Four WA documentary projects selected for Docs by the Sea 2025
Four Western Australian documentary projects have been selected for the WA Showcase at Docs by the Sea 2025.
Four Western Australian documentary projects have been selected for the Western Australian Showcase at Docs by the Sea 2025 – a collection of forums offering filmmakers access to global industry networks.
Through a series of collaborative storytelling labs, mentors work closely with filmmakers to refine and shape their projects before honing their pitch preparation.
This year, for the first time, Western Australian practitioners have been invited to join the program, taking part in a mix of online and in-person development.
Screenwest is proud to support the lab participation and forum attendance of four WA projects:
- Five Incarnations – Kylie Boltin
- Your Friendly Neighbourhood Assassin – Jake Blackburn
- The Town – Brooke Collard and Jayson McNamara
- Birthing on Country – Shari Hutchinson, Kimberley Benjamin, Kalinda Palmer
Director-Producer Kylie Boltin said: “I’m thrilled that my feature documentary, Five Incarnations, has been awarded this grant. Docs By The Sea is an exciting opportunity to develop my film with mentors and colleagues from all over Asia. It feels like a great fit, given my family connections to India and the fact that one of the themes of the film is the intergenerational impact of the White Australia Policy.”
Screenwest Documentary Executive Melissa Hayward said: “Docs by the Sea is an exciting opportunity for WA filmmakers to refine their stories in a truly global context. It opens doors not only to funding and distribution, but to long-term international partnerships that can shape careers.”
Alumni of the Docs by the Sea that have achieved global success include Midwives (Sundance Winner 2022), Breaking the Cycle (Hot Docs & Sheffield 2024), and Always (CPH:DOX Winner 2025).
Following the lab, 2025 participants will pitch their projects at the Docs by the Sea Forum in Bali in September 2025. The forum draws influential representatives from the global documentary space, including PBS POV, ARTE France, IDFA Bertha Fund, Catapult Film Fund, NY Times Op-Docs, Tribeca, CPH:DOX and Deutsche Welle.