ACTF News

October 11 is International Day of the Girl, and ABC ME is kicking off the celebrations with the world premiere of new live-action drama series, Mustangs FC!

The 13 x 30 min series by Matchbox Pictures will premiere at 5PM on ABC ME and ABC iView. It follows the story of Marnie and her best friend Liv, as they abandon the sidelines to start their football club’s first all-girls’ team, The Mustangs.

More than 60% of the cast and crew for this comedy/drama series is female, with women taking the lead in the writing, directing, casting, cinematography, production design, costuming and editing process.

To coincide with the date of the series premiere on Wednesday, October 11, Melbournians can attend a meet-and-greet opportunity with the Australian women’s soccer team, The Matildas, and the cast and crew of Mustangs FC. The event will be held from 5PM onwards at Federation Square, and will include the screening of Mustangs FC, live performances, ABC ME guests and a range of activities and celebrations.

Photo: Kerry O'Brien

The Melbourne event will be a part of a wider #GirlsChangeTheWorld campaign, with similar events held in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Each event will focus on showcasing the contributions of Australian girls of all cultures, abilities, ages and interests.

ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie says this day is an important opportunity to celebrate the contribution of girls everywhere. 

“I’m looking forward to International Day of the Girl to not only celebrate the work and achievements of girls and women everywhere, but also to support ongoing efforts for gender equality at every level,” she says. 

The ACTF Education team is excited to be producing curriculum-aligned education support materials, based on the Mustangs FC series. These materials will include topics and themes related to Health and Physical Education – such as ethical behaviour in sports, bullying behaviours and body image – and will be available to teachers in 2018. 

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