The NT Government has awarded $100,000 for a four-part documentary series co-commissioned by NITV and Network 10 that will explore Aboriginal history at different locations across the NT, while also providing nine other aspiring filmmakers a share in a modest $95,000.

The TV series, called First Inventors, will air next year and is filmed around Australia, centering on Northern Territory locations such as the Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land and Kakadu. The series follows First Nations’ experts, elders and scientists as they examine the world of ancient Indigenous innovation.

The government said production would deliver $500,000 in spending back to the Territory economy.

The series is co-created by Margee Brown and award-winning filmmaker, Professor Larissa Behrendt (Maralinga Tjarutka), who is also directing with Indigenous Territorian Cian McCue of NT’s Moogie Down Productions and Ben Davies (Bondi Rescue, Outback Ringer) co-producing the series. Ben Comments (Further Back in Time for Dinner) is the Executive Producer.

Nine other Territory filmmakers received a share of $95,000 under the Screen Territory’s Round three Story Development Grant funding, which is intended to support screen practitioners to establish their talent and build capacity to help in the development of distinguishing Territory screen stories.

Other projects that have received undisclosed public funding included Katherine resident Toni Tap Coutts for the screen adaptation of her book A Sunburnt Country, the documentary feature Twenty to the Mile by Small Screen Production, and a documentary titled Journey Home by Savage Films with Brindle Films.