Home-grown talent Ngali Shaw has just landed a role in his first feature film.
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The Dubbo-born Wiradjuri man and Dubbo College alumni is currently in Victoria where production has begun on an upcoming Stan original, Windcatcher.
In only his second major role, Mr Shaw will share the screen with superstar Jessica Mauboy, who will be appearing in her first film since 2012 musical comedy The Sapphires.
Windcatcher is the next big step for Mr Shaw who made a meteoric rise to fame in 2022 after starring in critically-acclaimed Fox Showcase series The Twelve.
Before making his small-screen debut Mr Shaw was already well known in the Dubbo arts scene. He was a student at Dubbo Ballet School, earned a spot on the 2016 NSW Public Schools Aboriginal Dance Troupe and won the 2018 Aboriginal Model Search.
The Twelve was Mr Shaw's first major role and said the experience of working on the series was unforgettable.
"[There was] amazing energy from everyone everyday and all us actors and crew members behind the scenes got along so well and it really felt like family," he said.
The series grapples with some dark material, with the story of Mr Shaw's character Jarrod Saunders tackling the topic of police brutality towards Indigenous people.
"[Jarrod Saunders'] story was such a privilege for me to play because I myself have gone through similar experiences and to get up there on the big screen and tell what people like me go through is just a blessing," he told the Daily Liberal.
"There are so many moments I've had with police that just would make anyone sick to the stomach.
"If you watch the police scene I have in [The Twelve], that was very similar to one of my experiences I had in Dubbo and I still to this day go through stuff like this and it just makes me sick."
Windcatcher promises to be a much more lighthearted entry into Mr Shaw's resume.
The story is set in the small country town of Herbertson and follows the story of Percy Boy, an Aboriginal boy who bands together with friends to take the local school sports day title away from the hands of grade five bullies called the "Wolf Pack".
But as Percy trains for the race, he discovers a supernatural ability to see lost souls - a gift passed down from his grandfather.
Newcomer Lennox Monaghan was selected to play the lead role after a nationwide talent search which saw 160 hopeful actors gunning for the part.
Also joining the cast are Max Turner (F.A.N.G (From A Nearby Galaxy)), Coco Greenstone (I Am Woman), Kelton Pell (Mystery Road: Origin), Pia Miranda (Looking for Alibrandi) and Lisa Maza (Wentworth).
Windcatcher is the first title to come under Stan and the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF)'s feature film partnership and has major production investment from Screen Australia, in association with VicScreen.
The project was developed with investment from the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland.
Windcatcher is currently in production and will debut on Stan in the near future.
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