Since the 1950’s, when the first Aboriginal actor appeared in front of the camera in Jedda The Uncivilised, there has been a huge shift in the way Aboriginal people are portrayed within popular culture and a huge shift in their involvement in the telling of their own stories. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, a number of funding bodies for Australian film were launched, Aboriginal radio stations popped up and funding began specifically for Indigenous films. By the 1990’s, Aboriginal issues such as deaths in custody and racial discrimination were at the forefront of the Australian consciousness, and Aboriginal stories began growing an audience. The 2000’s were the first decade in which Aboriginal films gained a widespread audience and international success. Many of the most successful films out of Australia were Aboriginal films such as Rabbit Proof Fence, Ten Canoes, and Samson & Delilah. This trend continued into this decade with films such as Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires.
The trend that has been seen since the 1950’s is that Aboriginal content has been steadily increasing, and we predict that it will continue this way. International demand has been growing, and the prediction that both Richard Frankland and Stephen Gaunson have made is that genre films made by Aboriginal filmmakers are the way of the future. Aboriginal filmmakers will likely become more and more assimilated into Australian filmmaking as a whole and bring their unique perspective and cultural nuances into genre films.
In regards to funding, we do not know exact numbers however the funding is not a huge amount. We predict that an increase of funding will be needed and essential for the survival of the Aboriginal film industry. However, as Frankland predicts, more Aboriginal filmmakers will begin to create their own low-budget content. The advent of digital technology means that filmmaking is more accessible than ever before. Racism is still rife within Australia but nonetheless, Aboriginal voices are being heard. Progression of the Aboriginal film industry mirrors the progression of government policy and Aboriginal rights. The culture of Australia is reflected within the media content and vice versa, so the increased visibility of Aboriginal people will likely coincide with larger representations of Aboriginal people and stories within mainstream media.
In summary, the prediction we are making about the future of the Indigenous film industry in Australia is that it will continue to grow provided there is continued funding and increasing international demand based on the trends that have been occurring.