‘The Last Daughter’ Earns ADL Award at Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Australian Documentary Has North American Premiere on February 13 at SBIFF

Director Brenda Matthews in ’The Last Daughter’ | Photo: Courtesy

The Last Daughter, a feature documentary about the life of its director Brenda Matthews — an Australian woman whose quest to piece together memories of two loving families (one white and one Aboriginal) that a government program separated her from — was awarded the ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) of Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties Stand Up Award at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film in advance of its North American premiere on Tuesday, February 13, at 5:40 p.m. at the Metro 4 Theatre.

A collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cast and crew using the relational-based Aboriginal Banaam Framework, the film is Matthews’s feature debut and she will be on hand after the ADL-sponsored screening for a Q&A.

Selected by a jury of ADL staff and supporters, this annual award is sponsored this year by the Skinner Social Impact Fund and Steve and Cindy Lyons.

“The Last Daughter is a chilling account of injustice revealed through Brenda Matthews’s investigation of her own memories fogged by trauma, discrimination, and government disinformation,” said ADL Regional Director Dan Meisel. “The impetus for Brenda’s exploration of the past, remarkably, was not anger, but rather a naggingly pleasant memory of affection that she ultimately weaves into a triumph of love over injustice and racial tension. Our jury is pleased to honor this filmmaker and her team for their stand on behalf of many similarly harmed children and families.”

“We are very proud to introduce this tenderly crafted and uplifting documentary to American audiences. The Last Daughter grapples with institutionalized racism as it recounts an indigenous woman’s search for truth, reconciliation, and healing. We are deeply grateful to Brenda Matthews for sharing her journey,” said SBIFF Director of Programming Claudia Puig in a statement.

The Last Daughter was directed by Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt, and it was produced by Brendon Skinner and Simon Williams. It is a nominee for the 2024 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Best Documentary Award.

View the trailer here.

In addition to the North American premiere on February 13, the film is scheduled to screen again on Thursday, February 15, at noon at Metro 4. Passes and tickets can be purchased at sbiff.org or on the SBIFF app.