An eclectic cast of sporting personalities, the peculiarities of playing Para ice hockey in Western Australia and an improbable journey to the international stage provide the premise for Hard As Puck, an award-winning Australian documentary screening nationally this November.
Written and directed by Isaac Elliott, the film follows Perth’s Garden Island Pirates, a grassroots Para ice hockey club whose players navigate the practical challenges of sustaining their sport amid the friendships, rivalries and occasional discord of community competition.
Filmed over four years, the documentary offers a candid, refreshingly unvarnished account of life at the club, with its narrative expanding to the international stage when three players are selected to represent Australia at the inaugural Women’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Slovakia in 2025.
Behind the camera, writer-director Elliott and producer Chanel Bowen bring their own lived experience of disability to the documentary, which marks a feature debut for both filmmakers.
The Australian players’ involvement in the inaugural championships carries significance beyond the competition itself, as women’s Para ice hockey continues its campaign for inclusion at the French Alps 2030 Winter Paralympic Games.
Hard As Puck received the Intrepid Audience Award at the 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival, with its subsequent national release arriving ahead of the second Women’s World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Newcastle from November 24 – 29.
Following screenings in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne, Hard As Puck continues its national release with Q&A events featuring the filmmakers and, at selected venues, players from the documentary:
Audiences are encouraged to attend the remaining screenings, with tickets and further information available via the official Hard As Puck website.
Hard As PuckHard As Puck 4 2Hard As PuckHard As PuckHard As PuckHard As Puck
"*" indicates required fields
