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ABC announces indigenous drama ‘Redfern Now’

The ABC and Screen Australia have announced the commencement of development on a new television series specifically designed to involve indigenous writers and film-makers reports Cyril Washbrook on 22 September 2010 in Media Spy.

Described as a "major and ground-breaking" project, Redfern Now will be the first television drama series to be written, directed and produced by indigenous Australians. Screen Australia is now inviting indigenous screenwriters to submit episode ideas for the six-part series.

"Redfern Now will focus on six households on one street, revealing elements of contemporary inner-city Indigenous life.

"Each story will be one we know and understand but have never seen on TV before – how we love, care, fight, argue and live our lives day to day – funny, heartbreaking, sexy, human, truthful."

The programme is tentatively scheduled to go into production in late 2011, and will eventually air on ABC1. It will be produced by Blackfella Films.

"This is an exciting ground-breaking project for indigenous filmmakers in this country to expand their skills into TV drama," said Sally Riley, who began as the head of ABC TV's newly-constituted Indigenous Department in May.

The series will be developed with the assistance of Jimmy McGovern, the award-winning English scriptwriter and creator of series such as Cracker, The Lakes and most recently The Street. Riley said that McGovern's "long history of mentoring and developing new and emerging writers" made him an ideal collaborator in the development of Redfern Now.

McGovern will lead a workshop in January 2011 for writers of six selected story ideas.

"Redfern Now offers our talented practitioners an opportunity to hone their skills in TV drama and audiences everywhere will intimately identify with the human stories this prime time series will portray," said Erica Glynn, the head of Screen Australia's Indigenous Department.

The indigenous departments of the ABC and Screen Australia are working together on the new series

Source: www.mediaspy.org/report/2010/09/22/abc-announces-indigenous-drama-redfern-now/

Also see: www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/abc-to-screen-all-indigenous-drama-series-called-redfern-now/story-e6frg996-1225927850732

www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/scriptwriter-set-for-block-party-20100922-15n1l.html