First Peoples Showcase (BLACK AS)

Presented by CitiPower

Black As exploded onto screens as something entirely fresh — wild, funny, unpredictable and deeply grounded in Yolngu culture and country. Created in genuine collaboration with the Black As boys from the remote Arnhem Land community of Ramingining, the series grew directly from their own ideas, humour, hunting adventures and lived experience.

What began as a handful of rough pilot webisodes became a global online phenomenon, eventually attracting more than 200 million views across digital platforms. What made Black As unique was not just its anarchic energy and bush ingenuity, but the fact that all four seasons were performed in local Yolngu language. Black As celebrates bush life, youth culture, humour and connection to country with authenticity and pride.

At the St Kilda Film Festival, filmmaker David Batty will present a special 90-minute talk and screening event exploring the making of Black As alongside highlights from a filmmaking career spanning more than 45 years across Central Australia, the Kimberley and Arnhem Land. Through clips and behind-the-scenes stories, Batty will discuss the realities of filmmaking in remote Australia and his long involvement fostering and mentoring Aboriginal people in media and filmmaking, from CAAMA through to productions including Bush Mechanics and Black As.