The Opposition

As a director, Hollie Fifer’s documentaries are inspired by the true life stories that are too bizarre and courageous to believe.

Hollie’s films have been broadcasted and screened at festivals both within Australia and internationally including CHILDREN OF THE RAINBOW SERPENT (NITV), COMMON GROUND (SBS), CORINNA and VERY IMPRESSIVE.

THE OPPOSITION is Hollie’s first documentary feature set in Papua New Guinea and the UK. Following a court injunction brought against The Opposition team in the NSW Supreme Court, the film screened in a redacted version at Hot Docs 2016 while the case was to be heard. Following the filmmaker’s court victory, THE OPPOSITION had its full world premiere occurred at IDFA 2016 before going on to win the Grand Prize at the FIFO, screening at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2017 and winning Best Documentary Feature at the Oz Flix Independent Film Awards in 2018.

Hollie was the Documentary Tutor at NIDA between 2013 – 2017 and most recently has been appointed one of four Directors of The Artists Guild – a Melbourne art gallery run for female artists by female artists. Hollie is also the Executive Director of Good Pitch Pasifika linking documentary filmmakers with social change advocates in the Pacific region.

Hollie studied a Bachelor of Film and Television (Hons) at Swinburne University and The Northern Film School in the UK under the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship graduating with First Class Honours and the Award for Creative Excellence. Hollie continued her studies to receive a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Social Change followed by a Graduate Diploma of Documentary from the Australian Film Television and Radio School graduating with the Shark Island Prize for Best Social Impact Documentary.

Rebecca Barry is a director and producer. In 2012 she founded the production company Media Stockade with fellow producer/director Madeleine Hetherton. Rebecca has won many awards and is passionate about storytelling. Recent productions include the feature documentary film I Am A Girl (nominated for 4 AACTA awards and winner of best documentary film at the 2014 SPA Awards); producing the critical and ratings success The Surgery Ship (SBS) which has evolved into an 8 part series with Nat Geo. She was also the producer of controversial film The Opposition, which has screened at festivals around the world including Hot Docs, IDFA, Sydney Film Festival and was the opening night film at HRAFF. She produced China Love which was the ABC Arts, Create NSW Doc Feature Fund recipient for 2018, which was released in the cinema and is currently enjoying a life on the international festival circuit. Through her experience in hybrid self-distribution of her own films she has become a sort after expert in alternative pathways to audience and activating measurable impact.

Madeleine Hetherton-Miau is an experienced and multi-awarded director and producer. Her filmmaking has taken her around the world from diamond diving in Africa to wildlife trafficking in Burma and through the remote Australian outback. She works across a wide range of documentary and factual programs which have been broadcast in over 60 countries across networks including ABC, BBC, Discovery, Nat Geo and Al Jazeera In 2012 she co-founded the independent production company Media Stockade with Rebecca Barry. www.mediastockade.com. Most recently, Madeleine has been in West Africa, Producing the 8 x 1hr series ‘The Surgery Ship’ for National Geographic Channel. The series, based on the earlier feature documentary, follows stories aboard the world’s largest civilian hospital ship as it roams the coast of Africa. It was released globally in 2017 to excellent ratings and critical acclaim.