This week, Closer Productions attended the 2017 Goodpitch event at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney. Good Pitch provides filmmakers with the opportunity to present feature documentaries with a strong focus on social issues to NGOs, philanthropists, and other potential partners, to help foster profile and outreach funding for the work.

Closer attended as producers of filmmaker Maya Newell’s (GAYBY BABY) new project,  KIDS, which examines the ways indigenous families and communities, often under extreme circumstances, are striving to pass on cultural knowledge – as presented through the eyes of children living in the Northern Territory. Maya has been developing her relationship with the Arrernte Elders in Alice Springs for seven years. KIDS is produced by Closer’s Sophie Hyde alongside Maya and Rachel Edwardson. 

Closer’s Matthew Bate is also a writer for another Goodpitch project, GUILTY, directed by visual artist Matthew Sleeth. GUILTY is a documentary / drama hybrid that provides an intimate portrait of Myuran Sukumaran, one of the “Bali Nine”, who was executed by firing squad alongside fellow Australian Andrew Chan in April 2015.

Sophie is seen above working hard at the event – which successfully raised over $6.6m for the six projects included! Unreal!

This is a huge step forward for KIDS - such a fantastic response to a project we’re really excited about. A huge thanks to the entire Goodpitch team and Shark Institute, the Arrente community and the partners on the day for such a thrilling opportunity. And now, time to get to work!