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SBS Australia
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
SBS Hindi Rakhi Reel Contest 2025: Top 5 reels will shine on our socials!
SBS HINDI RAKHI REELS COMPETITION Schedule Competition: SBS HINDI RAKHI REELS COMPETITION. Promoter: Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (ABN 91 314 398 574) (SBS) of 14 Herbert Street, Artarmon NSW 2064. Phone: 1800 500 727. Entry Restrictions: The Competition is open to Australian residents only, aged 18 and over. Employees of the Promoter, and associated companies and their immediate families are ineligible. Competition Period: Commences: [10:00 am] AEST/ADST on [06 August 2025]. Closes: [10:00 am] AEST/ADST on [14 August 2025]. Maximum Number of Entries: One per person. During the Competition period, entrants must go to and read the terms and conditions. By entering this competition, you agree to our terms and conditions. Entrants must register their details, including (but not limited to) name, email address and phone number. Only 60-second reels in 9:16 vertical format will be accepted for social media. Any entry received outside of the Competition period will be deemed invalid. Incomprehensible and incomplete entries will be deemed invalid. Entrants consent to their full names and/or their entries being used in media by the Promoter. Entrants must not use copyrighted music in their submission. Top five videos will be selected for publication on the SBS Hindi Facebook page and Instagram accounts. A panel selected by the Promoter will judge all valid entries for skill and creativity. The [Five] best winning entries will be chosen by the panel at SBS, Level 3, Alfred Deakin Building, Federation Square, Victoria 3000. Notification: Winning entrants will be notified by email and phone and their names will also be published on the SBS website and social media. General Terms and Conditions Entry into the Competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions. Information relating to the Competition and the above Schedule form part of the terms and conditions for the Competition. The Promoter may vary these terms and conditions from time to time at its sole discretion, subject to approval of the relevant state authorities. Eligibility to enter the Competition is subject to the Entry Restrictions above. To enter the Competition, entrants must complete the process outlined in the Entry Details during the Competition Period. Any entry received outside of the Competition Period will be deemed invalid. Entrants may enter the Competition up to the Maximum Number of Entries. Each entry must be submitted separately and meet the eligibility requirements. Incomprehensible and incomplete entries will be deemed invalid. No responsibility is accepted for late, lost, delayed or misdirected entries. All valid entries are automatically entered into the Winner Selection process, which will take place at the times and dates set out in the Schedule, including any specified Second Chance Selection. The Promoter's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Winners will be notified in accordance with the Winner Notification details in the Schedule. All Prizes are as depicted or described in the Schedule and, unless otherwise specified, are not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be redeemed for cash. The Promoter is not responsible for any additional costs associated with use of the Prize. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any loss, damages, or injury incurred to enter the Competition or in connection with taking up the Prizes. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant submitting an entry which, in the Promoter's opinion, includes objectionable content. This Competition is a game of skill and chance will play no part in determining the Winner. Each entry will be individually judged, based upon literary and creative merit. All entries must be the original independent creation of the entrant and free of any claims that they infringe any third party rights. Entries must not have been published previously and/or have been used to win prizes in any other competitions. Except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, the Promoter (including its officers, employees and agents) excludes all liability (including negligence), for any personal or permanent injury or loss of life; or any loss or damage (including loss of opportunity); whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising in any way out of the Competition. Neither the Promoter nor the Prize Supplier or their associated companies is responsible, to the extent permitted by law, for acts of god, acts of terrorism or war (declared or undeclared), state of emergency or disaster, or other events beyond the Promoter and the Prize Supplier's control which prevent the Competition from running as planned or prevent awarding or acceptance of the Prize in accordance with the Prize description. If such acts or events occur, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition or suspend or modify a Prize, subject to state regulations The Promoter and the Prize Supplier/s assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft, destruction or unauthorised access to, or alterations of entries, and reserves the right to take any action that may be available. If for any reason this Competition is not capable of running as planned, due to causes including, but not limited to tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupt or affect the administrative security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Competition, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion, to take any action that may be available to the fullest extent permitted by law, including to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition. Subject to state regulations. By entering this competition, all entrants grant to the Promoter a non-exclusive, perptual, worldwide, royalty-free licence to publish, adapt, and otherwise use their video entry in all media for the purposes of this competition. Entrants consent to their full names and/or their entries being used in all media by the Promoter. Entrants acknowledge and agree they may be required to participate in promotional activities while taking up the Prize. The Promoter may use entrants' names and details for promotional, marketing and publicity purposes. The Promoter may also be required to disclose your personal information to its contractors, agents, co-promoter and to state and territory gaming departments to assist in conducting the Competition. All details of the entrants (including personal information) will be collected, used, preserved and disclosed in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles and the SBS Privacy Policy . A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the SBS Privacy Officer. Unless otherwise notified, the Promoter may use the entries and details of entrants for promotional and publicity purposes. Any entrant found to be using multiple social media accounts to enter the Competition may be disqualified at SBS's sole discretion. Entrants acknowledge this Competition is in no way associated with or sponsored or endorsed by Facebook or Instagram. Any information disclosed by entrants entering this Competition is not provided to Facebook or Instagram. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding this Competition must be directed to the Promoter and not to Facebook or Instagram.
The Age
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
How SBS evolved from ‘clogs and cooking' into our most innovative broadcaster
For some Australians, it was the soccer that first prompted them to watch SBS. Others came for its flagship World News bulletin; current affairs programs such as Dateline, Insight and Living Black; or cult hits including South Park, Queer as Folk and Fat Pizza. And for many teenagers, its racy international films served as a reliable drawcard (and a gateway drug to the appreciation of arthouse cinema). But for Julia Zemiro, SBS was a lifeline to her home country. 'I was born in France and did all my primary education at a French school in Australia,' says the popular presenter, who has hosted several series and specials for the broadcaster including RocKwiz, Who Do You Think You Are?, Great Australian Walks and the Eurovision Song Contest. 'To have all those French films and TV shows was incredible. There was French radio but to see those images on TV made you feel even more connected.' This month, the Special Broadcasting Service – affectionately dubbed the 'Sex Between Soccer' network by viewers – marks its 50th anniversary. And there is much to celebrate: over the course of five decades, it has evolved from two experimental radio stations (2EA in Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne; EA standing for 'Ethnic Australia') into a radio network broadcasting in 68 languages, as well as six television channels. In 2014, its share of the TV audience was 5.2 per cent; last year, it was 9.3 per cent. And its SBS On Demand service has grown by 18 per cent over the past 12 months, with almost 2.25 million active accounts logging into the platform in April alone. 'SBS has been a constant companion of multiculturalism in Australia,' says the network's managing director, James Taylor. 'I'm reminded of the Noel Pearson Boyer Lecture from 2022, where he spoke about the story of Australia resting on three pillars: our First Nations heritage, the British institutional foundations and the multicultural gift of migration. I like to think that SBS sits at the intersection of these pillars by brokering understanding, belonging and mutual respect.' When SBS was launched by the Whitlam government in 1975, it had a narrow aim: to inform non-English speaking Australians of the Medibank public health system, now known as Medicare. Indeed, it was intended to operate for just three months, until its success prompted the government to acknowledge the value of a permanent multicultural broadcaster in a country with a booming migrant population. In 1980, SBS expanded into television, with the Fraser government appointing former ABC chair Bruce Gyngell as its first chief executive. 'I was horrified with the concept they had,' Gyngell later recalled. 'It sounded to me like a typical sort of ethnic station with dancing and clogs and exotic cooking and not much more than that. The sense of culture seemed to be totally absent.' What Gyngell wanted was a channel that would encourage migrants to feel embraced by their adopted country – and to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of their cultures among Australian-born citizens. Loading 'If SBS had never existed, we'd understand so much less about ourselves,' says Jenny Brockie, who hosted the acclaimed Insight program between 2001 and 2020. 'It encouraged us to celebrate our differences while recognising that we're all part of a community, which I think is its biggest contribution. And at a programming level, SBS has been a real innovator; it's a place where a lot of risks have been taken.' Insight is a good example: under Brockie, it evolved from a magazine format into a discussion forum. Each episode is devoted to a single topic, from domestic terrorism to the pain of betrayal, with a studio audience – as opposed to a panel of talking heads – sharing their views and experiences. This might seem like a recipe for Jerry Springer-style conflict but in reality, Insight is among the most thoughtful and illuminating programs on Australian television. 'Every single person in the room is nurtured by producers through extensive conversations over a long period of time,' says Insight's current host, Kumi Taguchi. 'We don't do gotcha moments; if somebody says they don't want to discuss a particular part of their experience, we never cross that line. We're transparent with our guests about who else will be in the room, and the fact there will be differing opinions, which helps build trust and understanding. About 80 per cent of the work is done behind the scenes before people even get into the studio.' 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network.' Julia Zemiro Long before Taguchi joined SBS, she was an avid viewer of the network. 'It brought a new kind of quirkiness and irreverence to our screens,' she says. 'Everyone would talk about the late-night world movies, and it was the only station at the time to show South Park. I really like the way it pushed those boundaries.' Loading Zemiro agrees. 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network,' she says. 'As a viewer, you'd see things that were a bit sexy or dangerous. SBS showed soccer before anyone gave a shit about soccer. We could say things like, 'Colonialism isn't great' or 'These animals are suffering and we need to do something about it'. And with [music quiz show] RocKwiz, they just let us go for it and be creative, which is pretty rare.' Of course, SBS – which receives about one third of its funding from commercial sponsors and the rest from taxpayers – is not immune to the difficulties facing free-to-air broadcasters in 2025. This is largely due to technological advances, which spawned direct rivals such as Netflix, Stan* and Disney+. (Meanwhile, Google and Meta now account for an estimated 70 per cent of digital advertising spend.) But technology has also been a boon for the network, allowing it to maintain its multilingual programming while reaching new audiences through SBS On Demand and additional channels such as Viceland, World Movies, Food, WorldWatch and NITV. Karla Grant, a Western Arrernte woman, joined SBS in 1995 as a producer and reporter on ICAM, the network's first Indigenous affairs program. In 2002, she created the acclaimed Living Black, which she hosts to this day, and she is one of the main presenters on the National Indigenous Television channel, which became part of SBS in 2012. Loading 'SBS has been a leader in terms of Indigenous programming and storytelling, giving First Nations people a platform and a voice they don't have anywhere else,' Grant says. 'But NITV and Living Black also play a huge part in informing and educating our nation about First Nations issues, history and culture, which is something we want to share with the rest of the country and the world. It's an important role and I think we do it well.' Among the reporting Grant is most proud of is an investigation called Taken, which examined the growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their homes by authorities. 'Everyone talks about the stolen generations as though they're a thing of the past,' she says. 'In fact, it's still happening today. We did a story about kids in detention, and how one boy had to drink from the toilet in his cell because the guard wouldn't let him have fresh water. A lot of people wrote to me saying, 'We had no idea this type of thing still happens, but it's an appalling breach of human rights'.' Over the past three decades, Grant has also told countless positive stories. Loading 'We shine a light on all the great things that are happening in our communities and the people who are making huge contributions to our country' she says. 'It's entertaining but it's also educating people at the same time.' The same could be said of many SBS dramas. East West 101, which was set in a major crime squad, explored issues of race and justice; Deep Water was based on unsolved gay hate murders in the 1980s; and New Gold Mountain captured the racial tensions of Victoria's goldfields in the 1850s. There have been warm-hearted comedies such as The Family Law, based on Benjamin Law's memoir of the same name; the groundbreaking documentary series Struggle Street, which detailed the reality of living in poverty in Australia; and the hit reality show Alone Australia, in which survivalists attempt to live by themselves for as long as possible in the wilderness. Among the network's best-known former presenters are newsreaders Lee Lin Chin and George Donikian; Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, who hosted The Movie Show between 1986 and 2004; and sports broadcasters Damien Lovelock and Les Murray. Craig Foster, who spent 18 years as SBS's chief football analyst, believes the network's purpose was best described by Murray, who died in 2019. 'Way back in the '80s, it was Les who rightly said that SBS is [an affirmation] of the value of pluralism and multiple ancestries,' Foster says. 'It didn't matter whether you spoke Turkish, Greek or Italian – that should be celebrated.' Foster recalls the semi-final between South Korea and Germany at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a particular fondness. 'There were hundreds of thousands of people watching that game with immense passion,' he says. 'And it was SBS that not only understood that fact, it celebrated it. In effect, what SBS was saying is, 'We are all connected through this game and we respect you as equal Australians. Your parents might have been looked down upon, but we want you to know that we love it when you speak different languages and we love it when you wear your ceremonial dress. In other words, we get you'.' Anton Enus, who hosts the World News bulletins on Fridays and Saturdays, echoes this sentiment. 'I came here from South Africa in 1999 and SBS really helped me embrace this nation that was new to me,' he says. 'As a migrant, you also want to feel connected [to your home country], so you're always looking for someone who sounds like you or speaks your language. But another great thing about SBS is that it teaches you about other cultures you might not have any direct connection to. You might start watching an Italian movie and before you know it, you're completely sucked in because it's something totally different to what you'd get from Hollywood or the BBC.' For managing director Taylor, this is the raison d'etre for the network. 'I regard SBS as a national broadcaster that tells the stories of all Australians,' he says. 'The Australia you see when you tune into any one of our channels or platforms is the same Australia you see when you walk out your front door.'
Sydney Morning Herald
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
How SBS evolved from ‘clogs and cooking' into our most innovative broadcaster
For some Australians, it was the soccer that first prompted them to watch SBS. Others came for its flagship World News bulletin; current affairs programs such as Dateline, Insight and Living Black; or cult hits including South Park, Queer as Folk and Fat Pizza. And for many teenagers, its racy international films served as a reliable drawcard (and a gateway drug to the appreciation of arthouse cinema). But for Julia Zemiro, SBS was a lifeline to her home country. 'I was born in France and did all my primary education at a French school in Australia,' says the popular presenter, who has hosted several series and specials for the broadcaster including RocKwiz, Who Do You Think You Are?, Great Australian Walks and the Eurovision Song Contest. 'To have all those French films and TV shows was incredible. There was French radio but to see those images on TV made you feel even more connected.' This month, the Special Broadcasting Service – affectionately dubbed the 'Sex Between Soccer' network by viewers – marks its 50th anniversary. And there is much to celebrate: over the course of five decades, it has evolved from two experimental radio stations (2EA in Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne; EA standing for 'Ethnic Australia') into a radio network broadcasting in 68 languages, as well as six television channels. In 2014, its share of the TV audience was 5.2 per cent; last year, it was 9.3 per cent. And its SBS On Demand service has grown by 18 per cent over the past 12 months, with almost 2.25 million active accounts logging into the platform in April alone. 'SBS has been a constant companion of multiculturalism in Australia,' says the network's managing director, James Taylor. 'I'm reminded of the Noel Pearson Boyer Lecture from 2022, where he spoke about the story of Australia resting on three pillars: our First Nations heritage, the British institutional foundations and the multicultural gift of migration. I like to think that SBS sits at the intersection of these pillars by brokering understanding, belonging and mutual respect.' When SBS was launched by the Whitlam government in 1975, it had a narrow aim: to inform non-English speaking Australians of the Medibank public health system, now known as Medicare. Indeed, it was intended to operate for just three months, until its success prompted the government to acknowledge the value of a permanent multicultural broadcaster in a country with a booming migrant population. In 1980, SBS expanded into television, with the Fraser government appointing former ABC chair Bruce Gyngell as its first chief executive. 'I was horrified with the concept they had,' Gyngell later recalled. 'It sounded to me like a typical sort of ethnic station with dancing and clogs and exotic cooking and not much more than that. The sense of culture seemed to be totally absent.' What Gyngell wanted was a channel that would encourage migrants to feel embraced by their adopted country – and to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of their cultures among Australian-born citizens. Loading 'If SBS had never existed, we'd understand so much less about ourselves,' says Jenny Brockie, who hosted the acclaimed Insight program between 2001 and 2020. 'It encouraged us to celebrate our differences while recognising that we're all part of a community, which I think is its biggest contribution. And at a programming level, SBS has been a real innovator; it's a place where a lot of risks have been taken.' Insight is a good example: under Brockie, it evolved from a magazine format into a discussion forum. Each episode is devoted to a single topic, from domestic terrorism to the pain of betrayal, with a studio audience – as opposed to a panel of talking heads – sharing their views and experiences. This might seem like a recipe for Jerry Springer-style conflict but in reality, Insight is among the most thoughtful and illuminating programs on Australian television. 'Every single person in the room is nurtured by producers through extensive conversations over a long period of time,' says Insight's current host, Kumi Taguchi. 'We don't do gotcha moments; if somebody says they don't want to discuss a particular part of their experience, we never cross that line. We're transparent with our guests about who else will be in the room, and the fact there will be differing opinions, which helps build trust and understanding. About 80 per cent of the work is done behind the scenes before people even get into the studio.' 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network.' Julia Zemiro Long before Taguchi joined SBS, she was an avid viewer of the network. 'It brought a new kind of quirkiness and irreverence to our screens,' she says. 'Everyone would talk about the late-night world movies, and it was the only station at the time to show South Park. I really like the way it pushed those boundaries.' Loading Zemiro agrees. 'We were allowed to be a bit more bold than we might have been on a commercial network,' she says. 'As a viewer, you'd see things that were a bit sexy or dangerous. SBS showed soccer before anyone gave a shit about soccer. We could say things like, 'Colonialism isn't great' or 'These animals are suffering and we need to do something about it'. And with [music quiz show] RocKwiz, they just let us go for it and be creative, which is pretty rare.' Of course, SBS – which receives about one third of its funding from commercial sponsors and the rest from taxpayers – is not immune to the difficulties facing free-to-air broadcasters in 2025. This is largely due to technological advances, which spawned direct rivals such as Netflix, Stan* and Disney+. (Meanwhile, Google and Meta now account for an estimated 70 per cent of digital advertising spend.) But technology has also been a boon for the network, allowing it to maintain its multilingual programming while reaching new audiences through SBS On Demand and additional channels such as Viceland, World Movies, Food, WorldWatch and NITV. Karla Grant, a Western Arrernte woman, joined SBS in 1995 as a producer and reporter on ICAM, the network's first Indigenous affairs program. In 2002, she created the acclaimed Living Black, which she hosts to this day, and she is one of the main presenters on the National Indigenous Television channel, which became part of SBS in 2012. Loading 'SBS has been a leader in terms of Indigenous programming and storytelling, giving First Nations people a platform and a voice they don't have anywhere else,' Grant says. 'But NITV and Living Black also play a huge part in informing and educating our nation about First Nations issues, history and culture, which is something we want to share with the rest of the country and the world. It's an important role and I think we do it well.' Among the reporting Grant is most proud of is an investigation called Taken, which examined the growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their homes by authorities. 'Everyone talks about the stolen generations as though they're a thing of the past,' she says. 'In fact, it's still happening today. We did a story about kids in detention, and how one boy had to drink from the toilet in his cell because the guard wouldn't let him have fresh water. A lot of people wrote to me saying, 'We had no idea this type of thing still happens, but it's an appalling breach of human rights'.' Over the past three decades, Grant has also told countless positive stories. Loading 'We shine a light on all the great things that are happening in our communities and the people who are making huge contributions to our country' she says. 'It's entertaining but it's also educating people at the same time.' The same could be said of many SBS dramas. East West 101, which was set in a major crime squad, explored issues of race and justice; Deep Water was based on unsolved gay hate murders in the 1980s; and New Gold Mountain captured the racial tensions of Victoria's goldfields in the 1850s. There have been warm-hearted comedies such as The Family Law, based on Benjamin Law's memoir of the same name; the groundbreaking documentary series Struggle Street, which detailed the reality of living in poverty in Australia; and the hit reality show Alone Australia, in which survivalists attempt to live by themselves for as long as possible in the wilderness. Among the network's best-known former presenters are newsreaders Lee Lin Chin and George Donikian; Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, who hosted The Movie Show between 1986 and 2004; and sports broadcasters Damien Lovelock and Les Murray. Craig Foster, who spent 18 years as SBS's chief football analyst, believes the network's purpose was best described by Murray, who died in 2019. 'Way back in the '80s, it was Les who rightly said that SBS is [an affirmation] of the value of pluralism and multiple ancestries,' Foster says. 'It didn't matter whether you spoke Turkish, Greek or Italian – that should be celebrated.' Foster recalls the semi-final between South Korea and Germany at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a particular fondness. 'There were hundreds of thousands of people watching that game with immense passion,' he says. 'And it was SBS that not only understood that fact, it celebrated it. In effect, what SBS was saying is, 'We are all connected through this game and we respect you as equal Australians. Your parents might have been looked down upon, but we want you to know that we love it when you speak different languages and we love it when you wear your ceremonial dress. In other words, we get you'.' Anton Enus, who hosts the World News bulletins on Fridays and Saturdays, echoes this sentiment. 'I came here from South Africa in 1999 and SBS really helped me embrace this nation that was new to me,' he says. 'As a migrant, you also want to feel connected [to your home country], so you're always looking for someone who sounds like you or speaks your language. But another great thing about SBS is that it teaches you about other cultures you might not have any direct connection to. You might start watching an Italian movie and before you know it, you're completely sucked in because it's something totally different to what you'd get from Hollywood or the BBC.' For managing director Taylor, this is the raison d'etre for the network. 'I regard SBS as a national broadcaster that tells the stories of all Australians,' he says. 'The Australia you see when you tune into any one of our channels or platforms is the same Australia you see when you walk out your front door.'
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘There's always one person': The show taking a funny and frank look at filmmaking
Among the boundary-pushing new dramas selected for Screen Australia and SBS' Digital Originals initiative this 50th anniversary year of the Special Broadcasting Service is one that goes inside the industry itself. Based on the professional experiences of its Nyul Nyul/Yawuru creator and co-director Jub Clerc, Warm Props is a funny and scathing look at cultural ignorance and exploitation within filmmaking, alongside a moving homecoming story. 'There's definitely been some things that have happened on sets that have caught me by surprise,' says Clerc. 'Sometimes it's a mistake – people just not being educated about First Nations culture. It becomes problematic because when you're the only First Nations person on set, you don't just work your job, you work the job of cultural advisor … 'The majority of cast and crew are just golden. But unfortunately, there's always one person who spoils it for everybody. This film is exposing people in the industry that take cultural appreciation too far, or who are unconsciously biased, culturally blind or outright racist.' Loading A film within a film set in Broome, Warm Props – its title refers to the industry slang for extras – stars Yolngu actor Rarriwuy Hick (Wentworth, True Colours) as local identity Aunty Jilby, and newcomer Tehya Makani, a Yawuru/Wadjarri, Pitjanjarra and Wadjuk actor, as Charlie, a 'warm props wrangler'. The pair share a painful family history and are forced to confront their rift while working on an autobiographical film by a narcissistic white 'writer/director/producer' named Keith, who believes he has acquired a 'bush name' from a local mob and therefore identifies as Aboriginal, trampling all over cultural customs in the process. Clerc says there was only ever one actor for this unforgiving role: Mystery Road actor Peter Docker. 'Peter Docker is a great ally,' says Clerc. 'So I knew there would be no moment in any of our conversations where his white fragility would step up and go, 'Oh, but we don't do that!' I knew I could just talk to him and there wouldn't be any cotton-ball babysitting.'
The Age
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘There's always one person': The show taking a funny and frank look at filmmaking
Among the boundary-pushing new dramas selected for Screen Australia and SBS' Digital Originals initiative this 50th anniversary year of the Special Broadcasting Service is one that goes inside the industry itself. Based on the professional experiences of its Nyul Nyul/Yawuru creator and co-director Jub Clerc, Warm Props is a funny and scathing look at cultural ignorance and exploitation within filmmaking, alongside a moving homecoming story. 'There's definitely been some things that have happened on sets that have caught me by surprise,' says Clerc. 'Sometimes it's a mistake – people just not being educated about First Nations culture. It becomes problematic because when you're the only First Nations person on set, you don't just work your job, you work the job of cultural advisor … 'The majority of cast and crew are just golden. But unfortunately, there's always one person who spoils it for everybody. This film is exposing people in the industry that take cultural appreciation too far, or who are unconsciously biased, culturally blind or outright racist.' Loading A film within a film set in Broome, Warm Props – its title refers to the industry slang for extras – stars Yolngu actor Rarriwuy Hick (Wentworth, True Colours) as local identity Aunty Jilby, and newcomer Tehya Makani, a Yawuru/Wadjarri, Pitjanjarra and Wadjuk actor, as Charlie, a 'warm props wrangler'. The pair share a painful family history and are forced to confront their rift while working on an autobiographical film by a narcissistic white 'writer/director/producer' named Keith, who believes he has acquired a 'bush name' from a local mob and therefore identifies as Aboriginal, trampling all over cultural customs in the process. Clerc says there was only ever one actor for this unforgiving role: Mystery Road actor Peter Docker. 'Peter Docker is a great ally,' says Clerc. 'So I knew there would be no moment in any of our conversations where his white fragility would step up and go, 'Oh, but we don't do that!' I knew I could just talk to him and there wouldn't be any cotton-ball babysitting.'
