Bangarra Dance Theatre performers Elma Kris and Waangenga Blanco lead this film about a Torres Strait Islander woman whisked away from her thankless job and back to her homeland.

MIFF Accelerator Lab alumnus John Harvey (Off Country, MIFF 2021; Out of Range, MIFF 2019) returns with a joyous slice of magic realism that bursts from the screen with vivid cinematography, enchanting dance sequences and an uplifting connection to Country. In it, a Torres Strait Islander woman is toiling away at a Brisbane laundromat when she’s visited by a man embodying the spirit of the mudskipper. Co-written by respected Torres Strait Islander leader Walter Waia and winner of Best Australian Short Film at Flickerfest, Katele (Mudskipper) allows the spirit of culture to shine through in a truly celebratory way.