Channel 44 premieres new First Nations talk show Mob Talks at 8 pm on Sunday 2 April.
Mob Talks looks at social issues through a First Nations lens by talking with subject matter experts from First Nations communities to encourage more informed discussion about the complex issues faced by Aboriginal mob.
Each episode focuses on a different issue, including
- The unique health-related issues faced by First Nations mob
- How First Nations cultural practices are influencing the everyday lives of our mob
- How LGBTQI+ issues are experienced differently by our mob, and
- How definitions of First Nations identity affect our mob.
In a launch at Mercury Cinema on Thursday, Attorney General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Kyam Maher MLC said:
“Mob Talks as a series is really important, not just for this state but for this country. It gives training and ability to First Nations creatives and First Nations people that want to be involved in the screen industry, and possibly more importantly, it elevates the voices of Aboriginal people.”
Minister for the Arts Andrea Michaels MP added:
“The Malinauskas Government is proud to support mentoring and training opportunities for South Australian First Nations emerging filmmakers. I’m looking forward to seeing Mob Talks when it premieres, and I congratulate the internship participants on creating this important series.”
The program is hosted by rising media personality and Western Arrernte, Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri person Marcellus Enalanga, and produced and directed by Wakka Wakka and Larrakia man Rick Hutcheson and Alyawarre and Narungga man Keith Gilbey-Warrior.
“Mob Talks is about the value of communication and first-hand knowledge,” said Keith Gilbey-Warrior. “Aboriginal mob have their hands in all facets of life in Australia and Mob Talks seeks to give voice to the talented and unseen mob in industries far and wide.”
“We really want to look at issues through a First Nations lens and help non-Indigenous Australians understand that perspective, too,” said Rick Hutcheson. “But also to work toward real, constructive outcomes. To address the issues but also discuss what we can all do to contribute to progress.”
Mob Talks is the first production led by participants of the First Nations Internship Program (FNIP), a partnership between Channel 44 and the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) that was created to mentor emerging First Nations screenmakers across key creative and crew roles, providing hands-on, on-set experience in producing original content for broadcast.
The Mob Talks concept came out of a writing workshop with inaugural FNIP participants Rick Hutcheson, Keith Gilbey-Warrior, Kiara Milera and Anil Junior Samy, led by Channel 44 staff. Participants were mentored to develop the concept and were successful in applying for funding through the Community Broadcasting Foundation to produce a four-episode series.
“I got a ton of experience through the First Nations Internship Program and found it very rewarding,” said Keith Gilbey-Warrior. “It helped me to develop my skills and gave me the opportunity to produce a whole series of Mob Talks, from concept to broadcast. And it also helped me secure a post-production attachment on Warwick Thornton’s Firebite – a really exciting opportunity I am very thankful for as someone who grew up watching his films!”
The internship program was launched in 2021 as part of the SAFC’s First Nations Screen Strategy 2020-2025 and is part of a wider partnership between the SAFC and C44 to provide opportunities to South Australian First Nations screen practitioners, including the First Nations TV Pilot Program, a television-writing skills development program for six First Nations participants, supported by Screenrights and Screen Australia.
“Mob Talks is just one of many successful outcomes of the SAFC and Channel 44’s First Nations Internship Program, a screen skills training program creating new career pathways for emerging First Nations screen professionals,” said Pauline Clague, First Nations Screen Strategy Executive at the SAFC.
“Mob Talks is not only a springboard for these interns to learn new skills hands-on in studio, it celebrates First Nations talent here in South Australia through a talk show style program, giving voice to truth-telling and issues facing South Australian First Nations people for the wider audience to engage with and learn from.”
Lauren Hillman, General Manager of Channel 44, said: “We’re really excited to be premiering Mob Talks. The series is the result of lots of hard work put in by the creators, Rick Hutcheson and Keith Gilbey-Warrior, and all the crew who worked on it, to change the conversation around some of the biggest issues facing First Nations communities. It’s also a fantastic outcome for the First Nations Internship Program, to demonstrate the quality of the TV content that can be produced locally by supporting and providing pathways for local, emerging creators.”
Mob Talks premieres on Channel 44 and ctvplus.org.au at 8pm on Sunday 2 April.
Cover Image: Allison Croft
Gallery Images: Clare Elvia
