NITV - Programs and Schedules

TV.Cynic · September 1, 2022, 8:37am

The Kings

From Sunday 4 September 08:30 PM

The Kings is a four-part series featuring four champions who ushered in a boxing renaissance. The series showcases the dominance of Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Ray Leonard and their battles in and out of the ring.

Blinky Bill Movie

Friday 9 September 7:30 PM

Blinky Bill is a koala with a big imagination. An adventurer at heart, he dreams of leaving the little town of Green Patch and following in his explorer father’s footsteps. Mr. Bill went missing in the Outback some time ago and Blinky is the only one who believes his father is still alive.

When Blinky discovers a mysterious marker that hints at his Dad’s whereabouts, he embarks on a journey that takes him beyond the boundary of Green Patch and into the wild and dangerous Outback. He quickly makes friends with Nutsy, a zoo koala, and Jacko, a nervous frill-necked lizard. Pursued relentlessly by a vengeful feral cat who has a personal score to settle with Blinky, the trio must learn to work together if they ever want to survive the rugged Australian landscape and find Blinky’s father!

JohnsonTV · September 22, 2022, 1:16am

According to Herald Sun, the AFL Grand Final edition of Yokayi Footy will be live streamed from Melbourne’s Federation Square at 7.30pm tonight. It will also be shown on NITV in the same timeslot.

JohnsonTV · September 23, 2022, 12:45pm

The cast was announced today ahead of the series screening on NITV later this year. It includes five debutants: Nick Bonson and Caitlin Hordern in lead roles Tomias and Dahlia, Sherona Tiati, Zeallion Andrew, and Ronan Bonson, while the supporting cast includes Justine Clarke and Adrienne Pickering.

TV.Cynic · September 28, 2022, 12:24pm

Moogai

Saturday 1 October 8:30 PM

The Moogai explores post-natal depression, transgenerational trauma, and Australia’s Stolen Generation, but it is also a story of the value of children and the power of family.

A young Aboriginal couple have just had their first child, but what should be one of the happiest times in their lives turns to terror when Sarah (Shari Sebbens) starts seeing a malevolent spirit, she believes is trying to take her baby. Her husband Fergus (Meyne Wyatt) desperately wants to believe her, but as she becomes more unstable, he is increasingly concerned for the safety of their child. Is Sarah really being visited by a child-stealing spirit or is she the biggest threat to their family’s safety?

Karla Grant Presents - Exile and The Kingdom

Monday 3 October 8:30 PM

Exile and The Kingdom is the first complete account in Australian film history of the experiences of a single group of Aboriginal people from pre-colonial time to the present.

The film argues that the relentless removal of the Injibandi/Ngaluma people into coastal ghettos has led to the community’s current problems. However, as the film moves us through the period of British colonisation, unearthing appalling facts about slavery and the violent rule of pearling and pastoral overlords, to the excesses of the 1960s mining boom and problems with alcohol, it never allows the viewer to forget the significance and influence of spiritual homelands, the bedrock upon which Injibandi/Ngaluma tribal Law is based. Above all Exile is a beautifully logical and persuasive argument for land rights.

Using a poetic mix of historical recreation, compelling argument, testimony, creation story and song, the film never deviates from its intention to let the tribal people tell their own story. It makes the connection between Aborigines in chains in the nineteenth century and Aborigines in prisons today so providing a deeper understanding of how the abuses and denials of the past inform the present. Ultimately, it gives conviction that with their extraordinary resilience, the indigenous peoples of Australia will survive and flourish.

It’s Fine, I’m Fine

From Monday 10 October 9:30 PM 4 episodes (9:00 PM in following weeks)

The series is created and directed by Stef Smith (Joy Boy) and produced by Smith, alongside Clare Delaney (Not There), Florence Tourbier (Berlin Syndrome) and Iain Crittenden (Holy Crap) for Photoplay Films, with eight distinct stories written by Ana Maria Belo (Frayed), Anna Lindner (A Beginner’s Guide to Grief), Arky Michael (Janet King), Cecilia Morrow (Top of the Lake: China Girl), Chris Burton (Relic), Jeanette Cronin (The Tourist), Michael Gupta (The Echo), Nick Coyle (Sarah’s Channel), Stef Smith and Wendy Mocke (The Code).

Prominent Australian actress, who also happens to be deaf, Ana Maria Belo stars in the series leading role as therapist Joanne. Bunton, Morrow, Michael and Mocke also star, alongside Heather Mitchell (Love Me), Eryn Jean Norvill (Preppers), Andrew McFarlane (Between Two Worlds), Cat Van Davies (The Twelve), comedian Suren Jayemanne (Question Everything) and newcomers Margaret Pittas, Sam Greenless and Edan Chapman.

Photoplay Films’ Oliver Lawrence (Sweet Country) executive produces alongside Gracie Otto (Heartbreak High) and Annette Davey (Maid).

It’s Fine I’m Fine received principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Screen NSW.

As Monday 10 October is World Mental Health Day, NITV has also curated a Mental Health Collection, which includes the premiere of Each and Every Day: Stories from Survivors; an exploration of mental health through the eyes of young people who share their dark moments, recoveries, and wisdom about what it means to build a life worth living, and Neighbours; an observational documentary about people with mental illness who leave their institution after decades spent in isolation. Please refer to your program guide for more information.

Kura - Season 2

From Tuesday 11 October 9:00 PM

After choosing not to leave town for a new life on the Gold Coast and instead remaining in Papakura, Billy-John (Dahnu Graham) finds himself in an even bigger dilemma when his ‘black sheep’ uncle arrives home in search of his lost drug stash.

The boys hatch a plan to pay him back - but do they really need to? And can Uncle Trev really be trusted? With no direction, Billy starts getting influenced by his uncle and begins to learn a different way of doing things - the ‘Uncle Trev’ way. Regrets about not going to the Gold Coast start to surface, and he ends up in deep water after a few unfortunate incidents with his family.

TV.Cynic · October 19, 2022, 9:06am

The Pact

From Thursday 20 October 8:30 PM double episodes

No matter what life throws at them - affairs, pregnancies, breakdowns - this family has got through it all together with humour, heart, and hope. But when a member of the family is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and decides they want to end their life, their fundamentally different beliefs about the right to die threaten to blow the family apart. Will they be able to come together before it’s too late?

Cottagers and Indians

Monday 24 October 7:30 PM

James Whetung is reclaiming his indigenous right to plant thousands of acres of wild rice on Pigeon Lake. Local homeowners are furious with the destruction of their lake. The governments won’t act - so there’s going to be a dust up.

The Curse of the Golden Flower

Thursday 3 November 9:30 PM

From celebrated director Zhang Yimou and featuring superstars Chow Yun-fat and Gong Li, this is an epic tale of lust and power set in the opulent and violent world of the 9th century Tang Dynasty. The story follows the Emperor, his Empress, and the tragic disintegration of their imperial family.

On the eve of the Chong Yang Festival, golden flowers fill the Imperial Palace. The Emperor returns unexpectedly with his second son, Prince Jai - his pretext is to celebrate the holiday with his family. But given the chilled relations between the Emperor and the ailing Empress, this seems disingenuous.

For many years, the Empress and Crown Prince Wan, her stepson, have had an illicit liaison. Feeling trapped, Prince Wan dreams of escaping the palace with his secret love Chan, the Imperial Doctor’s daughter. Meanwhile, Prince Jai, the faithful son, grows worried over the Empress’s health and her obsession with golden chrysanthemums. Could she be headed down an ominous path?

TV.Cynic · October 27, 2022, 3:00am

Barrumbi Kids premieres on NITV on Fridays from 18 November at 7.30pm (AEDT).

The series will be available in full, to stream for free on SBS On Demand following the premiere and will be subtitled in Simplified Chinese, Arabic and three Indigenous languages: Northern Kriol, Yolngu Matha, and Torres Strait Creole.

JohnsonTV · October 27, 2022, 3:34am

Why is this Chinese movie showing on NITV? Shouldn’t it be on World Movies instead?

TV.Cynic · November 2, 2022, 3:20am

TV.Cynic · November 3, 2022, 9:12am

Frog Dreaming

Friday 11 November 7:30 PM

Orphaned 14-year-old Cody (Henry Thomas, E.T The Extra-Terrestrial) is a typical boy with an adventurous spirit and imagination to match.

Living with his guardian Gaza (Tony Barry) in an Outback Australian township, Cody learns of an ancient Aboriginal myth known as ‘Donkegin’, sparking an interest that will not let him rest. Convinced there is an underwater monster in a nearby dam, Cody and his close friend Wendy (Rachel Friend) embark on a journey that will take them into the very shadow land of mystery and intrigue. An atmospheric 80s adventure tale, inspired by the likes of The Goonies and E.T, written by Everett De Roche and directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith, Frog Dreaming, also known as The Quest and The Go-Kids, captures the infectious spirit of childhood determination and discovery.

Karla Grant Presents: We Need to Talk About Fire

Monday 14 November 8:30 PM

The 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires deeply affected the Australian community. In the wake of these fires, playwright Wesley Enoch wants to challenge the way we think about fire and its devastating effects. Conversations with Terri Rowe (NSW Health), Dr. Joshua Whittaker (University of Wollongong) and Chris Palmer (NSW RFS) address the long-lasting emotional impacts of the fire.

TV.Cynic · November 12, 2022, 8:40am

Lycett and Wallis

Monday 21 November 7:45 PM

At the beginning of the 19th Century in one of the world’s most vicious settlements, two fractured European men started an art revolution that resulted in the preservation of vast amounts of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge.

Before the existence of cameras, convict Joseph Lycett captured traditional Aboriginal life in Newcastle and the Hunter Region as it had existed for millennia, through his paintings. Joseph Lycett was an alcoholic sent to Australia for forging bank notes and it’s his artistic accuracy that makes his work so important. Lycett was enabled to do this work by Commander James Wallis, an amateur artist who had previously led one of the most horrendous massacres against Indigenous peoples and would later have his life changed by a remarkable Aboriginal man, Burigon. This is a wild, untold tale that every Australian should know.

The film draws on the expertise of a wide range story tellers including Professor John Maynard, a Worimi man who taught Aboriginal studies for decades and wrote Light and Shade: An Aboriginal Perspective of Joseph Lycett; Daryn McKenny, the general manager of the Mirooma Aboriginal and Technology Centre Shane Frost; and art historian and editor of Joseph Lycett, Convict Artist.

JohnsonTV · November 21, 2022, 8:38am

NITV celebrates 10 years of being free-to-air, with a live music event at Uluru and an epic content line-up

NITV will be doing a special live broadcast event ‘From the Heart of Our Nation, A Celebration’ to feature some of Australia’s biggest artists, along with a suite of new television series and films.

On 12 December 2022, National Indigenous Television (NITV) celebrates 10 years since it launched free-to-air and began beaming into every Australian household as part of the SBS network.

To mark the occasion, NITV will present a special live broadcast event at Uluru, From the Heart of Our Nation, A Celebration from 7.30pm on NITV and SBS.

A line-up of some of Australia’s best Indigenous artists will come together to perform in celebration of the strength, resilience and talent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and usher in another decade of Blak excellence.

The event will be hosted by Wiradjuri man, Luke Carroll (Big Mob Brekky, Play School, Redfern Now) and Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs (The Point, Studio 10) live from inside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park at the foothills of Uluru, with support from the Anangu and the community of Mutijulu.

The anniversary celebrations continue throughout summer, with an original line-up of NITV programming including a suite of news, food, entertainment, documentary and drama premieres.

SBS Director of Indigenous Content and Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman, Tanya Denning-Orman, said “SBS is the home of First Nations storytelling."

"Stories 65,000 years in the making, exploring and celebrating the oldest living continuous culture on the planet.

"Having been part of NITV since the beginning, I am so proud of what we have achieved in ten years and I’m so excited by what’s yet to come. NITV is stronger than ever and through SBS, is delivering more for our communities, and creating more opportunities for all Australians to connect.”

Screen Australia’s Head of First Nations, Angela Bates said “congratulations to NITV on this milestone."

"I was proud to attend the historic free-to-air launch at Uluru in 2012; a truly special and momentous occasion. Now in my role at Screen Australia I’m thrilled to support so many First Nations screen stories for NITV from impressive filmmakers around the country, as it continues to provide a vital platform for our mob.”

Screen Territory Director, Jennie Hughes said, “NITV and our NT filmmakers have had a long and rich history of working together to bring our First Nations stories to the screen."

“Screen Territory is proud to work with NITV who have been instrumental in supporting, promoting and expanding audiences for First Nations stories.”

"Congratulations NITV — we look forward to celebrating with you at Uluru and can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring!”

NITV’s multiplatform offering includes:

Kutcha’s Koorioke
Airing weekly on Sundays at 8.30pm and Wednesdays from 9.30pm, from Sunday 4 December on NITV
Kutcha’s Koorioke marks its free-to-air premiere as it joins the NITV family in its second season. Hosted by acclaimed Mutti Mutti Songman Kutcha Edwards, join Kutcha and a stellar group of Indigenous performers, young and old, on a musical journey through Wurundjeri Country – the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

Kutcha Edwards, said, “This new season is full of laughs, songs, sorrow and incredible yarns of resilience. We find ourselves full of emotion knowing some of the community members who hopped in the car are no longer with us, but they will remain in our hearts and spirits forever!”

Kutcha’s Koorioke is a Brown Cab Productions Pty Ltd and Tamarind Tree Pictures Pty Ltd production for NITV. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with VicScreen and Telematics Trust. Financed with support from the City of Yarra. This 10-part series will be subtitled in Arabic and Simplified Chinese on SBS On Demand.

NITV News
Monday to Thursday from Monday 5 to Monday 12 December at 6.30pm on NITV
The latest news from the oldest living culture, join Mudburra and Wagadagam woman Natalie Ahmat and the team of NITV journalists for stories from an Indigenous perspective.

Nula
Friday 9 December at 3pm on SBS and NITV
In the final 30-minute episode of Nula for the year, Natalie Ahmat will take a look back on the year in Indigenous news and share stories from the heart of our nation (at Uluru) to celebrate 10 years of NITV on free-to-air television.

From the Heart of Our Nation, A Celebration
Monday 12 December from 7.30pm on NITV and simulcast on SBS (see press release above)
A live music concert celebrating 10 years since NITV launched free-to-air and began beaming into every Australian household as part of the SBS network. The line-up includes some of Australia’s best Indigenous artists and is hosted by Luke Carroll and Narelda Jacobs.

Strait to the Plate season two
Airing weekly from Thursday 15 December at 8pm on NITV. Simulcast on SBS Food.
Strait to the Plate’s second season follows the return of Aaron Fa’Aoso as he travels throughout the three western regions (Top Western, Western and Near Western) traditionally known as the Guda Maluylgal, Maluyligal and Kawaialagalgal regions of the Torres Strait Islands. Island hopping by dinghy and air, he visits Saibai, Boigu, Dauan, Mabuyag, Thursday Island, Hammond, Prince of Wales and Friday Island. The series will be subtitled in Arabic and Simplified Chinese.

Strait to the Plate is a Lone Star Company Pty Ltd for NITV. Produced with investment from Screen Queensland.

Screen Queensland CEO, Courtney Gibson, said “It’s impossible to imagine now, an Australia without NITV. The power and centrality of our First Nations broadcaster and its role in creating and distributing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content, and leading practitioner and industry development across the nation, cannot be understated. Screen Queensland has proudly partnered with NITV over the past ten years, supporting a range of productions including Strait to the Plate, Barrumbi Kids, Mudskipper and the Logie award-winning Incarceration Nation. We celebrate NITV’s first decade and look forward to many more.”

No Ordinary Black
Airing weekly from Thursday 15 December at 9.30pm on NITV.
An NITV and Screen Australia scripted short film initiative in partnership with Screen NSW, Screen Territory, South Australian Film Corporation and Screenwest. No Ordinary Black is designed to bring thought-provoking First Nations stories to the screen, authored and crafted by First Nations peoples. The five short films are:

The Lost Crystals of Jessica’s Room
Two kids play a game where they use a treasure map to find a crystal in their backyard, but the treasure is not what it seems. From writer/director Gary Hamaguchi and producer Jodie Bell.

Finding Jedda
At St Mary’s Anglican Home, Alice Springs, 1953, two best friends go head-to-head auditioning for the lead role in a movie, and face the prospect of leaving the Home for good. Writer/director Tanith Glynn-Maloney (Robbie Hood) teams up with executive producers Dan Lake and Meg O’Connell (Retrograde).

Blackfellas Who Can’t Dance
Nathan’s fever dream of a gym session is complicated as he realises that he has feelings for a new member, with the two awkwardly dancing around their desires. This is a comedy-drama from writer/director Enoch Mailangi (All My Friends Are Racist) and producer Majhid Heath (Dark Place).

Shiny One
A young man dreams of escaping his bush community and finding riches, but soon learns that wealth comes in many forms. This comedy is from writer/director Viviana Petyarre (Utopia Generations), producer Tanith Glynn-Maloney (Robbie Hood) and executive producers Dan Lake and Meg O’Connell (Retrograde).

Mudskipper
A film about Martha, a Torres Strait Islander woman who works tirelessly in a laundromat loading machines and folding washing, ready for the collection of her boss. When a mysterious visitor arrives, Martha is reminded of the life she has left behind. The creative team behind Mudskipper features writer/director John Harvey (Water), writer Walter Waia and producer Gillian Moody (Ties That Bind).

Screen Territory Director, Jennie Hughes said, “NITV and our NT filmmakers have had a long and rich history of working together to bring our First Nations stories to the screen. Screen Territory is proud to work with NITV who have been instrumental in supporting, promoting and expanding audiences for First Nations stories. Congratulations NITV – we look forward to celebrating with you at Uluru and can’t wait to see what the next 10 years bring!”

No Ordinary Black will be subtitled in Arabic and Simplified Chinese.

Bran Nue Dae
Thursday, 15 December at 9.45pm on NITV
In this award-winning film, a rebellious boy runs away from a Catholic boarding school and tries to hitchhike to his Aboriginal home in Australia. Bran Nue Dae stars Australian talent including Ernie Dingo, Jessica Mauboy, Geoffrey Rush, Deborah Mailman, Magda Szubanski, Hunter Page and more.

The Truth Tellers: 10 Years of NITV News
Wednesday 14 December at 7.30pm on NITV and 31 December at 4.10pm on SBS
As NITV celebrates being free to air for a decade, NITV News takes a special look back at the big news moments from the last 10 years. Past and present NITV journalists and presenters reflect on the stories that impacted them and talk about their most memorable moments on the job. We also discuss why a national Indigenous free-to-air news service matters and the toll telling these tough stories can take on the people who cover them.

Our Law
Airing weekly from Wednesday 4 January at 7.30pm on NITV and simulcast on Thursdays at 8.30pm on SBS.
After 170 years of locked doors and sealed lips, documentary cameras are now granted intimate and candid access to the Indigenous officers and cadets attempting to break the cycle of Indigenous incarceration and repair a deeply troubled relationship between police and First Nations peoples, while giving voice to the communities being policed.

Screenwest CEO, Rikki Lea Bestall, said, “We’re incredibly proud to have partnered with NITV over the last decade to elevate and amplify First Nations voices, stories, and talent here in Western Australia. Our Law has had a remarkable journey over the last few years; what started out as a groundbreaking standalone documentary in 2020 has become a full six-part series, exploring with depth and nuance the complexities surrounding First Nations-police relations. We look forward to seeing the series premiere in the new year – a huge congratulations to NITV for reaching this exciting milestone.”

Our Law is a Pink Pepper Pty Ltd and Periscope Pictures Pty Ltd production for NITV. Principal production investment from Screen Australia’s First Nations Department, in association with NITV. Financed with support from Screenwest, Lotterywest and the Western Australian Screen Fund.

The series will be subtitled in Arabic and Simplified Chinese.

TV.Cynic · November 28, 2022, 8:58am

White Noise

Monday 5 December 9:00 PM

The Atlantic’s first feature documentary is the definitive inside story of the alt-right.

With unprecedented, exclusive access, White Noise tracks the rise of far-right nationalism by focusing on the lives of three of its main proponents: Mike Cernovich, a conspiracy theorist and sex blogger turned media entrepreneur; Lauren Southern, an anti-feminist, anti-immigration YouTube star; and Richard Spencer, a white-power ideologue.

TV.Cynic · November 30, 2022, 3:13am

From the Heart of Our Nation, A Celebration

Monday 12 December at 7.30pm - also on SBS

Featuring Christine Anu, Casey Donovan, Troy Cassar-Daley, King Stingray, Electric Fields, JK-47, Jem Cassar-Daley, Miiesha and more

Announced today, a star-studded line-up of First Nations musicians will come together to perform at Uluru in celebration of National Indigenous Television’s (NITV) 10-year anniversary on free-to-air, broadcast on NITV and SBS on Monday 12 December from 7.30pm.

JohnsonTV · December 10, 2022, 1:07am

TV.Cynic · December 12, 2022, 9:48pm

From the Heart of Our Nation, Australia’s best First Nations musicians celebrate NITV anniversary at Uluṟu

King Stingray, Christine Anu, Casey Donovan, Troy and Jem Cassar-Daley, Electric Fields, JK-47 and more, light up the night sky in special live concert.

The sun setting on Uluru was the backdrop to an evening of powerful performances from Australia’s leading First Nations artists on Monday night. They came together to celebrate 10 years of National Indigenous Television (NITV) being available to all Australians as a free-to-air channel, and part of the SBS network.

The special outdoor concert event – From the Heart of Our Nation, A Celebration – simulcast live on NITV and SBS, got underway with ARIA Award-winning King Stingray singing Land Down Under combining English and Yolŋu Matha. Among the performances that followed into the night - delivered on the closest stage ever to Uluru - included father and daughter duo Troy and Jem Cassar-Daley together for a rendition of Brisbane Blacks, Electric Fields singing From Little Things Big Things Grow, Casey Donovan and Zipporah with Dyagula joining forces for a musical medley, and all artists together singing Solid Rock for the concert finale.

Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, said, “On Monday night, we celebrated an incredible decade of NITV – a vital place in our national media landscape dedicated to First Nations stories, cultures and perspectives – being available to every Australian.

“It was a night to remember as we marked this milestone moment. There was no better way to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of switching on free-to-air as part of SBS, than with a party bringing these chart-topping and iconic Blak voices together on the beautiful lands of the Anangu.

“We thank the Anangu for welcoming us to their Country, permitting us to share it with all Australians through this concert, and to the Mutitjulu community for being a part of our special celebration.”

From the Heart of Our Nation, A Celebration, was hosted by Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs (The Point, Studio 10) and Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke (The Point), with Yamatji man and television icon Ernie Dingo (Going Places with Ernie Dingo).

On 12.12.12, NITV first broadcast to all Australians as a free-to-air channel, as part of the SBS network, live from Uluru. Ten years later, NITV returned to celebrate the achievements, strength and resilience of First Nations media and communities through this special broadcast.

Some caps from last night.

TV.Cynic · January 23, 2023, 9:41am

The Dead Lands

Thursday 9 February 9:30 PM

Set in pre-colonial Aotearoa, The Dead Lands tells the story of Hongi (James Rolleston), a Māori chieftain’s son who seeks to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is killed through an act of treachery.

Hongi’s only hope is to pass through the feared and forbidden Dead Lands and forge an uneasy alliance with the mysterious Warrior, a ruthless fighter who has ruled the area for many years.

The film showcases stunning landscapes, the brutal traditional armed combat Mau rākau, and an extraordinary local cast including Te Kohe Tuhaka, Lawrence Makoare, and Raukura Turei.

** Part of NITV’s Waitangi Day collection.*

TV.Cynic · February 15, 2023, 9:05am

Karla Grant Presents: On Australian Shores - Survivor Stories

Monday 20 February 08:30 PM

In the 1970s and 1980s, Kimberley Aboriginal workers were involved in weed spraying campaigns organised by the Agriculture Protection Board of Western Australia. They received no training or protection equipment. They were told the chemicals they were mixing and spraying by hand were safe to use. Unbeknownst to them, they were spraying Agent Orange - a mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D herbicides.

Many healthy young Aboriginal men died in their thirties and forties, leaving behind heartbroken parents, partners, siblings, children, and communities. But the impact was not limited to them. The toxins they were spraying affected their wives, who suffered miscarriages and could not have children, and their own children, who were in contact with their clothes. This important documentary gives voice to 42 people, survivors, family and community members, so that their stories are not forgotten.

Deadly Heart

Monday 20 February 09:30 PM

Deadly Heart tells the story of how remote Aboriginal communities across the Top End of Australia are adopting innovative strategies to eliminate Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD).

RHD is a preventable disease of children. All children exposed to Strep infections through skin sores and sore throats need treatment to keep them safe from RHD. If this treatment is not provided in a timely manner, children can develop RHD, which is a life-long chronic condition that can lead to stroke, heart failure and premature death.

RHD was once widespread across all of Australia, but today it is almost exclusively found in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. RHD has the biggest negative impact on the life-expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. While it is a disease that is completely preventable, health system failures, low health literacy, overcrowding and environmental factors are contributing to growing rates of RHD in Australia.

Deadly Heart tells the inspiring story of the journey towards an RHD-free future. It is a powerful film that celebrates Indigenous culture and demonstrates how community-led programs can put RHD in the history books once and for all. The film incorporates themes of truth-telling, Indigenous leadership, language, culture, identity, reconciliation, education, health, and self-determination.

There Are No Fakes

Wednesday 22 February 9:30 PM

From award-winning director Jamie Kastner and executive producer Mark Anthony Jacobson comes There Are No Fakes, a journey into the largest art fraud scam in Canadian history.

Musician Kevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies buys a painting, ‘Spirit Energy of Mother Earth,‘ attributed to Norval Morrisseau, the Ojibway founder of the Woodland School. Acclaimed by Picasso and Chagall, Morrisseau is widely recognised to be the world’s first Indigenous art star. But Hearn begins to have doubts about the painting’s authenticity, and winds up suing the gallery that sold it to him. In short order, he finds himself in the middle of a feud between two warring factions of white people, each claiming to be the true defenders of Morrisseau’s legacy.

Questioning the authenticity of Hearn’s painting throws into doubt some 3000 Morrisseau attributed works worth $30,000,000. Epithets are slung, suits and countersuits pile up, and rocks are thrown through gallery windows. The film follows leads to Thunder Bay, Morrisseau’s birthplace, known for its shameful history of Indigenous-white relations. Then, as Hearn’s court case proceeds, an almost-unbelievable new tale emerges about the origin of the paintings, and the story turns several shades darker.

TV.Cynic · February 22, 2023, 6:38am

Over the Black Dot and Yokayi Footy return for 2023

National Indigenous Television (NITV) has footy fans covered with the return of ground-breaking weekly sports programs Yokayi Footy and Over the Black Dot in March.

First up, Over the Black Dot returns on Tuesday 7 March at 8.30pm. Legendary National Rugby League (NRL) player and proud Anaiwan man Dean Widders will lead a new-look Over the Black Dot program alongside Dual International Timana Tahu, and Bo de la Cruz, a proud descendant of the Gudjula and Erubian people and a multi-award-winning Touch, Rugby Union and Rugby League player.

This season will be full of surprises and with plenty to talk about as a new Queensland team joins the NRL. With off-the-cuff conversations and community yarns covering the top level of rugby league, and all levels of the code including community sport, the series will feature an array of talent and guests, focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Widders and Tahu will review and preview matches, with recurring guest de la Cruz, sharing opinions and tackling hot topics. From grassroots games to the bright lights of the NRL, this program is for fans that live and breathe rugby league as well as those that want to learn more about the game.

In partnership with AFL Studios and Typecast Entertainment, Yokayi Footy returns at 8.30pm on Wednesday 15 March. Hosted by former Richmond and Collingwood player and proud Mineng and Yinggarda man Andrew Krakouer, and proud Warumungu/Yawuru woman and fitness professional Megan Waters, Yokayi Footy continues to cover everything Australians love about AFL through bold yarns, powerful monologues, compelling community stories and exclusive interviews with Indigenous AFL players.

Yokayi Footy is excited to welcome Tony Briggs, a proud Yorta Yorta / Wurundjeri man, as its new Executive Producer. Tony’s career spans over thirty years in the film and television industry. Best known for creating the hit film The Sapphires, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and will be a great asset to the Yokayi Footy show.

Head of Entertainment, Events and Sport, NITV and Gooreng Gooreng man, Adam Manovic, said: “We’re eager to start the season strong for both AFL and NRL fans with Yokayi Footy and Over the Black Dot. The end of last year’s AFL season left much to talk about and we’re looking forward to bringing viewers another year of insights, analysis and banter through a First Nations lens.

“We’re proud to produce another season of Over the Black Dot, particularly off the back of the Indigenous All-Stars match in Rotorua recently. Support and momentum for our talented mob is high and we are gearing up for what will be a huge year, with the introduction of the Dolphins to shake things up. Our hosts are rearing and ready to go.”

Over the Black Dot airs weekly from Tuesday 7 March at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand.

Yokayi Footy airs weekly from Wednesday 15 March at 8.30pm on NITV, SBS On Demand, AFL.com.au and the AFL Live app.

TV.Cynic · February 22, 2023, 10:11pm

Funding for a second season of Our Law has been announced.

TV.Cynic · March 1, 2023, 10:10pm

Biraban and Threlkeld: Finding the Third Space

Monday 6 March 9:15 PM

Almost 200 years ago in Newcastle, Australia’s most brutal colonial outpost, two men became this nation’s first civil rights activists. Biraban, a bilingual Aboriginal man and leader of Newcastle/Lake Macquarie’s First Nations peoples, and the Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld, a British missionary sent to convert these people to the word of God, became mates.

They documented songs, poems, ceremonies and dreaming stories, and represented Aboriginal people in court, whose testimony could not be accepted because they could not swear an oath on the Bible. Together, they undertook the first systematic study of an Aboriginal language anywhere in the country and created the first ever translation of the Bible into an Aboriginal language. It’s also the first time an Aboriginal language was printed. Their work was so thorough that it is still being used to this day to reconstruct language. This truly amazing story is being told for the first time.

Biraban And Threlkeld: Finding The Third Space took two years to make. It uses decades of research and is told using both First Nations and European historians, academics and linguists. If these two men could find the Third Space between the Aboriginal and European worlds 200 years ago, surely this should be a shining example for what could be achieved today.