Walking Fish Productions

What Walking Fish Productions does

Walking Fish Productions is a Melbourne-based boutique documentary production company founded in 2012 by Lachlan McLeod, David Elliot-Jones, and Louis Dai. The company specializes in premium, character-led documentaries for international audiences, spanning feature-length films (Clean, Mockbuster, Big in Japan, Hakamada), an eight-part broadcast series (The Animal Sanctuary), and short-form work (Who I Am, Searching for the Tassie Tiger), with a self-described emphasis on stories of heart, humour, social impact, and urgent issues. Production economics rely on Australian public screen funding (Screen Australia, VicScreen, South Australian Film Corporation, Tasmanian Government, Tourism Tasmania) combined with broadcaster pre-sales to Network 10, SBS, ABC TV, and streaming platforms Amazon Prime Video and Stan, plus distribution partners Giant Pictures, Drafthouse Films, and Rainmaker Content for international rights.

The go-to-market motion is event-driven and project-based: titles are developed through Screen Australia and state agency funding rounds, paired with broadcaster commissions, premiered at international festival circuits (SXSW, Melbourne International Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, DocEdge) to build prestige, and then distributed globally through network and streaming partnerships. Festival credibility (Asian Academy Creative Award, AACTA nominations, SXSW Grand Jury Prize nomination, Adelaide Film Festival Audience Award) functions as the primary demand-generation mechanism that unlocks subsequent funding and distribution. Beyond documentary IP production, the company runs three service lines: branded documentaries for clients including Google, Xero, Toyota Foundation, Deakin University, AirAsia, and Japan National Tourism Organization; BTS/EPK packages for productions such as Stan's Bloom; and overseas production support with Asia-Pacific regional fixer capabilities. The firm operates with a core team of approximately 5, across offices in Brunswick East (Melbourne) and Warrnambool (Western Victoria). No parent company, external institutional investment, or venture funding has been disclosed.

Name

Walking Fish Productions

Legal name

Walking Fish Productions

Website

https://walkingfishproductions.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Walking Fish Productions is a Melbourne-based boutique documentary production company founded in 2012 that produces premium feature documentaries, a broadcast series, and branded video content for Australian broadcasters, international streamers (Amazon Prime, Stan), and public screen funders (Screen Australia, VicScreen).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Production Services

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADADAF

Nature, Science & Wildlife Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

SECONDARYMPADADAM

Travel & Adventure Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

Keywords

• Documentary production
• Branded video content
• Overseas production services
• Film production services
• Behind the scenes content

Headquarters

HQ city

Collingwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Documentary Production: Produces feature documentaries and documentary series for broadcast and streaming platforms, generating revenue through production fees, licensing, and co-production arrangements with broadcasters like Network 10, SBS, ABC, VICE, Amazon Prime, Al Jazeera, and Stan.
2. Branded Content: Provides video production services to brands and organizations including branded documentaries, BTS/EPK content, web promos, and commercial content for clients like Google, Xero, Toyota Foundation, Deakin University, AirAsia, and VICE.
3. Film Festival Distribution: Premieres documentaries at international film festivals (SXSW, Melbourne International Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival) to build prestige, attract distribution partners, and generate licensing revenue through festival screenings and awards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Walking Fish Productions produces premium feature documentaries, documentary series, and short documentaries for broadcast and streaming platforms worldwide. The company also provides professional video production services including branded documentaries, behind-the-scenes/EPK packages, and overseas production support (fixer and crew coordination) for international clients in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

Product overview

Walking Fish Productions is a Melbourne-based premium documentary company offering a portfolio of award-winning documentaries for global audiences alongside professional video production services. The core documentary portfolio includes feature-length works (MOCKBUSTER, CLEAN, HAKAMADA, BIG IN JAPAN), documentary series (THE ANIMAL SANCTUARY), and short documentaries (WHO I AM, SEARCHING FOR THE TASSIE TIGER). Production services encompass Branded Documentaries for brands and organizations, Overseas Production Support for international projects, and BTS/EPK services for other productions. Projects span broadcast, streaming (Amazon Prime, Stan, Network 10), festivals, and online platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mockbuster Feature documentary following an Australian filmmaker navigating The Asylum (the production house behind Sharknado), premiered at the 2025 Adelaide Film Festival where it won the Feature Documentary Audience Award; licensed for North American distribution to Giant Pictures and Drafthouse Films.
• The Animal Sanctuary Eight-part documentary series documenting Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary's rescue and rehabilitation operations in Tasmania, set to air on Network 10 with international distribution handled by Rainmaker Content and co-production funding from Tasmanian Government and Tourism Tasmania.
• Clean Feature documentary (2022) following trauma cleaner Sandra Pankhurst as she confronts her traumatic past and searches for her birth mother; won the Asian Academy Creative Award, was nominated at AACTA Awards, premiered at SXSW, and closed the Melbourne International Film Festival.
• Who I Am Short documentary (2022) following a transgender teen on the autism spectrum as he learns to be himself with the help of his original animated characters, The Fallens; premiered at Doc Edge 2022 and released on 10Play and Paramount+.
• Searching for the Tassie Tiger Short documentary (2021) produced for VICE exploring new evidence challenging the belief that Tasmanian tigers are extinct; winner of the AIDC Screen Australia and VICE Pitch competition, with 3.7 million views on VICE YouTube.
• Hakamada Feature documentary (2020) produced for Al Jazeera revealing the human cost of Japan's 99.9% incrimination rate through the plight of Iwao Hakamada.
• Big in Japan Feature documentary (2018) following three Australian filmmakers on a DIY mission to make 'ordinary' Dave famous in Japan; available on Amazon Prime Video.
• Convenient Education Online interactive/broadcast documentary (2012) exploring the struggles of Australia's student-migrants during the 2008-10 crisis in international education, produced for SBS.
• Branded Documentaries Professional service creating compelling short films and immersive branded series for brands and organisations using journalistic rigour, creative mastery, and empathetic storytelling to connect brands with audiences through cinematic narratives; past clients include Google, Xero, Toyota Foundation, Deakin University, AirAsia, and VICE.
• Overseas Production Support Production management and fixer services for international projects filming in the Asia-Pacific region, covering logistics, permits, locations, and local crew coordination.
• BTS/EPK Production Behind-the-scenes content packages and electronic press kits capturing the ideas and stories behind film and TV series, designed to enhance promotional efforts for other productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mockbuster premiered at 2025 Adelaide Film Festival and won Feature Documentary Audience Award
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spectral MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Co-production partner for The Animal Sanctuary documentary series, an eight-part television series documenting Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary's rescue operations.
• Orange Entertainment CocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Co-production partner for The Animal Sanctuary documentary series alongside Spectral Media, Walking Fish Productions, and other partners.
• Campfire StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Co-production partner for The Animal Sanctuary documentary series documenting Tasmania's wildlife rescue operations.
• Copper Pot PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Co-production partner (listed as Copperpot Pictures in some sources) for The Animal Sanctuary documentary series.
• Rainmaker ContentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2025Holds international distribution rights for The Animal Sanctuary documentary series.
• Mostly True MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-production partner for Mockbuster feature documentary with Walking Fish Productions.
• Brown Sugar Apple Grunt ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-production partner for Sukundimi Walks Before Me documentary with Walking Fish Productions.
• GoodThing ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-production partner for Clean feature documentary (2022).
• Giant PicturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018North American distribution partner for Mockbuster documentary; also principal production funding partner.
• Drafthouse FilmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018North American distribution partner for Mockbuster documentary alongside Giant Pictures.
• The Man CaveminorOthersPreventative mental health organisation - Walking Fish created promotional video content for their programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Campfire Studios: Australian boutique production house co-producing The Animal Sanctuary with Walking Fish. Operates in the same swerve of premium documentary and scripted content for Australian broadcasters and streamers.
• Artemis Media: Melbourne-based documentary production company producing premium factual content for Australian and international markets. Comparable in scale, geographic base, and focus on character-driven, socially conscious documentaries.
• Mint Pictures: Australian independent production company producing documentaries and factual series for major broadcasters and streamers. Comparable in scale, premium positioning, and reliance on public funding and co-production partnerships.
• Mostly True Media: Australian independent production partner on Mockbuster. Comparable boutique documentary producer operating in the Australian market with co-production arrangements and festival strategies similar to Walking Fish's.
• Northern Pictures: Australian factual and documentary production company producing premium content for ABC, SBS, Netflix, and international broadcasters. Comparable in targeting narrative-driven documentaries with social impact themes.
• Wildbear Entertainment: Australian factual and documentary production company with strong nature/wildlife and science programming. Comparable in leveraging Screen Australia funding and producing for international broadcasters and streamers.
• GoodThing Productions: Australian independent production company that co-produced Walking Fish's award-winning Clean documentary (2022). Comparable in size, scope, and focus on documentary and adjacent content for broadcast and streaming platforms.
• Southern Pictures: Australian documentary and factual production company producing premium content for broadcasters and streamers. Comparable in boutique scale, specialty in premium factual, and festival-circuit positioning.
• Sense Films: Australian production company producing documentaries and factual content for Australian and international broadcast partners. Comparable in size, government funding reliance, and focus on character-led, socially-conscious storytelling.
• Stranger Than Fiction Films: Sydney-based documentary production company specialised in feature documentaries and series for Australian and international broadcasters. Direct competitor in the boutique documentary space with Screen Australia funding and festival-circuit positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Walking Fish Productions