RISE is the energetic and intimate docuseries with exclusive access into Western Sydney’s radical queer ballroom scene and the infamous annual West Ball - the competition everyone wants to win.  

Following six queens from rival voguing teams known as ‘houses’,RISE dives deep into this underground competition, where performing extraordinary dance routines and showcasing jaw-dropping athleticism, fashion and attitude become acts of personal and political rebellion. The energy in this untapped world is palpable.

From the first-time hopefuls to the local legends, we embed with our diverse cast in the six month lead up to 2025’s West Ball. As they prepare for the most significant event in the local ballroom calendar, we capture the blood, sweat, and grit behind the scenes – their closed-door weekly training sessions, their private ‘houses’, their successes and personal setbacks where the urban landscape of an ultra-conservative Western Sydney becomes both their canvas and crucible.  

Building to the incredible and emotional climax of the make-or-break tournament, who will score tens across the board atWest Ball and earn a spot on the plane to represent their house overseas?

But glory at West Ball is about more than winning trophies orprize money. Through the personal stories and life challenges ofour cast, RISE reveals a deeper truth: that ballroom is a battle foracceptance, validation, and the right to shine in a society that toooften tries to dim their light. It’s about carving a new path andchallenging one’s culture and older ethnic generations in order todo so. What happens when blood lines and chosen tribes clash,and our cast are forced to choose between family, faith, andfinding their true selves?

Combining intimate verité footage with stylised interviews andcinematic sequences highlighting the mind-blowing physicalityof this hyper visual spectacle, RISE is a visceral, authenticportrayal of queer and trans people of colour rising aboveadversity. It’s an intergenerational underdog story that pulseswith the heartbeat of a community refusing to be silenced.

This project is in development for production 2025 through 2026.