On the 7th of February 2009, devastating bushfires tore through Victoria, Australia. Swathes of prime forest were destroyed and wildlife incinerated. But, against all odds, there were survivors of ‘Black Saturday’. Out of the Ashes examines the fires and the ecological recovery over the next 12 months through the first hand experiences of people who were involved. It visually chronicles the regeneration of the native plants and animals - the first new shoots of the eucalypts, the recovery of injured and endangered animals and their release back into the wild. Featuring beautiful cinematography, this is the story of how Nature rises out of the ashes.
In 1975 Dione took up a 6-week research contract in the ABC NHU and subsequently filled the roles of director, producer, commissioning editor and executive producer. In 1989 Dione was appointed as Executive Producer of the Natural History Unit. The Natural History Unit has won 4 Pandas, 2 Golden Pandas, 6 Emmys and nearly 300 other national and international awards since 1989. Dione was awarded a PSM for services to Natural History film-making. Dione has also worked as member and chair of CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology Advisory Group, board member and chair of Film Victoria and Cinemedia, director on the council of the Museum of Australia and a director of Zoos Victoria. Dione has also judged programs at Jackson Hole, Missoula, Albert, Japan Wildlife Festival, Progetto Natura, the Scientific Film Festival Spain, and chaired the jury at Wildscreen. The ABC disbanded the Natural History Unit in September 2007 when Dione resigned and since then she has been consultant Executive Producer on several programs. In 2008 the Australian Film Institute awarded Dione the prestigious Raymond Longford Award for outstanding lifetime achievement to the television industry.