Artist profile: Travis Akbar

Adelaide Hills filmmaker Travis Akbar has just had his best directorial experience to date, is part of creating a landmark documentary feature, and continues to build his own production and distribution companies.

But, as a Waljen kid who grew up Wirangu Country on western Eyre Peninsula, he had to forge his own path to achieve his dreams.

“My dad loved film and one of my early memories is watching films with him – specifically reading the end credits and realising there’s all these different things that people do on a film,” Travis said.

“When I moved to Adelaide at 19, I tried to get into the film course at TAFE but it was a bit too exclusive for someone who was coming from the country and I didn’t get in.

“So I used other creative outlets for a while, eventually got into reviewing films and that put me in reach of the goal of filmmaking and was able to get my foot in the door.”

Travis said he faced barriers to the arts industry as both a regional and First Nations creative.

“There was a lot of stuff that I didn’t know I didn’t know,” he said.

“It’s just accessibility of knowledge because smaller schools just don’t have the resources to let you know everything that’s available and what might actually be successful for you.

“Obviously racism’s a barrier – there’s things been put in place now that are First Nations-specific to help combat that.

“But while it does help combat some aspects, it also drives some aspects because non-Indigenous people go ‘why is that available to them and not me?'”

The now award-winning filmmaker first collaborated with Country Arts SA on a writer’s retreat at Raukkan in 2019.

Most recently his short film Vermin went into production thanks to The Mercury’s Quicksilver Production Fund, supported by Country Arts.

Travis, 38, said it meant he was able to secure the biggest crew he’s ever worked with, and feed and remunerate them fairly.

“Normally I like to take on a lot of roles myself so I don’t have to outlay extra jobs on people who are getting paid stuff all,” he said.

“It allowed me to not do that on this occasion, which gave me a fantastic directing experience.

“It allowed everything to be enhanced.”

Travis is also production manager on Country Arts’ upcoming documentary feature film Kumarangk, and his short film False Narrative will be featured in upcoming First Nations film showcase Nunga Screen 2026.

This comes after he won Best Emerging First Nations Practitioner at the 2024 South Australian Screen Awards, and his prized 2023 film Tambo was selected for 14 festivals.

If that wasn’t enough, Travis also has his own production company Nyawa Pictures and distribution company Wirra Distribution – through which he hopes to give other First Nations filmmakers positive artistic experiences.

“It comes down to self-determination and being able to achieve what I want to in the most culturally safe way possible,” he said.