Castlemaine documentary filmmaker and producer, Alex Kelly, and collaborator, director Maya Newell, have been awarded the highly regarded Diane Weyermann Fellowship — placing them among just three documentary teams selected globally.
The two-year fellowship will support their feature-length documentary project, Testimony.
Testimony follows the journey of the most ambitious climate litigation undertaken in Australia.
In this landmark case, Torres Strait Islanders sue the federal government for failing to prevent climate harm. A win could reshape Australia’s approach to climate action and set a precedent with global reach. While their lawyers do their best to argue for justice for the islanders, a court is not able to hold the wisdom and depth of Island kastom (island custom).
The film follows dance-master Sedrick Waia beyond the courtroom as he gathers his people to remember, brace, and dream of possible futures. The film becomes the people’s own cinematic declaration — an offering from Saibai herself for generations to come. This is a documentary-as-testimony that allows the world to bear witness with those on the frontline and face our collective future.
The Fellowship was established to honour the legacy of Diane Weyermann, whose decades-long work helped shape the global documentary landscape through leadership roles at the Sundance Institute and Participant Media. The Fellowship seeks bold, cinematic documentaries — and selects only three films each cycle from hundreds of global submissions.
Each film receives US$100,000 in unrestricted funding, along with tailored mentorship, creative retreats at the Camden International Film Festival, and ongoing professional support over the next 18 months.
In October, Alex travelled to Tzintzuntzan, Mexico, for the opening fellowship retreat held at the Cine Qua Non lab – alongside filmmakers on Captions Will be Needed and The Instrument with mentors Rob Moss, Tabatha Jackson and Kirsten Johnson.
