CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN SHORTS SHOWCASE

Following the sold-out success of last year’s Screen Territory SPARK Short Film Initiative, MASIFF has created their own curated program of Central Australian short films and director talks.

This new showcase celebrates our region’s rich filmmaking talent, diverse storytelling, and creative voices and marks the beginning of what we hope will become an annual tradition of spotlighting Central Australian stories on screen.

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Truth About the Telegraph - Director: Kieran Mpetyane Satour

Hailed as a triumph of technology, the Overland Telegraph Line stretched 3,000 km across Aboriginal lands — but for the Kaytetye and Warumungu people it was also the frontier of colonisation. Through first-hand accounts passed down through generations, this powerful documentary shares stories of survival, resilience, and truth in the face of violence.

First Drop - Director: Damon van der Schuit

 
Set in Alice Springs, this award-winning short follows Ted, a reclusive retiree, who is reluctantly tasked with caring for his Pakistani neighbour’s 8-year-old daughter, Saleha. What begins as an awkward favour blossoms into an unlikely friendship forged through a shared love of cricket — until painful memories threaten to break it apart. A heartfelt story about connection, loss, and finding common ground. Produced by Emma Alix Smith & Bridget May.

Chanamee (Never Die) - Director: Julien Poulson

Chanamee (Never Die) is an intimate 15-minute documentary that plunges the audience into the raw, red-dirt world of the Tanami Desert blues. The film chronicles the creation of "KARRINJALA MUAJARRI (Ceasefire!)", a potent protest song born from the collaboration between revered Warlpiri Elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves and musician Julien Poulson's desert collective, Red Dirt Blues

Mini Retrospective: Jonathan Daw

This mini retrospective honours Central Australian filmmaking talent and Jonathan’s outstanding contribution to the region’s screen culture.

Jonathan Daw is an award winning Central Australian filmmaker specialising in stop-motion animation. For more than 20 years he has worked as a director, producer, animator, and model-maker, and has collaborated widely in Central Australia with organisations such as Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Tangentyere Artists and ICTV. Shorts made in collaboration with others include Daffodil (Kasia Tons & Jonathan Daw) andTjakuranyatjara (Walkatjara Art).

Learning and Burning - Director: Mala Rangers (Youth Entry)

See how the Mala Rangers from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park learn from Elders and teach new generations how to care for culture and country.

More titles still to come