Netflix has acquired global rights to 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback, the four-part Australian documentary series heading to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for its world premiere. The series is the only documentary among the 10 titles selected for TIFF’s Primetime programme and centres on the death of Kumanjayi Walker, a 19-year-old man from the Warlpiri-Luritja communities, who was fatally shot by 27-year-old Northern Territory police officer Zachary Rolfe in Yuendumu in 2019. Created by Blackfella Films, the series is written and produced by Darren Dale, with Erica Glynn directing.
The documentary revisits the fatal encounter between Walker and Rolfe, whose lives came together in the remote Northern Territory community with tragic consequences. Walker was shot three times at close range during an attempted arrest. The title refers to the brief period surrounding the shooting, including the 2.6 seconds between the first and second shots. The case became a major national story, raising difficult questions about policing, justice, race and the experiences of First Nations communities.
2.6 Seconds looks beyond the shooting itself to examine what happened before and after it. The series follows the criminal proceedings, the impact on Walker’s family and community, and the wider questions that emerged from the case. Its approach draws on first-hand testimony and extensive access to people connected to the events, alongside police body-camera footage and court material. Rather than treating the case as a straightforward crime story, the documentary explores how one death affected people far beyond Yuendumu. First Nations voices are placed at the centre of the examination, reflecting the project’s broader truth-telling purpose.
Rolfe’s criminal trial took place in 2022. He was acquitted of murder and two alternative offences on March 11, 2022. A separate coronial process examined Walker’s death and the circumstances surrounding it. By placing these different stages of the case within the same story, the series offers audiences a broader view of how the events continued to affect Walker’s family, community and the wider national conversation.
Its TIFF selection adds another significant milestone. Primetime is dedicated to ambitious, auteur-driven episodic television, and 2.6 Seconds stands out as the only documentary in this year’s 10-series lineup. Its inclusion gives an Australian First Nations story a prominent international platform before its arrival on Netflix.
The project is a co-commission between SBS and NITV and was produced by Blackfella Films in association with PAW Media. Screen Australia’s First Nations Department provided major production investment, while Screen NSW supported the project. All3Media International is also involved in the production. Darren Dale serves as producer and writer, Jacob Hickey is the series producer, Andrew Boe is an executive producer and writer, and Erica Glynn is the director.
Its journey from an Australian public broadcaster commission to an international streaming platform also reflects the growing reach of First Nations storytelling. For SBS and NITV, the project was designed to revisit a reported case while creating space for voices and consequences that news coverage could not explore.
Netflix’s global acquisition now takes the documentary beyond its Australian origins. Amanda Duthie, Netflix’s Content Director for Australia and New Zealand, said the series has the power to resonate with audiences around the world, while Darren Dale described the story as uniquely Australian but possessing global resonance. The documentary is expected to premiere globally on Netflix in early 2027.
With its TIFF debut and worldwide Netflix release ahead, 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback has the opportunity to bring renewed attention to Kumanjayi Walker’s story and the questions that followed his death. Its international reach could help audiences outside Australia understand not only what happened in those brief moments, but also why their consequences continue to matter.
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