By Grace Frost
Hidden Valley’s Matthew Mastratisi was recognised for the music video ‘Loud and Proud’ when it won Community Clip of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards, NIMA.
The awards in Darwin on August 6 celebrated achievements among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians, as well as Indigenous-inspired projects.
Mastratisi, 24, worked on the project as director, producer and videographer in Numbulwar, Northern Territory, alongside Franceska Fusha, Lesley Phillips, Jordan O’Davis and the community of Numbulwar.
Mastratisi has travelled for seven years with Indigenous Outreach Projects, a multicultural collective that visits remote Australian communities, spreads positive messaging and achieves community-specific goals, primarily with youth.
“Our big thing is destroying the thing called shame. We don’t want young people to feel shame and be embarrassed of giving things a go,” he said.
Indigenous Outreach Projects usually spends a week in remote communities, first writing an educational song with community members, teaching them dances, filming a music video, and finally showcasing the film to the community on a projector.
The Numbulwar school contacted Indigenous Outreach Projects in the hope a community project would encourage school attendance.
Mastratisi said the film emphasised ‘the amazing community of Numbulwar, […] school engagement and just being proud of the place and [the] culture – that’s why the song is called Loud and Proud’.
The project was filmed in June and July of 2021, just as Melbourne went back into lockdown.
“It was very interesting … our sound engineer wasn’t able to travel into Darwin … I was like ‘I’m not gonna let these kids and the community miss out on a music video’,” he said.
“I just had to learn really quick how to record and put together audio.”
Twenty high school students were involved in writing and performing the song.
Mastratisi had just two hours to edit the entire project before sharing it with the community, but said he somehow managed to make the deadline.
“The community absolutely loved the video and it was a really big success,” he said.
“Just the happiness that you see from the kids, the elders, the parents […] from seeing either themselves or their children on the screen is just … I’ve got no words for it, it’s just incredible.
“The Numbulwar school recorded its highest rate of student attendance in the week of the project, with high attendance prevailing since the film aired in the community.
“We’ve had feedback like that from most of the schools that we’ve been to … That’s always really cool, really rewarding.”
Three Indigenous Outreach Project music videos were nominated for Community Clip of the Year, of which ‘Loud and Proud’ took the prize.
“Just the fact that it was that video and that song that won a NIMA was just an incredible achievement,” he said.
“Definitely a night to remember, a week in Numbulwar to remember – I’ll never forget that.”
Mastratisi is self taught in photography and videography and hopes to continue spreading positive messaging with Indigenous Outreach Projects. He is currently working on an anti-alcohol campaign in Arnhem Land, NT.
“Unfortunately there is still quite a lot of racism towards Indigenous people,” he said.
“When you go out to these communities … you find out they’re the most friendliest, welcoming people, full of knowledge and culture and just absolutely incredible.”
Mastratisi thanked Indigenous Outreach Projects, the community of Numbulwar and the crew who worked on the project.
Watch ‘Loud and Proud’ below, or alternatively on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isrp7_ebcO4.
Well done Matt, great inspiration you are