEO Annabelle Sheehan said she looked forward to seeing the opportunity pay off in the four filmmakers’ future work.

“I warmly welcome these exciting creative voices to Adelaide Studios. We look forward to seeing them further develop their projects throughout their year in the Pirrku Kuu Hub,” she said.

SAFC’s Aboriginal Strategy Executive Lee-Ann Tjunypa Buckskin said the Aboriginal Screen Strategy was facilitating a number of exciting initiatives.

“Our local Aboriginal filmmakers are gaining vital industry knowledge and experience, while increasing a greater capacity to tell their stories while widening their access points to screen both here in Australia and internationally,” Ms Buckskin said.

The other recipients are:

• Edoardo Crismani, whose 50 minute documentary The Panther Within premiered on NITV in March.
• Kiara Milera, who is about to commence early pre-production on her short film No Ears as part of the SAFC’s Aboriginal Short Film funding initiative and most recently was the Director’s Attachment to Warwick Thornton on his feature film Sweet Country.
• Michael Crismani who wrote, directed and produced the short film I Kept the Beat for the NITV/SAFC Microdocs Initiative with the MRC which aired in 2016 on NITV and SBS on demand.