Before the panel discussion Beyond 2020: My Australian Dream at Sydney Town Hall - where experts and distinguished guests Prof. Tom Calma AO, Nova Peris OAM, activist Sally Rugg, journalist Brooke Boney and academic Prof. Lindon Coombes discuss alternatives for a national day that's inclusive of all Australians - Sydney Festival audiences are invited to Town Hall to view Stan Grant's powerful documentary about the maelstrom of racist rhetoric that ended the sporting career of AFL legend Adam Goodes.

For years, Adam Goodes was a beloved hero of the game of AFL. Then the two-time Brownlow Medallist and former Australian of the Year began to call out racism, and his Australian dream turned into a nightmare.Australia loves its footy, and for a record-breaking elite player – a dual Brownlow Medallist and two-time Premiership champion – it should have been unimaginable: his career ending in a howl of boos and controversy that cost him his love of the game. Written by award-winning journalist Stan Grant, The Australian Dream is Goodes’s story, from his pre-draft days through to his post-AFL career as an outspoken activist for Indigenous rights; more broadly, it’s a story about race, identity and belonging. [via Melbourne International Film Festival]

Culture is Life in partnership with The Australian Dream and Good Thing Productions are extending the outreach and impact of Adam Goodes and Stan Grant’s powerful documentary by releasing a campaign, screening guide and education resources exploring themes around identity, truths & history, racism, resilience & reconciliation. The campaign places Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the centre of the conversation and invites all Australians to share their hopes and visions for their dream Australia.

To help launch the project, Sydney Festival is is hosting a screening of The Australian Dream.