An exclusive update on Rising To The Occasion from director Nathan Dart.

An entire documentary dedicated to men’s netball is an exciting prospect, and with Nathan Dart’s Rising To The Occasion set to release early next year, on the cusp of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the timing couldn’t be better.

The documentary comes after a long two years of work from Nathan Dart and his team, and offers a challenging, heart-warming and emotional discussion of gender in sport, with a balanced representation of views on the topic.

Endeavouring to share the story of men’s netball with the world, the documentary shines a light on issues surrounding men’s netball, including the unstained waves of efforts throughout the last 35-40 years and the challenge of creating long-lasting change in this space without appropriate and consistent funding.

Dart’s work has been driven by passion, aiming to make a real impact in the development of men’s netball from junior levels all the way to an elite international level. Whilst there’s plenty of praise for men’s netball, it needs to be backed by action; this means not only improving the elite competition but also looking at the junior pathways, where boys aged 12-17 have historically had little to no opportunities to continue pursuing the sport.

Rising to The Occasion will focus primarily on player stories to explore these themes, hearing about the journeys, struggles and experiences of people who have dedicated as much as ten to twenty-five years to the sport. It also features a wealth of big names such as Taylor Glassie, Dan Ryan, Nat Medhurst, Kiera Austen, Lisa Alexander, Sue Gaudian and Kelly Ryan.

Rising to the Occasion is hoping to make its way onto a streaming service and aiming to get into the homes of those who enjoy sports, but the journey there hasn’t been easy.

Filming was a challenge. Working in and around COVID meant that storylines had to change, for instance when the men’s National competition was cancelled. However this has meant that the documentary also got to provide insights into what working and playing under these circumstances was like.

“It’s been a long journey and the process keeps going”.

Fortunately, Rising to the Occasion has been recognised by Documentary Australia Foundation; a unique not-for-profit that ensures important stories are told and seen.

The foundation has set up a campaign page on their website to help the team continue raising funds for production and marketing. Such support is invaluable in allowing independent filmmakers to access greater funding and enables fans to easily and effectively support an exciting project.

While the documentary is still a few months away, you can learn more about the film and the story behind it, as well as watch the trailer and support the project at their campaign page: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/rising-to-the-occasion/