From Sydney to the World: Flying Bark Wins Top Export Award
Flying Bark crew at the NSW Export Awards 2025
For immediate release - Friday, 31 October 2025 - Sydney, Australia | Flying Bark Productions has cemented itself as a powerhouse of creative excellence, winning the prestigious Creative Industries Award at the NSW Export Awards 2025.
Hosted by the Export Council of Australia, the awards highlight the innovation, resilience, and global reach of the businesses which play a vital role in strengthening NSW’s presence on the world stage.
Flying Bark CEO, Barbara Stephen, said the win reflects an extraordinary year of growth and creative achievement for the iconic Australian animation studio.
“This past year has been our biggest yet. We’ve taken on some of our largest global projects, including the highly-anticipated new Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 animated series for Netflix and the traditional 2D feature film The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender for Paramount.
“We’ve also continued to create world-class original animation right here in Sydney, with projects such as Tales From Outer Suburbia, (produced with Highly Spirited Productions), set to showcase an authentic vision of Australia to the world.”
Tales From Outer Suburbia is a high-end, stop-motion style, CG animated series that is set for release on the ABC and BYUtv in early-2026, and is based on the beloved illustrated book of the same name by Shaun Tan.
With new international offices in Los Angeles and Madrid, Flying Bark has expanded its global footprint in recent years, building on its partnerships with major entertainment companies such as Netflix, Paramount, Marvel, and Disney TVA. This global reach has also translated into local growth, with more than 140 new roles created at the Sydney studio.
“Our success comes from empowering artists and giving them the freedom to tell bold, authentic stories that connect across cultures. While we're embracing new technologies to enhance our work, creativity, imagination and human artistry remain at the heart of everything we do. Fostering a creative culture with purposeful employment is fundamental to success.”
“We’re incredibly proud and grateful to our “Barker” teams in Sydney, Los Angeles and Madrid - their dedication, passion and excellence has driven the company’s success and this award belongs to them,” said Stephen.
With several high-profile client projects currently in various stages of production - including three animated series for Netflix based on iconic global IP (Ghostbusters, Minecraft, and Clash of Clans) - as well as original Australian feature film, Zac Power (co-produced with Cheeky Little Media) currently in production, Flying Bark is moving from strength to strength, with various roles currently available.
Following this win, Flying Bark is now in the running to win a national award at the 63rd Australian Export Awards, and could potentially be crowned the 2025 Australian Exporter of the Year.
“Congratulations to all the other winners and finalists. The strength of this cohort speaks volumes about the creativity and innovation coming out of NSW. We can’t wait to celebrate with you all at the national ceremony in November,” said Stephen.