ABC iview Documentary Series

Princess Pictures

In 2017, I worked as the West Australian producer on the Film Victoria / Screenwest co-production of The Kununurra Kid.

The Kununurra Kid was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation after the success of key character, Tom Forrest, on the series My Year 12 Life. Tom learnt from an early age that life isn’t a straight line. The bush kid was raised by a teenage single mum; an absent Dad trapped in a cycle of crime, and he survived pay check to rent-day since he was 16, all the while putting himself through school without any help.

In The Kununurra Kid - Tom is navigating life after finishing year 12 - and working out what he wants to do next and how he belongs in the world.

The series style was highly experimental, and an extension of what was pioneered during the making of My Year 12 Life. Tom shot most of his adventures himself, with help from another on the ground DoP where necessary. The adventures were real, and motivated by genuine desires that Tom had about the people and places he visited along the way.

All of these pursuits happened in an environment where he has no money, no job, no home, and only himself to rely on to survive.

My role as producer involved securing talent, working to develop the story arc over the 8 episodes, managing timelines, and coordinating cast and crew travel and accommodation.

The Kununurra Kid featured on ABC iview and was a finalist in the Screen Producer’s Australia Awards for Best Online Series.