Ian Thorpe doco and SBS Cronulla riots investigation get Screen Australia funding
An ABC documentary about Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe directed by Gregor Jordan is one of the films to receive funding from Screen Australia.
Jordan, who directed Ned Kelly and Two Hands, followed Thorpe as the swimmer made his failed comeback for the 2012 London Olympics.
The project, Ian Thorpe: The Swimmer is produced for the ABC by Jordan Helen Panckhurst, Michael Hilliard, Simone Kessell and executive producer Rob Galluzzo.
Five documentaries have received funding from the national screen agency, two from the National Documentary Program and three from the General Documentary Program.
The $750,000 investment is expected to trigger $2.1m in production.
Also slated for funding is 10 Days That Shocked The Nation, about the 2005 Cronulla riots, to be broadcast on SBS Online; the life story of music composer Peter Sculthorpe for the ABC; 1960s pop artist Martin Sharp called The Sharp End; and Canberra Confidential – a hundred years inside the nation’s capital.
National Documentary Program
10 DAYS THAT SHOCKED THE NATION
48 mins
Northern Pictures
Producer Sue Clothier
Broadcaster SBS Online
Synopsis 10 Days That Shocked the Nation tells the story of the dramatic events covering the lead-up to and the 10 days between 4th and 13th December 2005 known as the Cronulla Riots.
CANBERRA CONFIDENTIAL
55 mins
Smith & Nasht
Producers Anna Cater, Simon Nasht
Writer/Director Ian Walker
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis A century of secrets from inside the nation’s capital, exploring the passionate interplay of politics and subterfuge that has long been carried out in the shadows of the national stage – this is the unofficial history that Canberra has tried to hide.
General Documentary Program
IAN THORPE: THE SWIMMER
57 mins
The Swimmer Film Pty Ltd
Producers Helen Panckhurst, Michael Hilliard, Simone Kessell, Gregor Jordan
Executive Producer Rob Galluzzo
Writer/Director Gregor Jordan
Broadcaster ABC
Sales ABC Commercial
Synopsis The inner struggles of Ian Thorpe as he attempts a comeback and, despite failing to make the Olympic team, discovers a new relationship with swimming and his own legend.
PETER SCULTHORPE, A JOURNEY THROUGH MY LIFE
60 mins
Heliograph Pty Ltd
Writer/Director/Producer John Weiley
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis Peter Sculthorpe is recognised as one of Australia’s – and the world’s –great living composers. As he approached his 83rd birthday he reflected that he had in fact told the story of his life through his 17 string quartets from the innocence of his early childhood in Tasmania to his discovery of Aboriginal Australia and the music of our near north and on to be inspired by even wider, global concerns. The backbone of the film will be the concert staged in the Trackdown Studio where the quartets will be interspersed with Peter explaining what they reflected about his life at the time they were written. Visually we will revisit some of the scenes that inspired the music.
THE SHARP END
30 mins
Southern Pictures (formerly Australian Documentaries)
Producer Laurie Critchley
Director Rebecca Baillie
Broadcaster ABC
Synopsis In 1963, a handful of idealistic young rebels banded together and launched themselves on the world stage. What they expressed would change Australian culture forever. At their centre was the brilliant young artist, Martin Sharp, who was soon recognised as one of the greatest pop artists of his generation. This is the story of his life, his work, his friendships and magnificent obsessions – and what it all meant.
Excellent, more public money going to millionaire Thorpie.
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Hmmm, an SBS doco on what went wrong at Cronulla … that will be about as balanced as a see-saw with a fat man on one end and a baby on the other.
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any funding for interesting documentaries. on events that are happening now?? more revisions of the past, paid for by the public!
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Hey.. I’m interested in watching the SBS doco on Cronulla riots.. can you please tell me how and when we can watch it? is it just online or it will be broadcasted on SBS?
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@zumabeach, what kind of balance are you looking for?
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Sou, I imagine the SBS doco on the Cronulla riots hasn’t finished being produced yet.
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Dan, how do you figure that the public money will be going to Ian Thorpe? It is a documentary ABOUT him. It is not produced by him, or directed by him. He may get an appearance fee – though that is not common in docos.
If you want to grind your “we’re wasting tax payers money” axe, please grind it somewhere else as you clearly have NFI how TV programmes are made.
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Let me guess that SBS doco will paint all non-Muslims as bogans and all Muslims in the riot as victims. It’s far more complex and non-PC than that.
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i think the point is why “public money” is spent on “Sports Star” documentary.
Rather than a Commercial Sponsor; – which IS how most TV programs are made.
the Public money is offering publicity to Mr Thorpe, mostly likely leading to more “endorsements” and sponsorship/s.
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I would pay to see a documentary about a see-saw with a fat man on one end and a baby on the other. Maybe See-Saw films could produce.
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Yes, doubtless the SBS doco will paint people throwing beer bottles at cops as bogans……..the bias is shocking.
Apologies that I don’t own the sarcasm font.
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Yes, doubtless the SBS doco will paint the guy who tried to protect his girlfriend from revenge seeking idiots, who then stabbed him five times and kicked his head in for his trouble, as a bogan as well … if they bother to track him down, of course. The Cronulla riot was brought on by an on-going number of racist incidents, sparked on both sides of the fence, but the history of SBS docos is that they take one point of view – inevitably not that of big bad western society – and push it to the max. Okay if that’s what they want to do but they immediately alienate any potential mainstream audience. Still, they don’t have to worry about that as we, the taxpayers, are largely picking up the bill. Yes, I know, the tabloid trash shows on the commercial networks give it to asylum seekers, migrants, dole bludgers, used car salesmen etc … but if you’ve been around the media long enough you know it’s all about sparking a reaction, any sort of reaction from any side of the debate. Sorry to say but I do own the sarcasm font.
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I would love to see Government funding that went to something current and edgy. Something with risk. Why not if it guaranteed return?
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