Impact Producer Program 2024 – Progress Update

Now over halfway through this year’s Documentary Australia Impact Producer Program, participants Aprille Asfoura and AJ Linke have taken part in five learning modules and a Masterclass on Impact and Education.

In addition to this, the 2024 participants have been engaged in a hands-on capacity. Aprille has been working on the impact campaign for recently released Stan Original documentary Trailblazers. 

“We’ve just gotten through the release of Trailblazers and working on the comms for that. It was a good hands on experience to kind of jump into the middle of a project and see how it all unfolds. Now we are working on the educational release for Trailblazers and moving into screenings.” – Aprille Asfoura

AJ has been working on the impact campaign for Environmental Accelerator film Climate Changers, which recently screened in the parliament of NSW and was followed by a powerful panel discussion urging critical climate action. This special screening was co-hosted by Documentary Australia and the Climate Council.

“I’ve been working on Climate Changers and that’s been the last six weeks, which has been quite hands on. We jumped from the SBS launch into a parliamentary screening and had a really quick turn around. It was great to be able to shadow the team on pulling it together.”  – AJ Linke

Documentary Australia Director of Impact Lisa Kanani stated, “Both Aprille and AJ have dived in and helped create communications and outreach campaigns for these exciting projects and have seen first-hand the inner workings of how to engage partners, amplify a film’s broadcast and shine a light on the calls to action around a social change documentary.”

Hear from Aprille and AJ

Aprille Asfoura

“I’ve learnt that being an impact producer means you can make it your own and their doesn’t have to be one set way of doing things. There is power to make local change at your doorstop, and also big picture change.”

“Specifically in Australia I think it’s exciting because it’s so new, hence why this program is in place, and I think it’s exciting to feel that we’re at the beginning of a new industry and a way to change the landscape in the screen industry in Australia.”

“I’m really looking forward to learning about fundraising and gaining skills in budgeting and finance because it’s obviously a really important part of doing the job. I’m excited to see what these skills can evolve into going forward.”

“I feel like the team at Documentary Australia is very open and collaborative, I actually really feel that, that there’s no hierarchy. It always feels like our ideas are very valid, even though we’re learning, I feel like our ideas are sought out and we can contribute without judgement.”

AJ Linke

“I think the thing I’ve been taking away from the chats we’ve been having with impact producers, from the modules, and especially the last six weeks of work experience, has been the need to be flexible in this role. Opportunities come up and it’s important to be able to jump on them if they’re in line with the goals of the impact campaign.”

“Things can just come up and opportunities can present themselves, like the parliamentary screening, which is really, especially in the climate change space, an excellent opportunity to reach decision makers. That wasn’t on the agenda a month ago and then it just came about. That it was also co-hosted by Liberal, Labour and The Greens was an amazing reflection on the power of film to bring together different perspectives to have a robust conversation.”

“Now that we’re half way through the program it’s a bit of a snap to start thinking about what time looks like after the program, and how to start finding work in the impact space or in the film space more generally.”

“I’ve loved coming into the office and being part of the team. It’s such a collaborative space and everyone has such diverse skills. It’s really amazing to have access to so many different people and also to work so cohesively all together.”

Learn more about the Impact Producer Program HERE