SBS rules Documentary finalists at Walkley Awards

SBS has taken a clean sweep in the Inaugural Walkley Documentary Award with three finalists chosen by judges from 37 submissions.

The three documentaries are Go Back to Where You Came From, The Tall Man and Scarlet Road.

Two of the docos are yet to air with Scarlet Road to abe seen in December and The Tall Man to air in February.

Go Back to Where You Came From which attracted the broadcaster’s biggest audience this year until it was pipped by Cadel Evans’ Tour de France victory. Attracting broad media coverage and debate it has also been nominated for best television documentary in the 2011 United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Awards.

The Tall Man, directed by Tony Krawitz and produced by Darren Dale, is the adaptation of Chloe Hooper’s multi award-winning book, about the events surrounding the death in custody of Cameron Doomadgee on Palm Island. The film is a nominee for Best Feature Length Documentary in the inaugural Samsung AACTA Awards, and won Best Documentary: Public Broadcast at the 2011 AWGIE Awards, as well as being selected this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

Scarlet Road, directed by Catherine Scott and produced by Pat Fiske, follows the work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton who specialises in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability.

John Godfrey, SBS Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, said, “These latest nominations are recognition of SBS’s continued leadership in bringing powerful, insightful and innovative documentaries to Australian television. SBS is committed to bringing important subjects to the attention of all Australians in unique and meaningful ways – and these nominations are testament to our success in doing that.”

The Walkley Awards will be announced on 27th November in Brisbane.