Side Quest Stories

Side Quest Stories shifts focus from perpetrators to the inspiring stories of survivors reclaiming their lives. By highlighting resilience, creativity, and empowerment, it offers a fresh, hopeful perspective on domestic violence, challenging the grim narratives audiences often see and promoting positive examples of agency and strength. Creativity and collaborative art-making are central to this process, providing a platform for self-expression, personal growth, and community connection. By transforming a derelict house into a living artwork, the project demonstrates how optimism, collective creativity, and shared experiences can foster healing, inspire social change, and support others who have experienced trauma.

This documentary is more than a film. It is the starting point for lasting, community-driven change that will continue beyond its release. The six-week exhibition of the painted house after filming will immerse visitors in artwork, stories, and community programming while raising funds for domestic violence organisations.

Beyond the exhibition, the project will convert the house into a permanent resource centre, to be primarily used as a support hub for survivors, co-managed with partner organisations. Through national screenings, keynote talks by Kat Tillman, and community engagement, the project aims to increase awareness, inspire action, generate donations, and foster trauma-informed practices across communities and education sectors. It demonstrates the power of creativity, optimism, and collective healing to drive systemic change while offering a hopeful, empowering approach to domestic violence storytelling.

What we hope to achieve goes beyond awareness. We want audiences to leave inspired by the resilience and agency of survivors, seeing domestic violence through a lens of possibility rather than despair. It is the authentic, deeply human stories that resonate most with viewers and spark meaningful change. Well-made documentaries have the power to influence conversations, shift perceptions, and create lasting social impact both in Australia and internationally. We believe Side Quest Stories has real potential to drive change, showing that optimism, creativity, and the courage of survivors can transform not just lives, but communities. Our strategic partnerships will aid different aspects of the systematic challenges survivors face, including arts therapy, legal and financial aid and advise, housing support services and more. We hope for this project to have a lasting affect on our community, while shining a light on the importance of community support systems for survivors.

As filmmakers, we have access to the domestic violence and survivor community through Kat Tillman, a trusted and pioneering figure in using art for healing. Kat’s experience as a survivor and her leadership in this field position her to engage the community with care and integrity. We are partnering with DV law firms to ethically vet participants and ensure safety. Kat will reach out to her 11,500 followers to connect with anyone who wishes to be involved, and outreach through partner organisations will further support participant engagement. These planned connections will allow our production to authentically represent survivor voices, prioritise wellbeing, and capture the transformative power of creativity and collaboration, positioning the film as a genuine reflection of the community it serves.

The film encourages audiences to engage with domestic violence in ways that are hopeful, empowering, and action-oriented. Viewers will be invited to:

Support survivors through donations or volunteering with DV organisations and survivor-led initiatives.

Engage in conversation and advocacy, attending community forums or school/workplace programs to foster awareness of trauma-informed approaches.

Participate in national screenings, workshops, and keynotes led by Kat Tillman, where audiences can learn practical tools for supporting survivors and driving systemic change.

Take part in creative, community-based projects inspired by the film, such as local mural initiatives, art workshops, or personal art practices that encourage reflection, expression, and empowerment.