Back to Sessions

STATE OF PLAY: SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY IN 2026 AND BEYOND

Business Join Stephanie King (Documentary Australia) and a panel of industry experts for our third annual state of play analysis, exploring the most urgent issues facing our sector – from legislative changes and market forces, to industrial change and rapid technological developments.

It’s been a bumpy 12 months for the sector. From the outcomes of long-awaited content laws for streaming services, announcements of US tariffs and global media consolidation, to the defunding of public media and the closure of critical documentary markets, the pressures on documentary have shifted from economic to increasingly political and existential.

In our third annual analysis of the state of play, we take stock of the urgent challenges facing our field and the priorities for advocacy and policy reform in 2026.

Hear from experts and industry leaders discussing the levers of government, changing market forces, and impacts of technology on the foundations of documentary.

 

Image credit: AFTERMATH (2026) Photo by Jasmine Anderson and Alejandro Carriel, Directed by Jared Nicholson & Ben Lawrence, Produced by Media Stockade & Run Wild.

Session