Aussie streamer Stan and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) have commissioned a first film under their joint-initiative to create family-friendly movies.

Developed by Brisbane-based Unless Pictures and Melbourne’s Every Cloud Productions, Wind Catcher stars a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy navigating his emerging ability to communicate with spirits.

ACTF, which finances and distributes Australian content for kids, partnered with Stan in 2021 to find and commission theatrical concepts as part of their ACTF/Stan Original Film Initiative. The announcement they made at the time noted that the plan was to focus on films with budgets in the range of US$3 million to US$3.3 million.

This partnership “reinforces Stan as a streaming destination for young audiences and families,” said chief content officer Cailah Scobie in a release, adding that Wind Catcher appeals to the SVOD because it’s a feature the whole family can enjoy.

ACTF, Screen Australia and Stan have collectively financed the feature, which will premiere on Stan in 2024, and ACTF is handling worldwide distribution. Casting is underway, and production will start in Victoria this September. ACTF’s Bernadette O’Mahony is an executive producer on the project, along with Scobie and Rachel Okine for Stan.

Pictured from top left: Producer Drew Grove, director Tanith Glynn-Maloney, producer Meg O’Connell, and writer Boyd Quakawoot​