Cate Shortland Partners With Heckler For Yes23 Campaign

In the lead-up to Saturday’s referendum, award-winning Australian director Cate Shortland, creative director Josh Aitken, VFX house Heckler and Heckler Sound have teamed up to collaborate on a powerful campaign to highlight the importance of a Yes vote.

Filmed by Shortland and director partner Tony Krawitz, the Yes23 campaign features Australians from all walks of life, including sports star Adam Goodes, AbSec NSW chief executive John Leha, right through to a doctor, nurse, and tradesman, all expressing why a Yes vote is important to them.

The campaign ends with an emotional vox pop spot featuring Indigenous Australians as they detail what a voice in parliament will mean to them, their families, and future Indigenous generations.

“Watching from the side-lines, as the misinformation was rolled out by Peter Dutton and the No Campaign, was excruciating. Getting involved and making content has been deeply gratifying, especially working with Indigenous people, who in the onslaught of propaganda have remained dignified and not given up hope” Shortland said.

“I could not sit and watch what I believed was deeply unfair and untrue to continue without getting involved. Having our wonderful producers Sam Lombardo and Harriet Dixon Smith and my co-creator Tony Krawitz by my side has been fantastic as we were able to lift each other. Thank you to Heckler and all the great people that have volunteered their time and energy. You have taken the generous hand extended by Indigenous Australians to work together and make change”.

“This referendum is all about giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a voice on policies that affect them. So, we wanted to do just that; give First Nations people a voice, one that was unfiltered and authentic to what they wanted to say. No elaborate narratives or production, just people having honest, powerful and moving conversations with their fellow Australians with love, respect and a sense of urgency” said Aitken.

“If there was ever a campaign to jump in on with both feet then this was definitely it. To work on the Yes23 campaign alongside Cate, Tony and Josh was an honour and a privilege. Let’s hope we can affect some change on Saturday” said Heckler Co-founder & Executive Producer Will Alexander.

Variations of the campaign can be found at the links below:

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