11 Powerful Films Made By First Nations Directors To Watch Ahead Of NAIDOC Week

**Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following content contains images and voices of people who have died.**

The voices and creativity of Australia’s First Nations people were silenced for an entire generation. Not only were Indigenous people pretty much wiped from on-screen representation throughout the 20th Century but when they were depicted, their experiences were scapegoated, and shown by non-Indigenous people through blackface or reduced to long-standing cliches that completely side-stepped culturally relevant traditions and customs.

There’s still a tremendous way to go for Australian cinema in this space, but for now, check out these Indigenous directors who are absolute trailblazers when it comes to advocating for emerging Indigenous talent and sharing diverse stories and experiences.

The Moogai

By Jon Bell

Horror fans, prepare to lose sleep. The Moogai, from Wiradjuri, Bundjalung, and Yaegl filmmaker Jon Bell, expands his award-winning short into a chilling tale rooted in Aboriginal lore and the trauma of the Stolen Generation. When lawyer Sarah (Shari Sebbens) and her husband Fergus (Meyne Wyatt) bring home their newborn—after a traumatic labor—a child-stealing spirit (the Moogai) begins to haunt them. Tangled in amongst the terror, is the complicated relationship between Sarah and her biological mother, Ruth (Tessa Rose), who has recently come back into her life decades after Sarah was taken from her and raised by a white family.

Bell crafts eerie visions—bloodied sinks, white-eyed children, slithering snakes—that will give you instant chills, but it’s the film’s cultural weight that will linger long after the final scene.

Sweet As

By Jub Clerc

After years of honing her craft in theatre, Nyul Nyul/Yawuru filmmaker Jub Clerc shifted her focus to the screen, contributing to a range of acclaimed Indigenous-led films and TV series like Bran Nue Dae, Mad Bastards, and Mystery Road. But it was her debut feature Sweet As that captured attention far beyond Australia, earning international acclaim and a slew of awards around the globe.

Drawing from Clerc’s own teenage experiences, the film follows Murra (Shantae Barnes-Cowan), a teen whose mother’s battle with addiction prompts her uncle (Mark Coles Smith) to send her on a photography retreat for at-risk youth. Along the journey, unexpected friendships blossom, first love flickers, and the weight of intergenerational trauma begins to surface in powerful, heart-wrenching ways.

Bedevil

Samson And Delilah

By Warwick Thornton

Warwick Thornton (a born and raised Kaytete man) really needs no introduction and his debut film, released back in 2009, Samson And Delilah broke the mould in a big way for First Nations storytelling on the silver screen. The film draws on moments from Warwick’s own life—things he’s seen or experienced firsthand. At its core, it’s a love story between two Indigenous Australian teenagers who, desperate to escape the struggles of their small-town lives, steal a car and set out on a journey to Alice Springs.

The cultural impact of this film is profound—it marked a turning point where Indigenous people were cast in leading roles, placing their stories and lived experiences at the heart of the narrative. Thornton has also directed a slew of other incredible films including Sweet Country, The Darkside, and The Turning.

Finke: There And Back

By Dylan River

If you're familiar with Australian film, it’s no surprise that Dylan River is a standout talent—he was also the lead cinematographer on Adam Goodes’ powerful 2019 documentary The Australian Dream. His parents (which include the aforementioned Warwick Thornton) are absolute creative royalty in the movie industry and his grandmother is the co-founder of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association. While River’s Finke: There And Back is technically not a movie and more so a documentary, it’s still a definite must-watch.

The documentary reveals the ins and outs of the Alice Springs-based Finke Desert Race, a multi-terrain, two-day race for bikes, cars, buggies and quad bikes but for the riders and spectators of the desert race—it’s more than just a competition. River follows a number of figures part of the race including paraplegic Isaac Elliot and Scruff Hamill who actually lives in a shed full of bikes in Sydney.

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Yulubidyi: Until The End

By Curtis Taylor

This powerful short film comes from the talented filmmaker and young Martu leader Curtis Taylor. Raised in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia, Taylor is a multidisciplinary artist with an incredible knack for storytelling—whether through film, performance, or visual art.

His film Yulubidyi: Until The End (which was also directed by Nathan Mewett), tells the story of a young Aboriginal man, Jarman, who is given the task of protecting his younger less-abled brother from life in a harsh remote community. However, his father, Thunder, wants him to become the leader of the tribe and mocks any weakness in him. Brianol, Jarman’s brother, is seen as useless and yet Jarman has the feeling that he has a special connection to land and spirit. 

After this, you’ll also want to watch Taylor’s other movies which include Mamu and Jadai—The Broome Brawler.

Beneath Clouds

By Iven Sen

Beneath Clouds was Iven Sen’s, a Gamilaroi man (Northern NSW), breakout feature film. Following a young Indigenous girl (who’s blonde and light-skinned and in denial of her heritage) and a newly escaped prisoner, this movie throws the two alienated characters together forcing them on a tumultuous emotional and physical journey.

We also highly recommend that you watch more of Sen’s films including Toomelah (based off an actual town in far north NSW which has evidence of abuse and neglect for the children), plus incredible crime series and flicks Mystery Road and Goldstone.

Bran Nue Dae

By Rachel Perkins

Bran Nue Dae is an Aussie comedy classic (based on the 1990 musical set in Broome, Western Australia). Directed by Rachel Perkins—Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman and daughter of trailblazing activists Eileen and Charles Perkins—this 2009 flick is a vibrant coming-of-age tale set in the 1960s. It follows an Indigenous teenager who runs away from a Catholic boarding school and tries to hitchhike to his indigenous home. It features a stacked cast (Jessica Mauboy, Ernie Dingo,and Deborah Mailman) andmarks yet another landmark moment in Australian cinema where Indigenous voices took the lead on screen.

Want more? We also suggest you watch some of her other epic films like Radiance, One Night The Moon and (another big favourite) Jasper Jones.

The Sapphires

By Wayne Blair

For a burst of energy and pure joy, dive into Butchulla man Wayne Blair’s The Sapphires. Set in 1968, this spirited flick follows four Indigenous sisters who take their all-girl singing group on a tour to entertain US troops during the Vietnam War—loosely based on a true story. With a stellar cast including Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, Miranda Tapsell, and Chris O’Dowd, it’s an on-screen celebration you won’t want to miss.

Wayne Blair is also known for his on and off-screen efforts in the acclaimed TV series Redfern Now (which you should absolutely get yourself across if you haven’t already).

Spear

By Stephen Page

Spear is the directorial debut of Stephen Page, a descendent from the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali of the Yugambeh people from southeast Queensland. The film tells a contemporary Indigenous story through movement and dance and marks a massive collaboration between artists and filmmakers. Spear brings us the story of Djali, a young Indigenous man trying to understand what it means to be a man with ancient traditions in today’s world.

Image credit: Madman