New Film Victoria producer opportunity boosts career of emerging documentary filmmaker

Victorian documentary producer Kim Ingles is pursuing her dream career and impacting the world at the same time thanks to an Australian-first opportunity from Film Victoria and GoodThing Productions.

Ingles will join GoodThing Productions for 12 months in the role of associate impact producer, marking the first time an Australian state screen agency has supported a placement dedicated to building expertise in impact producing, using film to drive social change by encouraging individual and societal shifts.

Although producers of social issue documentaries have always had an ‘impact’ focus, impact producer roles have gained momentum in recent years following the rise of filmmaking driven by social change agendas, and the success of numerous high-profile impact films, including the Film Victoria-supported That Sugar Film, by writer, producer, director Damon Gameau.

Gameau’s latest feature documentary, 2040, produced by GoodThing Productions and supported by Film Victoria, explores what the future would look like by the year 2040 if we embraced the solutions already available to us to improve our planet.

2040 will seek to replicate the success of That Sugar Film, which became Australia’s highest grossing documentary feature, and catalyzed national conversations around the impact of sugar on health and wellbeing.

That Sugar Film created widespread behavioural change and has paved the way for health policy reform, attesting to the success of the film’s impact campaign, which was developed by impact producer Anna Kaplan, who will also drive the impact campaign for 2040.

Kaplan will mentor Ingles during her impact producer placement with GoodThing, which spans four diverse feature documentaries including 2040, set to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival today.                             

Building on her background in social impact filmmaking, Ingles’ placement will see her gain valuable skills in developing and executing impact campaigns, including devising strategy, fundraising for campaign work, producing campaign tools and securing key partners.

Ingles’ career path to impact producing started at an early age. She grew up in Nepal, Laos and Thailand, where her father worked as a nature conservationist. She then moved to Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Communications at RMIT University, followed by a Master of Creative Media in Film and Television, majoring in documentary.

Ingles followed her passion for narratives that inspire, educate and empower audiences with purpose-driven film agency Digital Storytellers, while also freelancing as a director, producer, camera operator and editor, and volunteering with the Environmental Film Festival Australia. In 2013, she co-directed and produced Enter from the Wings, an award-winning feature documentary for Qantas On-Demand that followed the journey of a Melbourne dance troupe to South Africa, to perform at the opening ceremony of the World Down Syndrome Congress.

The team at GoodThing was impressed by Ingles’ drive to move her career forward and her dedication to championing issues relating to the environment and diversity.

GoodThing Productions Impact producer Anna Kaplan said: “It’s clear to us that Kim has all the elements required to be a successful impact producer. Our goal in partnering with Film Victoria was to foster a new talent in this area, and I have no doubt that Kim will be an incredible leader in our industry in the future.”

On receiving the news of her placement, Kim Ingles said: “This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time in my career. I’ve set my path to telling stories that amplify environmental and social justice issues and have worked hard to accumulate a unique set of skills, and now Film Victoria and GoodThing Productions are making it possible for me to learn from the best and continue to grow as an impact storyteller.”

Film Victoria’s dedicated effort to create opportunities that upskill early to mid-career Victorian practitioners has resulted in 16 domestic and international key talent placements in the past six months, including this Key Talent Company Placement with GoodThing.

Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher said: “Film Victoria leads the way in providing hands-on industry experience to early and mid-career practitioners through industry placements, and we’re proud to have partnered with the AACTA award-winning team at GoodThing Productions to create Australia’s first impact producer placement, acknowledging the growth and significance of this specialisation. I know that Kim will benefit greatly from the skills and knowledge she gains, and our local industry will be stronger for having another experienced impact producer.”