Fellowship for First Nations Film Creatives
Submissions are open for the 2022 Deutsche Bank Fellowship for First Nations Film Creatives. The partnership between the Sydney Film Festival and Deutsche Bank is a fantastic opportunity for First Nations Film Creatives, with the winning Fellow receiving a grant to further develop their skills through international placement (or other professional development).
This is the second year the Fellowship has been awarded. Last year, in its inaugural year, the breadth and depth of submissions was impressively extensive. The eventual recipient, Darlene Johnson, noted that “this Fellowship has allowed me to continue to develop my skills and move into long-form storytelling through hands-on experience with Aquarius Films. The placement will also provide me with the skills to continue to develop my own original TV concept.”
It’s an impressive step forward for the filmmaker, but also one that fits well with the Sydney Film Festival, which has long championed First Nations content and creativity. As Darlene says, “as Indigenous storytellers, we have so much to share with the rest of the world, and we need to forge ahead into the future and become real players in the mainstream industry so that we can tell our uniquely universal stories to a global audience.”
The Fellowship is just another example of the ways in which Sydney Film Festival and Deutsche Bank work together. Their corporate partnership provides additional support to the festival, through its alignment with the Festival’s First Nations Film program. Both the festival, and its corporate partner, are excited by the prospect of the growing Fellowship, and what the recipients might create with the skills, partnerships, time and freedom provided by the prize.
Glenn Morgan, Deutsche Bank Australia’s CEO, said “When we set out to create this Fellowship last year with Sydney Film Festival, we knew that it would attract some outstanding talent. Needless to say, it surpassed all expectations and we are delighted to see how the Fellowship has been received.”
“We can’t wait to watch Darlene Johnson’s career progress, as she uses her grant to develop her skills and further her career. We are committed to continuing our support for Indigenous creatives in the screen sector and we look forward to this year’s submissions.”
Eligible applicants are welcomed from a broad range of industries. If you’re a creative, a screenwriter, a producer, a director or an actor with a proven track record, however major or minor, in your chosen field, then you’re invited to apply. “We encourage all Australia-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander film creatives, who have begun their career in film or television to join in and get involved in this wonderful opportunity”, Dale said.
Applications are open from 28 February to 29 April 2022, and the successful candidate will be selected by a panel of key industry personnel. The Fellowship itself will be awarded at the 69th Sydney Film Festival, which will take place between the 8th and the 19th of June this year. You can find out more information about the festival here.