When Cornwallis screened as part of the First Nations Shorts program at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival, it marked another milestone for a film that refuses to tell an easy story.

At a time when conversations about Aboriginal youth are often reduced to crime statistics, political slogans and sensational headlines, Cornwallis asks audiences to stop judging and start listening.

Written and directed by Darwin filmmaker Tully Hemsley, the short film follows Levi, a young Aboriginal man navigating the pressures of life in the Northern Territory while searching for a future beyond the circumstances surrounding him. Standing at a crossroads, Levi is forced to choose between the life he has always known and the future he hopes to build. While fictionalised, the story is grounded in Levi's own lived experience, using his music and the streets where he grew up to tell a deeply personal story. Rather than reducing Aboriginal young people to headlines about youth crime, Cornwallis explores the complex realities, choices and circumstances that shape many young lives.

proving our stories are strongest when told by

our own (Image Supplied)

The cast is made up of Darwin locals, many of whom recognised themselves in the script long before cameras started rolling. Filmed in Levi's father's apartment, on the streets where he grew up and featuring his own music, the production remains deeply connected to the community whose story it tells.

The film also marks the launch of That Mob, a new First Nations-led production company founded by Tully Hemsley and Jaiden McGregor. Cornwallis is its first production, signalling an ambition to tell authentic Aboriginal stories grounded in lived experience. In an industry where First Nations voices have often been underrepresented behind the camera as well as in front of it, That Mob is creating space for mob to lead their own stories from the very beginning.

"At That Mob, we believe filmmaking can change perspectives and, in the process, change lives," Mr McGregor said.

"The real impact isn't just in the finished film, it's in the people who make it. By exploring complex issues together, developing practical skills and creating something they're proud of, participants gain confidence, discover new ways of thinking and realise the value of their own voice.

"Every story has the power to create understanding, challenge perceptions and bring people together. When people are trusted to tell their own stories, they don't just make films, they create change."

For Ali Tomlins, joining the production was about far more than acting.

"Being part of a film was never something I imagined myself doing. However, Cornwallis was about much more than acting. It was about helping share a reality that many young people know all too well."

For Tomlins, the role echoed his own experiences, offering an opportunity to turn personal hardship into a story that could foster empathy and understanding.

"What really drew me to Cornwallis was that sense of familiarity, but also the opportunity to heal parts of myself. Being able to channel some of those lived experiences and trauma into something meaningful felt incredibly powerful."

That honesty is especially important because Cornwallis enters a national conversation where Aboriginal young men are often judged before anyone understands the circumstances that have shaped their lives.

"I know this because I was one of them."

Today, Tomlins draws on those experiences in his work supporting young people through bail services, reinforcing his belief that every young person deserves to be understood before they are labelled.

Darwin men sharing truth, strength and lived

experience together (Image Supplied)

Fellow actor Sabastian Page shares that view.

"It's important because people only ever see one side of the story. They don't know what someone is going through."

Only a few years ago, Page was battling addiction and poor mental health. He hopes young people watching Cornwallis see that difficult circumstances do not have to define their future.

"Just because you're going through hard times doesn't mean it's always going to be like that. A couple of years ago I was at rock bottom, struggling with addiction and my mental health.

"We're so resilient and powerful. People don't always realise that. You can do whatever you put your mind to."

That same honesty carried into one of the film's most confronting scenes. While filming the car crash sequence, both actors drew on deeply personal experiences.

For Page, the car crash sequence reopened childhood grief.

"The car crash scene was the hardest. I lost two mates in a car accident when I was 15, so filming that brought a lot of those memories back. It was really triggering."

Tomlins said the scene drew on deeply personal experiences.

"The raw emotion that went into filming it was confronting because it came from a very real place for both Levi and me. We weren't just acting; we were drawing on emotions that were deeply personal."

The result is a film that neither excuses harmful behaviour nor reduces Aboriginal young people to stereotypes. Instead, it asks audiences to look beyond the headlines and understand the realities that shape many young lives.

"Cornwallis shines a light on that reality. Yes, youth crime is a significant issue, but it's important to understand that these behaviours don't exist in isolation."

Page is clear about where he believes solutions should come from.

"I think Indigenous people should be making decisions for Indigenous kids."

As Cornwallis continues its festival journey beyond the Northern Territory, it is proving that some of the most important stories are still those told by the people who have lived them. Tomlins hopes audiences leave with a deeper understanding that before judging someone's actions, they should first seek to understand the story that shaped them. In a country that too often speaks about Aboriginal young people instead of listening to them, Cornwallis offers something increasingly rare: truth, compassion and hope.