Feature Docs About ‘Lion’ Writer Luke Davies & Sir George Martin’s Air Studios Score Screen Australia Funding

A feature doc about Lion and Beautiful Boy writer Luke Davies, a film about a recording studio on a remote island in the Caribbean built by Sir George Martin and a tale about underground horror filmmaker Dick Dale are some of the docs to have received funding from Screen Australia.

The Australian government-backed body has awarded A$3.5M (US$2.5M) for 18 docs as part of its latest funding giveaway.

Milkman: The Story of Luke Davies tells the story of the author, who wrote the Australian feature Lion, which starred Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, and Steve Carrell and Timothee Chalamet-fronted Beautiful Boy. Davies is currently working on George Clooney’s Hulu drama Catch 22. The project is directed by Davies and Eddie Martin.

Under the Volcano explores AIR studios Montserrat, a state-of-the-art recording facility tucked away on a remote island in the Caribbean. Built by Beatles producer Sir George Martin, the studio formed the backdrop to monumental events in music history. It is directed by The Last Impresario’s Gracie Otto, who co-founded The Dollhouse Collective with Rose Byrne. The doc is produced by Rush Films and Cody Greenwood and Richard Harris.

Video Nasty – The Making of Ribspreader is a six-part series for online from Closer Productions, that follows underground horror filmmaker Dick Dale on his quest to make his first low-budget feature film Ribspreader. Written and directed by Matthew Bate, it is produced by Katrina Lucas.

Elsewhere, Jelena: Unbreakable is a feature doc that tells the story of refugee-turned-international tennis star Jelena Dokic. Produced by Cordell Jigsaw Productions, it is written and directed by Amanda Blue and produced by Andrew Farrell.

The Pool is a two-part doc series written by The Slap author Christos Tsiolkas. Produced by Mint Pictures, it explores the social, historical and political role the swimming pool plays in Australian society. It is directed by Sally Aitkin and produced by Dan Goldberg.

Finally, Will Australia Ever Have a Black Prime Minister? is a one-hour documentary from Joined Up Films for Australian public broadcaster ABC that will examine the barriers to having an indigenous national leader. Presented by actor Mark Coles-Smith, the documentary will be directed by Catriona Mckenzie and produced by Danielle MacLean and Jacqueline Willinge.

“We continue to be blown away by the ability of Australian documentary makers to connect and move audiences with complex human stories and issues of the moment. These latest projects will share the stories of remarkable Australians from those with neuro-diverse conditions looking for love, to the life of Oscar-nominated screenwriter Luke Davies,” said Bernadine Lim, Head of Documentary at Screen Australia. “I’m also pleased to see Australian documentary makers continue to tackle international stories, sharing our perspective on the world around us.”

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