PUBLISHED06 Jun 2025
Songs Inside at Sydney Film Festival 2025
We caught up with the film team to discuss their nomination for the Documentary Australia Award.
Witness the healing power of song and musicianship as a group of women prisoners pursue a unique music program in the Documentary Australia-supported film Songs Inside.
The Songbird program, helmed by First Nations singer-songwriter Nancy Bates, is designed to boost confidence and self-worth but it requires a lot from the participants, all of whom struggle with the impacts of trauma and addiction. Though the women open up a little more with every song and each rehearsal, laying bare one’s traumas can be overwhelming.
Director Shalom Almond spent six months filming in the Adelaide Women’s Prison with unprecedented access, and the result is both shocking and uplifting. Songs Inside was the Audience Award-winner at Adelaide Film Festival.
Documentary Australia: What does it mean to you to be nominated for the Documentary Australia Award?
Shalom Almond: It’s such a thrill to be nominated for the Documentary Australia Award. Songs Inside has been nearly five years in the making and has been such a labour of love, so to see it now resonating with audiences is just so special.
DA: How did support from Documentary Australia help shape your journey?
SA: Documentary Australia has been by our side throughout the entire process of making Songs Inside – since the first seeds of early development through to the launch of our current social impact campaign. Documentary Australia has been an incredible platform for us to not only bring in philanthropic funds, but to help us build the film’s brand and foster strong diverse audiences.
DA: Do you have any advice for emerging filmmakers who want to create change through documentary?
SA: My advice to emerging filmmakers wanting to create change through documentary is to reach out to people who share similar interests and expertise around your social issue and build a community around you. Sometimes you can trap yourself into thinking you have to do it alone, but building your own community of like-minded individuals means you can bring people on the journey with you and create a space for inspiration, learning, growth and champions in your creative endeavour.