Six new online and interactive documentaries will cover a broad range of NZ culture and issues on a range of a platforms. The projects were selected from a particularly competitive field.
The acclaimed investigative team of Paula Penfold, Eugene Bingham,Toby Longbottom and Phil Johnson will produce an interactive documentary exploring the Battle of Baghak firefight in Afghanistan in 2012. The Battle will feature on the Stuff website and as a broadcast on TV3.
Also for Stuff is Last Of The Few, a series of short documentaries focused on three Air Force war veterans representing the last of their era.
The Generation Game on The Spinoff will provide an interactive examination of the housing crisis, how it has occurred and the impacts on groups in our society
A 15 year old girl and her Dad who are making a name for themselves online with stories about the ocean will present interactive stories and facts about the ocean, sea life and the environment. Young Ocean Explorers will include elements of gaming and 360 video to engage the audience.
Also bringing elements of gaming into interactive documentary is FAFSWAG - a journey into Pacific LGBTQ vogue culture. Centred around the lives of five young FAFSWAG performers the documentary will shine a light into a relatively unknown corner of global and Pacific culture.
The ongoing rebuild of Christchurch and the various issues communities face will be further explored in Christchurch Dilemmas 2, which will add more online stories to the interactive project funded in 2015.
“Digital technologies have opened up so many more and interesting ways to tell stories and engage audiences. We look for innovative ideas and ways to reach audiences, on a wide range of platforms,“ said NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson.
Funding details
Christchurch Dilemmas 2, 20 x 5 mins, Frank Film for online, $250,000
The Battle, various outputs, Fairfax Media for Stuff.co..nz & TV3, $324,082
FAFSWAG, various outputs, Piki Films for online, $175,000
The Generation Game, various outputs, Hood & Co for The Spinoff, $174,650
Last Of The Few, 5 x 7mins, PDQ Productions for Stuff.co.nz, $90,157
Young Ocean Explorers, various outputs, Greenstone TV for online, $175,000