Wrapping a Successful Regionality Sunshine Coast 2025
Over 120 documentary and factual practitioners gather at Mooloolaba event
Documentary and factual practitioners gathered in Mooloolaba on Monday, 28 July for the second Regionality Sunshine Coast event, bringing together local and international talent for a wide-ranging one-day program.
Presented by AIDC and Screen Queensland, with the support of the Sunshine Coast Council and in association with the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, the event drew 124 delegates, including 24 national and international speakers and industry guests, to Mantra Mooloolaba Beach for a packed day of panels, meetings, and networking.
Aunty Bridgette Chilli giving the Welcome to Country at Regionality Sunshine Coast
The day opened with a warm and stirring Welcome to Country by Mooloolah Kabi Kabi woman Aunty Bridgette Chilli, and scene-setting speeches from Sunshine Coast Councillor Joe Natoli and Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney.
The program began with an early highlight – Fragile and Everlasting: International Collaborations and Craft with the Team from Porcelain War. The session saw co-directors Brendan Bellomo (USA) and Slava Leontyev (Ukraine) linking in remotely with the film’s Australian producer Camilla Mazzaferro (Songbird Studios) to discuss the astonishing efforts of the international collaborators in bringing the Oscar®-nominated feature documentary to life.
Fragile and Everlasting: International Collaborations and Craft with the Team from Porcelain War
The following Regionality Roundtable: Meet the Decision Makers, gave attendees invaluable insight into the types of content sought by ABC, SBS, NITV, and Madman Entertainment, and also ways to engage with agency funders like Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.
The session was especially useful for delegates participating in the following Doc Chat 1:1 Meetings with representatives from those organisations (and more).
Doc Chat 1:1 Meetings
Future Visions: Unlocking the Power and Potential of Online brought together Richard Huddleston (Screen Australia), Farhad Meher–Homji (Changer Studios), Jo-Anne Brechin (Miss Ink), and Kate Boylan-Ascione (Why So Disruptive?), to demystify the world of online documentary and factual, revealing ways to reach and grow audiences and harness the creative and commercial potential of direct-to- audience via online platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
A powerful panel featuring First Nations creatives, broadcasters and funds – Custodians: First Nations Climate Storytelling – then saw Barbara Ibuai (Testimony), John Harvey (Atomic Paradise), Yale MacGillivray (INDESIGN), and NITV’s Cieron Cody, discussing the unique and vital importance of First Nations perspectives in the field of environmental filmmaking.
Custodians: First Nations Climate Storytelling
Rounding out the program for the fast-paced day was The Art of Development: A Roadmap to Greenlight, featuring seasoned doc creators Patrick Abboud (Only Human & Dreamchaser Studios), Dean Gibson (Bacon Factory), Veronica Fury (Fury Film Co), Ivan O’Mahoney (In Films), co-director of the 2025 Logie-winning Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story), and Camilla Mazzaferro (Songbird Studios), providing tips and discussing pitfalls to avoid.
The final part of the session featured an interactive Doc Hotline Q&A, with audience members chipping in their development dilemmas for the panel to address.
The proceedings closed with a casual Networking Drinks catch-up at nearby 4 Pines Mooloolaba, with delegates enjoying a welcome opportunity to discuss the day, mingle and connect on a mild Sunshine Coast eve with the ocean only meters away.
Doc Hotline
We would like to extend our genuine thanks to all participants of the 2025 edition of Regionality Sunshine Coast in Mooloolaba, and in particular, our partners Screen Queensland, the Sunshine Coast Council, and the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective.
AIDC is committed to supporting documentary and factual practitioners across Australia by facilitating highly engaging programs and meaningful industry connections through our ongoing Regionality program.
Learn more about Regionality Sunshine Coast HERE.
MAIN IMAGE: (L-R) Patrick Abboud (Only Human & Dreamchaser Studios), Ivan O’Mahoney (In Films), Camilla Mazzaferro (Songbird Studios), Veronica Fury (Fury Film Co), and Dean Gibson during The Art of Development: A Roadmap to Greenlight. All photos by Amanda Gooch Photography
Networking Drinks at 4 Pines Mooloolaba