Painting by Uncle Gavin Couzens

Magic Lands Alliance

Historical Truth through Film, Education, Culture & Community

Magic Lands Alliance (MLA) is a cultural initiative transforming how history is shared — through film, education, and on-Country infrastructure.

Operating across Australia and expanding internationally, MLA creates historically grounded screen productions that act as the foundation for long-term Indigenous-led cultural, educational, and socio-economic outcomes.

Working in partnership with Indigenous custodians and Elders — alongside historians, educators, filmmakers, and industry partners — MLA combines rigorous research, cultural authority, and compelling storytelling to deepen understanding of Indigenous knowledge and history.

Film is not the end goal — it is the engine that builds lasting cultural assets for future generations.

[Partner With Us]

Neon sign of a snake coiled around a sun with rays.
Close-up of camera lens with focus rings and markings, including the word 'SUPER 16' and a serial number, on a camera body.
Man with a bow and arrow, wearing a vest, raises his hands during a scene with a crew member operating a camera, set outdoors with a barren tree and a small campfire in the foreground.

OUR APPROACH

We unite Indigenous knowledge, academic research, and screen production into one model.

Not temporary projects — permanent outcomes.

Every film activates:
• Cultural infrastructure
• Education content and information
• Community pathways
• Long-term economic and social impact

WHAT WE DELIVER

• Permanent Cultural Infrastructure
Built on Country. Retained for community, education, and cultural use

• Indigenous-Led Experiences
Authentic tourism grounded in story, language, and place

• Education Platforms
Curriculum-aligned learning connecting history, science, and culture

• Jobs & Enterprise
Real pathways beyond production — skills, employment, Indigenous-led business

WHY IT MATTERS

Most productions leave nothing behind.
MLA builds what remains.

Through truth-telling, cultural authority, and long-term design, we strengthen:
• Culture
• Education
• Environment
• Community

IMPACT

Culture — Protecting knowledge. Passing stories forward.
Education — Connecting people to Country, science, culture, and history.
Environment — Regenerating land ecology and sustainability practices

CALL TO ACTION

Be part of building something that lasts.

We partner with communities, educators, investors, and industry to deliver a new standard for storytelling and impact.

[Partner With Us] [Explore Education] [View the Film Projects]

Period Drama Projects

Our period drama projects are carefully selected to delve deeper into the untold stories of Australian and International history during colonisation, focusing on areas where truth, facts, events, and Indigenous voices have been overlooked.

More information on the period drama project slate.

A poster for the movie 'Magic Lands: Purr and Buckley's Chance' showing a man with dreadlocks and a woman with curly hair and a flower crown, both in tribal clothing with fur and necklaces, standing outdoors in a forested setting with a ship in the distance.
A black and white portrait of a woman with tribal jewelry and clothing, sitting against a plain background.
Historical black and white illustration of William Buckley, labeled as "The Wild White Man," wearing a suit and bow tie.
Historical painting depicting a scene with European settlers and Indigenous people near a river, with trees and open landscape in the background.
A painting of a scenic landscape with rolling hills, a river, trees, and a distant mountain under a partly cloudy sky.
Painting of a man with gray hair, blue eyes, wearing a dark coat and white shirt, against a dark background.
A shirtless man with an afro hairstyle sitting outdoors on a wooden chair, holding a staff in his right hand, with a small dog on his lap. The background includes trees and foliage.
A pencil sketch of William Buckley on a page, with the name written below and a faint circular stamp or seal.
A woman with curly hair holding a child, both looking to the side.
Historical black and white photograph of an indigenous man with a long white beard, wearing traditional attire including a headband, necklace, and grass skirt, holding a shield and a weapon.
Painting of an African savanna at sunset with acacia trees, large rocks, a small pond, and groups of people and children collecting water and tending animals.
A sketch of seven men in ethnic clothing, each wearing tall hats, some holding sticks or pipes, drawn around 1864, as labeled at the bottom. Painted and illustrated by Indigenous artist Tommy Mcrae
A line of marching soldiers holding flags, with a ship in the background. Painted and illustrated by Indigenous artist Tommy Mcrae
A historic pencil sketch of the Commandant's House in Melbourne from 1837, depicting a rural scene with people, animals, and trees.
Historical painting of Melbourne in 1841 showing green hills, a river, tents, and a few people walking on a path, with a hilly landscape and buildings in the distance under a cloudy sky.

Project 1

Magic Lands

Purra and Buckley’s Chance

Logline:An escaped convict and a Wadawurrung woman, bound by love, Lore and Sky-Spirit, fight to survive as colonisation ignites a silent war across their Country in early 1800s, Southern Australia.

Genre: Period Drama | MA15+
Status: Scripted • Casting • Raising Finance
Based on: A true story recorded by Mrs Mary Clarke (Framlingham Mission, 1979) on the bloodline story of escaped British convict William Buckley and his Wadawurrung wife and resistance fighter Purranmurnin Tullawurnin.

Production set for 2027

Set in the wilds of early-1800s Southern Australia, this story follows Buckley and Purra’s love story before, during, and after colonisation, when a silent war to seize Indigenous land turns violent, and the foundations of the Geelong and Melbourne settlements begin.

MORE INFORMATION on PROJECT 1

Short Films

Before developing feature films, we create short works that support research, collaboration and early storytelling—building relationships with First Nations custodians and local communities on the Country where each story is set. We have made three short films currently (2026). Here’s an example of a short film we made for project 1, Magic Lands, Purra and Buckley’s Chance titled:

Garra’s Chance

Our team explored the mystery surrounding the daughter of William Buckley and Purranmurnin Tullawurnin. In this short film, we named her Garra, as we questioned her whereabouts and whether she survived. It was only at the end of production that we discovered historical records indicating she did survive the Silent War—and her name was Fanny. Fanny’s bloodline story will be told in the upcoming feature film, Ngarram.

This short film follows Garra, a young Indigenous woman on the run from colonists during the Silent War, hiding in the Anakie Mountains after being left behind by her parents. When colonist Robert Von Stieglitz, whose family controls over 200,000 acres of stolen land, encounters her while out hunting, Garra must quickly learn to survive and trust in the guidance of her ancestors.

Filmed on Wadawurrung Country in a single day, the result was nothing short of magical. Garra’s Chance.

More Short Films

Education & Tourism

MLA delivers a growing education platform and on-Country tourism model built from film, research, and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Education

The MLA Educational Series connects history, science, and culture through a curriculum-aligned, interdisciplinary program developed with First Nations custodians.

Drawing on hundreds of referenced works and years of research, the platform explores the story of land, life, and identity — from deep time to the present.

Free access available during early development.


[Explore Education]

Tourism

As productions move into delivery, MLA develops permanent on-Country infrastructure — creating immersive, Indigenous-led cultural tourism experiences.

These experiences are built to last, supporting:
• Local employment
• Cultural revitalisation
• Education and visitor engagement

Vision

From digital learning to living landscapes. MLA is evolving into a fully integrated model where education, tourism, and cultural infrastructure operate together on Country — creating long-term impact for community, culture, and future generations.

Course written and delivered by
James Vegter and Uncle Reg Abrahams

Colorful artistic diagram of Buckley Falls, showing the waterfall, surrounding landscape, and indigenous people. The diagram includes layers of land, water, and vegetation with annotations.

Educational Videos and Content

MORE INFO

SHIFTING TRUTH

Meaningful truth-telling goes beyond film — it requires dialogue, education, and structural change.

MLA challenges dominant historical narratives by centring rigorous research, critical thinking, and voices long silenced. Through film and community-led engagement, we support a shared reckoning with the past — enabling individuals, institutions, and governments to acknowledge injustice and move toward truth, equality, and understanding.

INIGENOUS COLLABORATION

First Nations custodians and communities are partners in every project.

From research to production, their leadership ensures cultural authority, integrity, and respect — with all outcomes designed to return lasting value to community.

LONG-TERM PURPOSE

We bring together filmmakers, Indigenous leaders, educators, and communities to create work that endures.

Every project is built to inform, empower, and generate impact far beyond the screen.

INNOVATION

MLA uses emerging technologies, including responsible AI, to expand research, storytelling, and access.

Always guided by ethics, cultural authority, and community control.

Painting of Melbourne 1841 depicting a rural landscape with tents, a river, and rolling hills in the background.

Reconciliation

Our productions foster collaboration between First Nations and local communities where the story is set, bridging histories to create a shared, knowledgeable and brighter future for all.

CONTRIBUTION, PHILANTHROPY & PARTNERSHIPS

MLA is built through shared commitment. Our work is made possible by partners, philanthropists, and sponsors who recognise that truth-telling, culture, and education are long-term public assets — worth investing in.

Contributions directly support the development of film, education, and on-Country cultural infrastructure — ensuring Indigenous-led research, governance, and community participation remain central at every stage.

These partnerships create lasting outcomes:
• Education resources and knowledge systems
• Cultural preservation and archival legacy
• On-Country employment and enterprise
• Long-term community and tourism impact

PARTNER WITH US

We welcome collaboration with foundations, institutions, organisations, and individuals committed to building meaningful cultural legacy.

Support stories that endure — and outcomes that last.

[Explore Partnerships] [Make a Contribution]

View of the ocean and two large rock formations seen from inside a dark cave at sunset.

INDIGENOUS LED COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative Members, Artists and Traditional Owners

Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, Artists and Members

Boonwurrung Sea and Land Council Traditional Owners and Members

Eastern Maar Community Traditional Owners and Members

Gudjitmara Community Traditional Owners and Members

Yorta Yorta Community Members and Traditional Owners

Torres Strait Island Community Members and Traditional Owners

Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Traditional Owners and Members

Taungurung Traditional Owners and Community Members

Steiglitz Community Members

Mount Rothwell Conservation and Reserve

Barwon Coast Council

City of Greater Geelong

Surf Riders Foundation Australia - Torquay

Ron Ellis and the Granites Property, Anakie.

Golden Plains Shire Council

Parks Victoria

Bass Coast Council

Australian Marine Conservation Society

A man sitting near a fire outdoors at night, smoking a pipe, wearing a hat and coat.

Acknowledgement

MLA and our producers acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We respect their continued connection to the sky, land, waters, language and culture. We pay our respects to the First Peoples language groups, communities, and Elders - past, present, and emerging that continue to be impacted by colonisation and any harm caused in recreating our historically based true stories to create social awareness worldwide.

Indigenous Production Protocol

Respect, protect, educate, and build social and moral awareness around Indigenous culture and Australian and international history.

To protect and gain consent/permissions from communities, traditional owners, and elders around Indigenous culture, oral stories, characters, costumes, language and artefacts, etc., shown in film productions and educational material.  

To collaborate with Indigenous and contemporary communities where the story's subject content is located and create educational content that protects heritage and creates infrastructure, employment, and business opportunities in the area.