Amie Batalibasi is an Australian-Solomon Islander filmmaker, creative producer and founder of creative arts platform Colour Box Studio. Amie’s creative practice aims to bring diverse stories to light by collaborating with people and communities at a grassroots level, to unearth stories that have the possibility to spark empowerment and create change.
Amie’s previous directing credits include the short films BLACKBIRD, DOCKED and KA PUTA KO AU, the documentaries TIDE OF CHANGE and AEASI, and the comedy webseries, FRESH!. Her short narrative and documentary films, exploring issues of social justice, human rights and cultural diversity are award-winning, and have screened at festivals around the globe.
Her short drama, BLACKBIRD, inspired by the history of Australia’s sugar slaves, screened at the 69th Berlinale International Film Festival, received several script awards from the Victorian College of the Arts, and debuted on NITV (National Indigenous Television) and SBS OnDemand in 2017. BLACKBIRD was broadcasted throughout the Asia-Pacific via ABC Australia in 2020 and is available to stream on SBS OnDemand until 2027.
Amie’s television directing credits include an episode of the International Kids Emmy Nominated ABC Me show MUSTANGS FC for Matchbox Pictures. She also directed two episodes of THALU, an NITV/ ABC First Nations children’s series based in the Pilbara, Western Australia, produced by Weerianna Street Media.
Amie Batalibasi on the set of Thalu. Image courtesy of Weerianna Street Media. 
THALU cast with director Amie Batalibasi. Photo courtesy of Weerianna Street Media. 
Mustangs FC Episode 5 Director Amie Batalibasi on set with cast and crew. 
Mustangs FC S3 Episode 5 director Amie Batalibasi with the cast. 
Amie Batalibasi with actors Monique Heath (L) & Celine Ajobong (R) on the set of Matchbox Pictures’ Mustangs FC Season 3 for ABC TV 
Amie Batalibasi at the 69th Berlinale International Film Festival, 2019. Image credit: Jan Kraus. 
69th Berlinale International Film Festival, 2019. Image credit: Jan Kraus. 
69th Berlinale International Film Festival, 2019. Image credit: Jan Kraus. 
TIFF Filmmaker Lab 2018 
Berlinale Talents 2019 
ABOVE: With actors Rosa & Shrut on the set of FRESH: Episode 3. Image: Dana Simon courtesy of FRESH. 
Native Forum Brunch at Sundance Film Festival, 2017. Image: Kelly Ann Tuab 
Young Media Makers Project 
ASSI Stories Animation Set: Jacintha, Jessika and Amie. 
ASSI Stories Project 2014 
‘Blackbird’ short film shoot, Mackay, Queensland, Australia. 
Blackbird short film shoot, Mackay, Queensland, Australia. 
‘Docked’ short film by Amie Batalibasi. Behind the scenes. 
‘Docked’ short film by Amie Batalibasi. Behind the scenes with Nyawuda Chuol.
In 2018, Amie was selected to attend the Berlinale Talents Summit 2018 as part of the Berlinale International Film Festival, as well as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Filmmaker Lab. Amie is the 2017 recipient of the Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Film Program’s Merata Mita Fellowship in the name of Aotearoa’s first indigenous woman to write and direct a feature film.
Amie graduated with honours from Melbourne University Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in a Master of Film and TV (Narrative) in 2015 and a Graduate Diploma of Film and TV (Documentary) in 2007. In 2004 she received the graduating medal for a Bachelor of Photography (Art Practice) from Griffith University Queensland College of Arts.
COMMISSIONS
Amie has produced, directed and collaborated on various media projects and commissioned films for not for profit organisations, businesses and government bodies including the Australian Football League, Australia Post, St Vincent De Paul, Australian Home Care, Melbourne City Mission, Western Edge Youth Arts, Barkly Arts Centre (CoHealth Arts Generator), The Centre for Multicultural Youth, The Textile Clothing and Footwear Union, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, and the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
COMMUNITY FILM PROJECTS
An important part of Amie’s filmmaking practice sharing filmmaking skills with the communities and people around her so that they can tell their own stories through film. She has produced over 20 short films with first time filmmakers from diverse backgrounds through facilitating filmmaking courses and workshops with young people, new migrant groups, CALD communities, First Nations communities and diverse groups of people in and around Melbourne, interstate and internationally.
In 2014, Amie worked with the Australian South Sea Islander Secretariat Inc. to produce a multimedia community storytelling project called ASSI Stories (Australian South Sea Islander Stories) (Queensland). As part of this project a series of seven short films were written and directed by Australian South Sea Islander participants and premiered at a community screening at The Edge, Brisbane.
In 2012, Amie co-facilitated two community film projects Wantok Stori (Victoria/ Solomon Islands) & Pacific Stories – Harmony on the Murray (Robinvale, Victoria). In 2011 she facilitated two filmmaking courses in Melbourne: The Young Media Makers Project – with diverse young people; and co-facilitated Pacific Stories – working with a group of Australian Pacific Islanders in Melbourne. In each of these projects participants learnt filmmaking skills to then write and direct their own short films about issues important to them.
Amie has also spent time in the central Australian desert working as a media trainer through PAW Media & Communications and the Mt Theo Youth Program as a media trainer with indigenous Warlpiri people in the communities of Yuendumu & Willowra, Northern Territory. In 2009, with the help of friends, Amie founded the community group called Pacific Community Partnerships – an group set up to assist her family’s village in the Solomon Islands with community projects.