Images: Sydney Film Festival and Filmink. Left: Emmanuel Peni and Shayanne Waide at the awards ceremony following Sukundimi Walks Before Me’s win. Photographer: Belinda Rolland © 2026. Right: Project Sepik and Jubilee Australia joined by allies, friends and environmental defenders from the Pacific at the premiere. Photographer: Tim Levy

15 June 2026 

 A feature documentary about the fight to save the Sepik River from the Frieda River mine, Sukundimi Walks Before Me, made its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival last week.

On Sunday night, the film, which was the only film to be nominated for two awards at the Festival, was crowned with the Sustainable Future Award, the largest environmental film prize in the world.  

“This award from a film festival in Australia where the company PanAust is based, speaks a lot about the belief, the recognition and the acknowledgement of the truth from the people of the River. The people of the Sepik River did not give consent,” said Emmanuel Peni, co-ordinator of Project Sepik.  

 “The award speaks of collaborations over mountains, lands and seas. It’s a powerful story of one resistance shared by people not just in Papua New Guinea, but across continents, and across the world. I am so excited, I want to come home quickly and celebrate with everyone in Papua New Guinea.” 

The film Sukundimi Walks Before Me is produced by Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions and Walking Fish Productions, and was directed by Matasila Freshwater and Lachlan Mcleod.

Lachlan Mcleod, co-director for the film, worked on the film for 7 years. “This award speaks volumes for the incredible work that Sepik people are doing to protect their way of life. We’re so excited about sharing this film with audiences and for the film to have an impact in Papua New Guinea and around the world.” 

“Winning the Sustainable Future Award is such a significant and tangible accolade for the community and their mission,” said Matasila Freshwater, writer and director of the film. “This win is very special, and we believe the award is a testament to the power of the sovereignty of our stories and our perspectives.”

The Australian premiere of the film followed a powerful conference held at the University of Sydney, Extracting Justice: Mining, Accountability and Community Power in the Pacific, hosted by Jubilee Australia Research Centre, the Human Rights Law Centre and Sydney Environment Institute.

The conference brought together environmental defenders and leading voices, advocates and lawyers in uniting for a vision of a Pacific that is no longer ravaged by extraction. The conference was grounded in knowing the importance of intergenerational storytelling, the authority and power of customary land, and the imagination to dream of a united future. 

Leading advocates joined Project Sepik’s Emmanuel Peni and Shayanne Waide on the red carpet to celebrate the film’s Australian premiere.

Voices across the Pacific joined in congratulating Project Sepik and the filmmakers on this important achievement.

Theonila Roka Matbob, one of the 2026 recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize, said, “We celebrate the victory of proactively fighting for our unborn generation. The life of Sepik River is our life, the loss of the river will be our loss too. Thus we are in this together! Bougainville community of Panguna celebrate the impact of this award!”

Jotham Israel Keleino, a community leader from the Huon Gulf region said, “This international film award brings global recognition to the voices of the Sepik River and our people. The award demonstrated that our concerns are thoughtful, credible and deeply reasoned. It also highlights the strength of our environmental and moral arguments, not just in the Sepik and in Morobe province, but across the country, the Pacific region and on the world stage.”

“The Sepik River film is a symbol of resistance against extractives and hope for all communities facing similar challenges across the Pacific. It’s a trailblazer for the Melanesian villagers’ voices especially on the global stage, and that’s why it’s so special for me,” said William Kadi, lawyer from the Solomon Islands.

“The Sepik River film shows the resistance that we have against extractive development in Fiji. If the community are together in the fight, and take ownership of extractive issues they are facing, nothing can stop them,” said Cema Rokodredre, Community Engagement Coordinator at Fiji NGO Social Empowerment Education Programme.

Luke Fletcher, Executive Director at Jubilee Australia, who has worked directly with Project Sepik for 8 years, celebrated the win. 

“This film, and it winning this award in an international film festival, is a testament to how much the Sepik River means to people in the region. This week, we welcomed the call of the Sukundimi into our cinemas in Sydney. This is just the beginning.”