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Social engagement through documentaries

Tallstoreez also specializes in high impact documentaries for broadcast:

Recent credits include: click links to jump to article

Earlier works include:
  • First Fleet Back [2005], a multi-award winning half hour satirical documentary on racism and reconciliation, broadcasted nationally in 2007 on NITV;
  • Holiday Camp [2002], a confronting 1-hour documentary about refugee policy in Australia, translated into 8 languages and sold into multiple territories globally.
Both documentaries are available through Video Education Australasia VEA.

Nukkan.Kungun.Yunnan
Ngarrindjeris Being Heard

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22min peer-produced documentary for NITV 2010, in collaboration with the Ngarrinderi communities at Camp Coorong, Meningie and Raukkan

The powerful documentary ‘NUKKAN.KUNGUN.YUNNAN - Ngarrindjeri's being heard’, presents the real impact global issues such as climate change have on the Coorong and its Aboriginal people.

The Ngarrindjeri's culture and traditions are threatened by the effects of draught and climate change on their environment - their culture is one of the oldest on earth. Their ancestral lands along the mouth of the river Murray and its coastal lagoon systems, is one of the most bio-diverse areas in Australia.

The Ngarrindjeri youth team decided to take control of their own story: They conducted over 15 interviews with their elders to create a short, effective documentary that has attracted the interest of Australia's Minister for the Environment. Their effort was celebrated at the last International Women's Peace Conference in Sydney, where the young women presented to 270 participants from all over the world. Their film has won 2 awards at the International MyHero Film Festival in Los Angeles in November 2009 and will air in 2010 on NITV [National Indigenous TV] across Australia.

Mentored by the Hero Project and driven by Ngarrindjeri youth, who have never made a film before, this emotionally charged film not only examines the effects on culture, but raises the important question, what are we doing now, while presented with one of the biggest challenges of our times, to save our environment and ancient living cultures?
The youth team distributed over 1000 copies to the public, politicians and activists, and decided to take part in a 3-year leadership program, to become the first Indigenous community empowerment trainers as part of the Hero Project’s national outreach. They are committed to empowering other Indigenous nations and people all over to tell their own stories when and how they want.
Selected screenings and awards:
  • National Indigenous TV 2010
  • MyHero International Film Festival USA 2009 – 3rd Prize Community Category, Winner Special Recommendation Award for Ngarrindjeri Elder Tom Trevorrow
  • MyMob Exhibtion 2009 Adelaide Festival Centre

The Pinnaroo Surfer

10-part mini-series for ABC TV 2009, based on their youth media empowerment initiative, the Hero Project and its original Pinnaroo Surfer film, made in 2005.

The complete series now available for $30 on DVD through Tallstoreez Productionz Click Here

‘I don’t reckon you can see Pinnaroo in one day, unless you’re driving through.’ Kade shares his wisdom about bush life, local landmarks and stuff.

Pinnaroo Surfer is a fun, laconic series of mini documentaries about the exploits of Kade, who grew up in Pinnaroo, a tiny rural town in the Mallee scrub. Kade has dubious bush skills, a kooky philosophy on life and he loves exploring. Kade along with other locals occasionally surfs just out of town at the Rifle Butts, which is about 300 kilometers from the nearest beach.

Welcome to Kade’s world, a blip on the map, hidden behind the endless Mallee scrub on your trip to somewhere else. Should you make the turn-off, Kade has some special tips about the secrets of Pinnaroo waiting for the adventurous tourist.

Kade’s Pinnaroo has lots to offer; time travel, shoe polishing competitions, the infamous dead mongoose nailed to a tree, Big Things proclaiming the passion of tiny towns, secret fishing spots, and much more...

Additional web episode: Pinnaroo Surfer – Watch the 2005 original

Kade loves the Beach Boys, surfing’s the best. Pinnaroo might be 300 km from the ocean, but that doesn’t stop him surfing. He takes us to the best surfing spot in Pinnaroo. Kade is not your usual surfie, but when you're stuck in a small country town, it's exciting to plan your escape to the beach. When you push yourself to the limit and follow your heart, you can ride the surf regardless of place or sharks.

Pinnaroo Surfer: Kade Richardson
Series Director and writer: Jennifer Lyons-Reid
Series Producer: Carl Kuddell
Youth director: Kade Richar
ABC jtv commissioning editors: Amanda Duthie, Jennifer Collins, Kath Earle

Thanks to everyone in Pinnaroo, Mallee region and Adelaide who supported the project.

Selected screenings and awards:
  • ABC TV 2009
  • Lahore International Childrens Film Festival, Pakistan 2010
  • MyHero International Film Festival USA 2008 – 3 Prize High School Category
  • Little Big Shots International Film Festival 2008 Melbourne and worldwide tour

Is Your House Killing You?

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a high-rating prime-time 7x26min factual entertainment science series for SBS in 2007, as a co-production with Essential Viewing, sold to UKTV, Sundance Channel USA and TVNZ

Is Your House Killing You?' is a 7x25 min groundbreaking, on the pulse, scientific makeover series. Ordinary families are invited to take up the challenge to 'detox' their homes. From inner city apartments to country fibros, our expert team swarms, probes and strips back a diverse range of homes in a CSI-style investigation. Some homes sparkle innocently and others are environmental monsters, but they all harbour a parallel microscopic world of hidden dangers.

In 2007 IYHKY was one SBS highest rating shows in its time slot and will broadcast on Sundance Channel USA, UKTV, TVNZ and in several other territories.

Director Jennifer Lyons-Reid and producer Carl Kuddell from SA digital media company Tallstoreez Productionz created the concept and formed a co-production with Essential Viewing in Sydney, to produce the series with the financial support from the SAFC.

Key creatives for Is Your House Killing You:

Executive Producer: Chris Hilton
Co-Producer: Carl Kuddell
Series Producer: Sonja Armstrong
Series Director: Roger Power
Episode director, science producer: Jennifer Lyons-Reid
Series concept: Jennifer Lyons-Reid, Carl Kuddell, Chris Hilton

© 2007 Tallstoreez Productionz Pty Ltd, Essential Viewing and SA Film Corporation

The complete series now available through Dymocks

First Fleet Back
Uncle Kevin vs the Queen

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a multi-award winning half hour satirical documentary on racism and reconciliation, made 2003-2005 in collaboration with Arabunna Elder Kevin Buzzacott, broadcasted nationally in 2007 on National Indigenous TV.

Join the ‘Minister for Invasion Affairs’, vote now to de-colonize Australia and follow Aboriginal Elder Kevin Buzzacott’s thought-provoking struggle for self-determination and against racism.

In a blend of cinema verite, blaxploitation and satirical reality TV, tallstoreez productionz’ 22-min hybrid documentary pushes the boundaries of the genre.

available through Video Education Australasia VEA

Awards: Winner in 2 categories:

Audience Choice Award and Best Documentary Award
South Australian Short Film Festival, ZOOM Awards, April 2005

Broadcast on Australia’s National Indigenous TV July 2007.

Festivals to date include:
  • EthnoFilmFest Berlin, Germany, November 2007
  • FIFO International Documentary Film Festival, Tahiti, February 2007
  • The Dreaming Festival, Queensland 2006
  • Transmediale.06, Berlin, Germany, February 2006
  • East Timor Film Festival, Sydney January 2006
  • Sydney Indigenous Arts Festival 2005
  • Melbourne Underground Film Festival MUFF 2005
  • electrofringe 2005 Newcastle
  • WildSpaces Film Festival 2005 Australia
  • SA Short Film Festival, Adelaide, 2005

Holiday Camp – how is your liberation bound up with mine?

A confronting 1-hour documentary about refugee policy in Australia, translated into 8 languages and sold into multiple territories globally since 2002.

The pivotal action of the documentary is the 2002 Woomera refugee prison outbreak – after months of protests, including hunger strikes, 53 refugees escape during the Easter protest, supported by hundreds of outraged Australians.
After witnessing the outbreak the audience is invited to consider the complex issues arising from this border crossing; in particular the diversity of constructions about protest and activism.

Holiday Camp (Adelaide/Hamburg 2002) investigates the current Australian immigration policies, in the context of 200 years of colonization, connecting the issues of indigenous dispossession, genocide, and the incarceration of refugees.

It explores the implications of the mandatory detention system and the construction of national borders. ‘Holiday Camp’ challenges us to consider what risks do we take…

available through Video Education Australasia VEA

The film screened in over 300 festivals and events around the world.
Selected screenings:

  • Documentary Film Festival Cairns, Australia, (July 2005)
  • SHURIFF (Seoul Human Rights Film Festival), South Korea (21-26 May 2004)
  • World Social Forum Film Festival, Mumbai, India (16-21 January 2004)
  • DOCOMANIA, New Plymouth, New Zealand, (7+8 November 2003)
  • WildSpaces Film Festival, 30 cites around Australia (1-3 August 03)
  • Sehsuechte03, International Students Film Festival, Berlin-Potsdam, (4 May 03)
  • Transmediale03, Berlin, Germany (4 February 03)
  • CounterConference Toronto, Canada (6 April 03)
  • 2nd European PGA-conference, Leiden, Netherlands (1-4 September 02),
  • Borderpanic Symposium, Sydney, Australia (11 September 02)
  • Electro Fringe, Newcastle, Australia (3 October 02)
  • Straight out of Brisbane (19 November 02)
  • Channel 31 Sydney and Melbourne (November 02)
  • European no-border-camp-campaign - convergences in Strasbourg, France (19- 30 July 02)
  • Jena, Germany (25-30 June 02)
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