AWARD

Wastelander Panda is an Australian online drama series about, well, the wandering adventures of a panda bear warrior in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The idea of Wastelander Panda was conceived by Victoria Cocks and Marcus McKenzie during a university lecture.  A joke at first, the concept became more serious over time, and they began to entertain the idea of a Wastelander Panda TV series. Victoria teamed up with Producer Kirsty Stark at local studio Epic Films to develop the concept into a three minute prologue, hoping to one day get the chance to make their full-length TV series. The prologue was viewed over 100,000 times in its first three days online, and a subsequent crowdfunding campaign raised over $25,000 towards three new episodes. 

Set in an apocalyptic wasteland, the series is more reminiscent of George Miller's Mad Max then that other panda starring franchise; Kung Fu Panda. It is dark, often brutal and somewhat ridiculous but, at the core, manages to never lose its charm. With a strikingly well-written monologue Panda introduces us to his world, explaining his origins and what has happened to him and the world around him. It's a stylish and gritty tale set against a scenery that is classic outback Australia, with a hazy yellow filter highlighting the devastated landscape.  

Two of the three episodes, ranging between eight and 16 minutes, can now be watched for free on their website. Watch it, it is epic.