We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of lands across Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures and heritage, and recognise the continuing sovereignties of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which the ACTF is based and pay our respect to their Elders past and present.

We are honoured to have the opportunity to learn from the oldest cultural storytellers in the world and seek to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners to share their rich culture and perspectives with children in Australia and around the world via stories on screen.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or text.

Explore the Top End with Barrumbi Kids

Barrumbi Kids is a coming-of-age story centred on Tomias and Dahlia – Fire Hawk and Crow – two 11-year-old best friends growing up in a remote community in the Northern Territory. Filmed of the lands of the Jawoyn, Dagoman, Wardaman and Mangarrayi peoples, the story unfolds in and around the fictional top end town of Mandjakkorl. Through fishing, schooling, and exploring Country, the children learn about themselves, each other, and living in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures.

Life in Mandjakkorl is never dull for these kids: with crazy cracker nights, lost treasure, huge grass fires, initiation ceremonies, feral chooks, ancestral spirits, outsiders trying to change things and of course, big salty crocs! In short, a whole outback of adventure and sometimes trouble, not that they go looking for trouble…it just manages to find them!

Now in their final year of primary school, Tomias and Dahlia know that change is coming and whether they like it or not, they’ll both find themselves torn between loyalty to each other and the growing demands of the outside world.

In this unique and vibrant Australian setting, Barrumbi Kids explores the universal themes of friendship and change, the weight of expectations, of home and culture, and the age-old problem of battling a giant salty that’s moved into your favourite swimming hole.

The 10-part series is now screening on NITV on Fridays at 7:30pm (AEDT), with the complete series also available to view on SBS On Demand.

The ACTF is currently developing resources to support teachers using Barrumbi Kids in the classroom. Stay tuned to our education newsletter for an early 2023 release.