AIDC 2024 POST LOUNGE DOC PITCH RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

AIDC 2024 might be over, but positive outcomes continue to appear with this week’s announcement of the successful projects from The Post Lounge Doc Pitch, held during the Cut to the Chase curated meetings program.

Now in its third year, The Post Lounge Doc Pitch initiative supports a selection of projects with up to $30,000 of development investment through strategic post-production services, designed to elevate stories at early development stages.

While the support can take multiple forms, such as post-production for a sizzle, teaser or pilot, the overall aim is to enable filmmakers to move projects toward market-readiness to secure funding and investment, distribution and broadcast deals. 

Noting some examples, Bronwyn Ketels, General Manager, The Post Lounge, said:

“One of the successful projects from the Doc Pitch in 2023, The House of Love, has worked with TPL over the last six months in an intensive editorial and design phase, to shape the look and feel of the film.

“It’s been amazing to work with the director and producer in this phase, and we were so proud to see the team bring their teaser and pitch to The FACTory at AIDC in 2024. A previous year’s recipient, (production house) GARUWA, has worked with TPL on a number of short-form and development projects on their slate.” 

This year’s successful projects are as follows.

Djinda 

Awarded $17,500 post-production investment, including edit with senior offline editor, title design, picture and sound post on a sizzle/teaser 

Logline: Imagine the first Indigenous Australian astronaut floating through space. Now imagine how she got there. Djinda tells the story of the professor who is making this possible.

Director: Beck Cole; Producer: Samuel Paynter

Bronwyn Ketels – “The treatment for ‘Djinda’ already sounded pretty amazing on paper, but meeting with the four-strong team in the Cut to the Chase and The Post Lounge Doc Pitch, it was these words that they used to describe the project that really hooked us – “imagine the first Australian woman in space, and she’s an Aboriginal woman”; “it will have a sonic bed of 1980s Redfern through archival footage and sound design”; “then we cut to Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time – it’s a biopic that’s not afraid of comedy and heart”. And then capped off with, “Professor Christopher Laurence as a boy is lying down looking up to the universe – it’s about Aboriginal people’s connection to space and the universe”. Wow! 

“As well as the unique premise and access to great talent, we could immediately see how our incredible senior editor would work with this team and their material, to craft a beautiful teaser, and how our colourists, VFX artists, designers and sound team would add further layers and depths of artistry to bring this very special story to life.”

In Focus

Awarded $10,000 of post-production services – colour grade, title design and sound post on a sizzle/teaser 

Logline: An intimate and epic journey into the reality of a courageous reporter who is haunted by his past.

Director: Barat Batoor; Producer: Leeanne Torpey

Bronwyn Ketels – “Batoor and Leeanne seem like two very different personalities but who made up one incredible partnership. Hearing Batoor’s personal story, combined with the stunning images and never-seen-before footage which he captured personally, we knew this was an important story that needs to be shared with the widest audience possible. 

“The filmmakers already have the beginnings of a great trailer in hand, and so we could see how TPL could work with them to bring the soundscape of the fear, the desolation at sea, and the danger to the fore through audio, and provide the finishing touches through colour and design, to unify and enhance the vision. All they need is a little help to elevate their sizzle reel, particularly with clarity and depth of sound design, and this will be a project ready to wow the market.”

The Real Meaning of Pleasure

Awarded $2,500 of post-production services – one-day colour grade, or two days of title design on a sizzle/teaser

Logline: A cancer patient living with Aspergers, his asexual, autistic sister and neurodiverse niece set out to discover the true meaning of pleasure.

Director: Laneikka Denne; Producer: Adam Finney

Bronwyn Ketels – “Adam and Laneikka were the first team we met with in our Cut to the Chase and The Post Lounge Doc Pitch session, having made it to our shortlist from their intriguing logline and synopsis. But at the end of the day after meeting everyone, we came back to this project as a lovely, personal family story, with reach and heart and something very important to say. 

“They are already well-progressed in their post-production journey on the feature, but we felt that just a little bit of love on the vision from TPL’s colour or design team, would elevate their teaser to the next level and help them along the path to completing their project.”

In 2024, Cut to the Chase curated 528 pitch meetings for 122 documentary and factual projects with 105 industry decision makers. 

Thanks to AIDC’s industry partners taking part in industry initiatives, AIDC was able to unlock over $340,000 in project and professional development funding, awards and prizes, providing real support for practitioners and elevating documentary and factual storytelling across all forms. 

Learn more about AIDC’s Marketplace and The Post Lounge Doc Pitch

Main Image: The Real Meaning of Pleasure