Gaga Wakulda Wins Diversity Award at Far South Film Festival
A celebration of diversity on film.
Over the weekend, Gaga Wakulda was screened at Far South Film Festival 2026, where it won the Diversity Award.
Far South Film Festival, a festival celebrating the work of filmmakers from regional and remote areas of Australia, recently held the first public screening of Gaga Wakulda — a new documentary commissioned by Red Room Poetry and directed by Tad Souden.
The film centres First Nations stories, voices and people involved in Baraya Barray - Whale Song. Led by our First Nations Artistic Director and the film's Executive Producer, Nicole Smede and supported by our Program Support Officer - First Nations, Luke Patterson, this program connects young First Nations people along the east coast with Elders, Language Custodians, scientists, poets and musicians to learn about and respond to one of our original language holders — the whales.
"We are thrilled to have won the Diversity Award because that's exactly what Gaga Wakulda is about: sharing the diversity of our languages, our communities and our journey of reclamation and revitalisation," says Nicole Smede.
"The film was only possible because of the generous sharing and involvement of our mob, Tad Souden and the production team behind it. It was the first time the film had been shown to an audience outside the communities who helped us make it. We shared it with community first to ensure cultural protocols and that everyone was happy with their representation. That had to happen first. So it felt really meaningful to share it on Djiringanj Country and welcome a room full of people into this space. I was struck at how hungry the audience was to learn and talk about language: where it comes from, how it connects to country, and how to use it respectfully. We could have sat on that panel for another two hours just on language alone. That tells me something about where people are at, and it's exciting."
This is the second award for Gaga Wakulda, with the documentary taking home The Indigenous Cultures and Nature Award, Cinematography at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival last month.
Highlights from Far South Film Festival:
