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Recipients announced for SAFC and Audible Development Initiative
28 November 2019
Three compelling and unique South Australian stories will be developed as audio documentaries under the Audio Drama and Audio Documentary Development Initiative, an innovative storytelling partnership between the South Australian Film Corporation and Audible Australia, the Australian arm of the world’s leading provider and producer of audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.
From the regional South Australian town of Pinnaroo, Kade Richardson’s The Gaslight is a 6-hour serialised drama based on surprising true events which seriously affected his family when one family-member became entrapped in an international love scam operation.
Adelaide’s Anthony Frith delves deep into the very real world of tulpas; imaginary friends who live their own full lives in your head, in Tulpas: From Buddhism to Bronies.
Also from Adelaide, Louise Pascale’s Homebirth – A Modern Day Witchhunt gives audiences unique insight into a world that has to date only been defined by the media and politicians, as Louise takes on Australia’s ‘most contentious midwife’, for her own homebirth.
SAFC Head of Industry Development, Partnerships and Engagement Satu Teppo said: “The global audio entertainment market segment is one of the fastest-growing storytelling avenues, and it is also an effective and impactful way of developing new work. I’d like to thank the SAFC’s former Head of Production, Development, Attraction and Studios Amanda Duthie who established this partnership, which enables the SAFC to provide new opportunities in this territory. While all three projects have real global appeal as compelling entertainment, we are particularly thrilled to support development of a regional project, where the rural isolation of the story’s protagonist is a key factor in the escalation of events, and an essential part of the story unfolding.”
Ben Naparstek, Director of Original Content at Audible Australia and New Zealand said: “Increasingly screen creators are expanding their focus into audio to reach the growing number of listeners that love storytelling but want to consume content on the go. Audio also provides an opportunity to incubate IP, as more and more podcasts are being picked up for the screen. Our collaboration with the SAFC has allowed us to tap into South Australia’s rich creator community to develop three very different, equally fascinating, stories with great listening potential.”
This new initiative follows the SAFC’s successful Audio Essentials workshop held in May, which saw an inspirational line up of leading Australian practitioners and industry insiders share their insights of the world of podcasting and audio.