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NAIDOC Week 2026 – First Nations creatives forge new career paths in TV production at Channel 44
08 July 2026
Every year the South Australian Film Corporation celebrates NAIDOC Week by highlighting the work of First Nations screen creatives living and working in South Australia.
This year, we are delighted to showcase the two South Australian First Nations screen creatives who have been given the opportunity to forge a career in television production through the SAFC and Channel 44’s First Nations Internship Program.
Boandik/Meintangk person Sasha Smith and US-born Ngarrindjeri man Michael Taylor-Hill both commenced their 80-hour placement at Channel 44 last month, taking on practical opportunities to develop their skills in television production.
So far, the pair have tackled key production tasks including creating call sheets for events; writing pitches for First Nations-led TV series; operating camera, sound and lighting equipment for in-house productions and client work; and working across important First Nations events and programming including the National Reconciliation Week Breakfast, the unveiling of the statue of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue, and post-production of Mob Talks S2.
Find out more about the SAFC Channel 44 First Nations Internship Program here.
Sasha Smith comes from a background in radio and festival work. She currently works with Radio Adelaide as a panellist for the Deadly Beats program, which showcases First Nations music artists, and a Producer for the Nunga Wangga program.
She also has experience in the screen industry as a writer, having worked with NSW production company Noble Savage Pictures in the writers’ room for their series Midlands and Bless.
Sasha hopes that gaining on-set and production experience through the Channel 44 Internship will make her “a better writer” for the screen.
She says she’s “always had a passion for blakfulla storytelling,” and while she’s enjoyed exploring that in other capacities, she is glad to be returning to the world of screen.
Michael Taylor-Hill’s love for film was first sparked watching Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window at a young age and blossomed as his taste in different genres and foreign cinema grew.
In high school he discovered an interest in the filmmaking process, so when his family moved to South Australia in 2023, he started a Bachelor of Film and Television (Screen Production) at Flinders University.
Michael hopes to pursue a career in producing after graduation and has already formed a production team with his fellow Flinders students called circaM2. Their first short, Algal Doom, premiered as a finalist at the Fleurieu Film Festival.
So far, Michael says that the Channel 44 Internship has provided opportunities to network with the industry and gain valuable professional experience.
Reflecting on the importance of NAIDOC Week, Michael loves that it “gives Australia a chance to share our culture with everyone – within the country and with the wider world.”
“This week is a chance to celebrate who we are and where we come from.”
— Michael Taylor-Hill