PUBLISHED10 Mar 2022

A New Look for Documentary Australia

"We wrap our arms around the documentaries, we place stories at the centre of social impact strategies, and we build coalitions of partners to bring change in a troubled, divided world"

Documentary Australia has unveiled its new title and logo to signal its renewed vision for the future. The word ‘foundation’ has been dropped from its name and it will be referred to as Documentary Australia.

The contemporary logo is made up of seven windows representing the organization’s key impact areas, as well as the connectivity and community needed to create change, according to Documentary Australia’s CEO, Dr. Mitzi Goldman.

The seven focus areas include environment, youth, indigenous, human rights/social justice, health and wellbeing, women and girls, and the arts.

“We wrap our arms around the documentaries, we place stories at the centre of social impact strategies, and we build coalitions of partners to bring change in a troubled, divided world,” said Dr Goldman.


Documentary Australia’s new impact area icons.

For the past fourteen years, the not-for-profit organization has supported Australian documentary storytellers through fundraising, education, advocacy, and strategic partnerships.

At the Australian International Documentary Conference Documentary Australia will share highlights from its 2022 Impact Report, which will be released later this month. The report showcases how powerful on-screen stories with strong partnerships can create positive and lasting societal change.

“Ours is a model that reaches deeper and far longer than a simple broadcast or film festival screening,” said Dr Goldman.

Despite Covid-19, Documentary Australia posted solid financial results in 2020/21, including:

    • Facilitating $4.5M in tax-deductible donations for documentaries,
    • Supporting the funding of 170 films, and
    • More than 3,000 individual donations.

Throughout 2022, Documentary Australia will continue to focus on the environment with its Environmental Accelerator program, as well as supporting women and First Nations’ filmmakers through SheDoc and the Indigenous Fellowship program. It will also launch a project with young multidisciplinary artists collaborating on events that bring a cross generational audience to films, performance, poetry and art on social issues.

One of the highlights of 2021 was Documentary Australia’s successful advocacy to maintain government funding incentives for Australia’s documentary filmmakers. Dr Goldman appealed to a Senate committee to scrap proposed tax changes which would have crippled Australia’s documentary industry.

“The government accepted all our recommendations, protecting our documentary industry so it continues to thrive as a sustainable business and contributes to our national stories,” Dr Goldman said.

“This triumphant win and our commitment to the future are embodied in our dynamic new-look brand. Designed by Sydney-based graphic artist, Therese Leuver, the logo connects art, storytelling, and community.”

“Sitting around a campfire to share stories is as old as time and when we approach challenges together we can make change happen. We have built an incredible community at Documentary Australia – a vibrant, generous, multi-generational, cross sector community around our organisation and our films,” added Dr Goldman.