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‘Zach’s Ceremony’, a powerful documentary following the struggles of an Aboriginal kid as he grapples with his identity and culture in modern-day Australia, received a windfall in production and outreach funding from the first-ever Good Pitch event at the Sydney Opera House on October 8.
The film, produced by PostBox and Wangala Films in association with Mint Pictures, was selected as one of seven finalists invited to pitch before a crowd of 300-plus philanthropists.
More than $2 million in philanthropic funding was committed for the seven films in one day. As a result, ‘Zach’s Ceremony’ will hopefully be ready for release in mid-2015. It is directed by Aaron Petersen and produced by Sarah Linton. Mint’s Dan Goldberg is executive producer.
The leading international forum for documentary filmmaking, Good Pitch brings together filmmakers with foundations, not-for-profits, campaigners, philanthropists, policymakers, broadcasters and key players in the film industry, around leading social and environmental issues, to forge coalitions and campaigns that are good for all these partners, good for the films and good for society.
Good Pitch in Australia was hosted by Ian Darling’s Shark Island Institute and Documentary Foundation Australia. The event was established by the BRITDOC Foundation and the Sundance Institute in 2008.
Over 150 grants were made by different philanthropic foundations and individual donors on the day. Some of the many partners committing support to the films include NAB, The Fledgling Fund, Australian Women Donor’s Network, GetUp, YMCA, The Funding Network, The Caledonia Foundation, White Ribbon, The Westpac Group, The George Institute for Global Health, Diabetes Australia, Inside Film, Dumbo Feather, Lock The Gate, Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care, AIME, the Sydney Film Festival, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Chicago Media Project, Impact Partners, Philanthropy Australia, Pro Bono Australia, Documentary Australia Foundation, and the Shark Island Institute.