The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is looking for a female First Nations audiovisual creative to produce a unique and innovative work, using digital items from the national collection. 

Expressions of interest are open for the commissioned project, tentatively titled RE/Vision, which will feature as part of the UK/Australia Season – the largest cultural exchange between Australia and the United Kingdom. 

The filmmaker will work closely with NFSA curatorial and technical experts, utilising the digital collection to produce an audiovisual product, that will aim to offer an authentic and contemporary vision of Australia. The work will be based around the UK/Australia theme of ‘Who are we Now’. 

The NFSA’s Indigenous Connections Committee co-chair, Catherine Liddle, says: “This is a first for the NFSA, opening the digital collection to commission a new work to connect with domestic and international audiences. What an opportunity for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander creative to produce a work that could inspire, provoke, and give an international voice to our culture and challenge how we see ourselves today.” 

“I encourage female Indigenous filmmakers and audiovisual creatives to apply for this commission, and explore new ways of interpreting both the national collection, and Australian history.’ 

The NFSA’s Indigenous Connections Committee co-chair, Catherine Liddle

The work will premiere internationally in partnership with the British film institute (BFI) in the UK in late 2022, and domestically in Canberra at the NFSA’s Arc Cinema. The complete piece will then be brought into the NFSA collection, and available to the public. 

 ‘We’re excited to celebrate the national audiovisual collection through storytelling, in all its forms and expressions. 

Our aim is to ensure the collection represents a multitude of voices, allowing us to reflect on our heritage with honesty and authenticity. We want this work to foster discussion and to facilitate a fresh interpretation of Australia’s audiovisual heritage, told from the perspective of an Indigenous filmmaker. I can’t wait to who is selected for this work, and to experience the end creation.’ 

NFSA Head of Collection, Jacqui Uhlmann

This project is a collaboration between the British Council and the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the UK/Australia Season celebrates and explores the arts, creative industries, and higher education, across both countries. 
The project is supported by the Australian Government through the Office for the Arts. 

For additional information or to apply, please visit NFSA’s website.

NFSA’s Communications Coordinator:
Nicola Gage 0421469733
[email protected]