Perth, Jan 9: Award-winning documentary Floodland will release in cinemas nationwide on 26 February, timed to mark the four-year anniversary of the devastating 2022 Lismore floods.
Directed by Jordan Giusti and produced by Mofa Stories, the film won the Sustainable Future Award at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival and follows the Northern NSW community of Lismore over three years after the record-breaking disaster.
Set in what is described as Australia’s most flood-prone postcode, Floodland focuses on the aftermath of the February 2022 floods, when waters reached 14.36 metres and tore through homes and livelihoods. At the centre is Eli, a lifelong local who had bought his dream home backing onto the Wilson River. After being forced onto his roof during the flood, he meets Jess during the cleanup, sparking a relationship that grows as the community struggles through ongoing hardship.
The film expands beyond personal loss to examine broader tensions around recovery, including stalled buyback schemes, political inaction and inequality. Eli’s friend Harper turns to grassroots activism as frustration builds over the lack of meaningful support. It also features Dr Carlie Atkinson, a Bundjalung and Yiman social worker and trauma-healing leader, who advocates for recovery approaches guided by First Nations knowledge and respect for Country.
“I hope this film can spur some change,” said director Jordan Giusti upon winning the Sustainable Future Award, the largest cash prize in the world dedicated to environmentally engaged cinema. “What you find is people who love their home being pushed to these extremes and asking: can we continue if it’s going to keep getting this bad? It’s heartbreaking. These beautiful communities that live in a very unique way are the first to feel the impacts of climate change, and they might be lost. There’s a real sense of grief in the film.”
Eli describes the emotional cost of staying and the fear that returns with every heavy rainfall: “You can’t fight the river forever. I love Lismore more than anywhere in the world, but when you’re watching your family live in fear every time it rains, you have to accept that some battles aren’t meant to be won, and accepting painful realities is the bravest thing you can do.”
With cinematography that captures both the beauty of the Northern Rivers and the destruction left behind, Floodland asks audiences to consider the price of rebuilding as climate disasters intensify — and what resilience looks like when communities are repeatedly pushed to the brink.
Floodland opens in cinemas nationwide on 26 February.
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