Written on 5^th December 2016

Organising round the world travel for 'DNA Nation' production

Directed by Bruce Permezel and produced Blackfella Films, The Appointment Group Asia Pacific is proud to be responsible for all travel around the world involved in ‘DNA Nation’, the most ambitious factual television series ever attempted in Australia.

‘DNA Nation’ is a three part series of 1 hour episodes on SBS Australia where we see Australia’s greatest olympian Ian Thorpe, iconic Indigenous actor Ernie Dingo and TV presenter Julia Zemiro set off on an epic journey of genetic time travel to trace their genetic origins back in time. Their DNA will be analysed by world leading scientists, including a team based in Australia. The results will create a genetic map stretching across the globe and 200,000 years back in time!

The trio experience life as hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, dig for fossils in the Arabian Desert, ride horseback in Kyrgyzstan and take to the high seas in Timor Leste in order to discover the remarkable journey their, and our ancestors, made from Africa to Australia across 200,000 years.

As a ground breaking documentary series, ‘DNA Nation, Episode 3’ was nominated Best Cinematography in a Documentary at this year’s Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.  The 6th AACTA Awards was held in Sydney on Wednesday, 7th December 2016.

The night's big winner was Mel Gibson’s 'Hacksaw Ridge' that took home four of the five categories that it was nominated for, including Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Production Design.

Mel Gibson’s much anticipated return to directing is set between the US and Okinawa but it was shot in Australia. It tells the true story of Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garlfield), a WWII American Army Medic who served during the Battle of Okinawa and that refuses to kill people, becoming the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

The AACTA Awards recognise film, television and documentary screen craft excellence - including screenwriting, producing and acting, through to cinematography, composition and costume design - across more than 45 Awards each year. As Australia's highest film and television Awards, the AACTA Awards are Australia's equivalent of the Oscars and the BAFTAs.

AACTA also recognises screen excellence, regardless of geography, through the AACTA International Awards, held each January in Los Angeles.