Small World Documentaries is a bespoke media company specialising in documentary.
Based in Tasmania happily making stories and working around the globe.
Get in touch if you want anything created.
We’d love to work with you.
We also run workshops on digital storytelling and how to make short documentaries for schools, workplaces and emerging filmmakers.
CHIEF STORY CATCHER
After 20 years of working as a creative producer for broadcast channels including the ABC, National Geographic and Foxtel, Lara switched focus to filmmaking and is dedicated to creating stories that matter.
Lara is a filmmaker, an impact producer and a media trainer.
CHIEF EDITOR
Very experienced editor with 35+ factual series and documentary credits.
TV credits including Better Homes and Gardens, Emergency and Missing Persons Unit.
Bettina is just as happy cutting a feature as a reel.
2026 - present
Series Director “Silver Power Project” (in development)
Trainer - Documentary Filmmaking Course for Youth Climate Action
Director / Editor - “Sardines” - impact documentary with Environment Tasmania
Director / Editor - “Love Between the Weeds” - short documentary for Silver Power series
DOP - “5000 Trees” - short documentary for Silver Power series
2025
Artist exhibition - “Shorewell Presents” - Burnie Arts Centre
Director / Producer / Editor - “Our Journey” - 20 min documentary with Students Against Racism
2024
Impact Producer Tasmania - “Follow The Rain” feature documentary
Trainer - Digital Storytelling with Libraries Tasmania
Trainer - Digital Storytelling with Apple Box Studios
Impact Producer - “Road Kill Warriors” - supported by Doc Society
2023
Impact Producer - “GRiT - Tasmanian stories on screen” Film Festival
Director / Producer / Editor - “Road Kill Warriors” - short film commissioned by ABC. Finalist Sydney Film Festival Sustainable Future Award
Director / Producer / Editor - “Shorewell Presents” - 2 short documentaries and story telling exhibition commission by Ten Days on the Island & Burnie Community House
Director / Producer / Editor - “Grey Power” - short film commission by Wide Angle. Selected for Byron Bay Film Festival. Finalist Impact Video - SIMA Awards
Director / Producer / Editor / DOP - “Lady of Letters” for ABC Art Works
Director / Producer / Editor - “Jamin - Master of Murals” for ABC Art Works
2022
Assistant Director - “Fungi - Web of Life” for Stranger Than Fiction Films
Producer / DOP - BTS for “Incredible Animal Journeys” - for Nat Geo
2021
Director / Producer / Editor - “Can’t Speak, Can Draw” for ABC Art Works
Associate Producer - “Surviving Turbulence” - ABC Australian Story
2020
Production Manager - “Looky, Looky Here Comes Cooky” 1 hour documentary NiTV
2018 - 2020
Director / Producer / Editor / DOP - “Women of the Island” a web series. Winner - Jury Award for Best Series - Webfest Berlin. Finalist - Best Web Series - ATOM Awards. Winner - Best Direction in a Series - Baltimore Web Fest. Winner - Outstanding Cinematography - LAWebFest
2019
Production Manager / Assistant Director - “A World of Colours, Australia”. A 4 x 1 hour travel show for Voyage (France)
2012
Editor - “Mary Meets Mohammad” feature documentary and cutdown for ABC Compass. Finalist - Walkley Awards Documentary
2011
Director / Producer / Editor / DOP - “Aftermath: Disaster, Resilience and Recovery”. An ABC online series documenting life after disasters
Director / Producer / Editor / DOP - “Nik & Ned” a short documentary. Finalist - Best Short Documentary - St Kilda Film Festival
2010
Director / Producer / Editor / DOP - “Murray Darlings” a web series
2009
Director / Producer / Editor / DOP - “Palestine, Beer and Oktoberfest Under Occupation" a 42 min documentary. Winner - Best Australian Documentary. WOW Film Festival, Sydney. Finalist - Best Documentary - ATOM Awards
Judge Positions
Promax BDA Award judge 2008
MyState Student Film Festival judge 2016 - 2022
ATOM Awards judge 2020 - 2022