Australia is home to a number of dedicated screen agencies, whose presence is integral to the health of Australia’s screen industry eco-system. They provide crucial support to the industry as a whole, in addition to championing the individuals, organisations, and companies comprising the industry.
For emerging creatives, support from these agencies can facilitate those critical first credits, secure mentorship pathways, and assist in developing early-career projects to a professional standard. For established practitioners, they encourage excellence, secure continued employment and super-charge career progression.
State and territory screen agencies are an invaluable resource, whose contributions to our national and global screen culture cannot be overstated. These agencies function as long-term investors by nurturing Australian talent, prioritising local spending and facilitating healthy skills acquisition, all of which are crucial to the sustainability of Australia’s growing screen industry.
Here is an overview of grants and programs offered by these important agencies in 2026. Some of these are intended to support specific outcomes, ranging from proof-of-concept to market readiness. Others provide production finance, production placement and professional development opportunities.
If you’re a screen practitioner in Australia hoping to advance your career this year, this list provides all the information you need to consider how you might enhance your skillset, kickstart your career, or secure financial backing for your next creative project.
Screen industry opportunities – quick links
Screen industry production funding
Screenwest West Coast Visions 2026 – closes 9 March
- Value: Grants of up to $1,000,000
- Important dates: Applications close 5pm AWST 9 March
- Eligibility: The applicant or company must be a resident Western Australian producer/production company, as per the Screenwest Terms of Trade, and meet the general eligibility requirements as set out in the Screenwest Terms of Trade; and they must also hold the underlying rights to the project at the time of application
This Screenwest initiative is designed to uncover and develop Western Australian filmmaking teams with a distinctive vision. It provides grant production funding for debut feature films that will be made in Western Australia. The project must be a production-ready feature film intended for theatrical release, and be achievable in Western Australia within a one-year time frame. The team must attach a first-time Western Australian feature film director who has not had a theatrically released feature film credit or equivalent, and who will be credited as the director on this film. Learn more.
Screen Territory Seed Funding – closes 16 March
- Value: Up to $5000
- Important dates: Open from 9 February 2026 to 16 March 2026
- Eligibility: Applications are open to experienced and emerging practitioners who are Northern Territory residents and companies
This Screen Territory funding supports Northern Territory writers, directors and producers to explore the potential of creative ideas through the development of a treatment or proposal and support materials. Eligible formats include feature films, web/television documentaries and adult/children’s drama/narrative comedy, including television series, miniseries, telemovies and webseries. Learn more.
Screen Territory Project Development – closes 16 March
- Value: Up to $20,000
- Important dates: Open from 9 February 2026 to 16 March 2026
- Eligibility: Applications are open to Northern Territory residents and companies who hold all necessary rights (or an option to the rights) connected with the project; and applicants must demonstrate the requisite number of screen credits for the level of funding requested
This Screen Territory funding supports Northern Territory writers, directors and producers in contributing to a development plan appropriate to the stage of the project. Eligible formats include feature films, web/television documentaries and adult/children’s drama/narrative comedy, including television series, miniseries, telemovies and webseries. Learn more.
Screenwest West Coast Visions, Documentary – closes 30 March
- Value: Up to $500,000 per project
- Important dates: Applications close 5pm AWST 30 March
- Eligibility: Projects must be led by a first-time Western Australian feature documentary director who has not had a theatrically released feature film credit or equivalent above-the-line broadcast credit
This Screenwest initiative is designed to uncover, inspire and develop talented Western Australian filmmaking teams with a distinctive vision. It provides grant production funding for a director’s debut, feature length documentary film that will be made in Western Australia. The project must be a production-ready feature film intended for theatrical release, or released as a feature length film for Australian television broadcast or streaming platform, and commence production in Western Australia within a one-year time frame. Projects must complete all pre-production and post-production in Western Australia. Learn more.
Screen Queensland Development Fund – apply anytime
- Value: Up to $50,000
- Important dates: This is a rolling fund, apply anytime
- Eligibility: Applications are open to residents of Queensland; interstate applicants must be Australian residents working with teams that have a minimum 50% writers or directors who live and work in Queensland, and must ensure that requested funding is directed towards Queensland elements
Screen Queensland’s Development Fund assists Queensland-based practitioners and interstate producers working with Queensland-based key creatives to turn their fresh, exciting and marketable ideas into a project ready for the screen. Applicants must own the rights to the story they are telling. Learn more.
Screen Queensland Screen Finance Fund – apply anytime
- Value: Up to $850,000
- Important dates: This is a rolling fund, apply anytime
- Eligibility: Applicants must be the rights-holding producer (with a solicitor’s chain of title opinion required before first drawdown) who is an Australian resident; and the project must have a Queensland-resident producer or line producer attached
Screen Queensland’s Screen Finance Fund supports projects with Queensland practitioners in key creative roles with up to $850,000 in financing towards production. Learn more.
VicScreen Victorian Production Fund – apply anytime
- Value: Up to $300,000
- Important dates: This is a rolling fund, apply anytime
- Eligibility: Applications are open to Australian companies based in and operating out of Victoria for at least six months prior to the funding application; and Australian companies not based in Victoria can also apply if they are in a genuine co-production arrangement with a Victorian production company, and/or the project is created by a Victorian or driven substantially by Victorian key creatives
VicScreen‘s Victorian Production Fund supports Victorian companies and Victorian key creatives to produce quality, diverse and engaging narrative screen content for local and international audiences. Eligible projects for the VPF include feature/large format films, television/online projects and virtual reality projects that develop a narrative through an immersive experience. Learn more.
Screen NSW Made in NSW – apply anytime
- Value: Determined on a case-by-case basis, providing discretionary funding for qualifying NSW production expenditure
- Important dates: This is a rolling fund, apply anytime
- Eligibility: Projects must be genuinely ‘footloose’ (not already locked into production in NSW)
Screen NSW‘s Made in NSW is a five-year funding program to support the advancement of NSW as a production destination for feature films and major television drama programs. Applicants must discuss their application with the Senior Manager Production Attraction prior to applying. Learn more.
Screen NSW Development Program – closes 30 June
- Value: Up to $50,000
- Important dates: Submissions close 11pm AEST 30 June
- Eligibility: The applicant must be either a writer or producer who is an Australian resident or citizen (non-NSW producer applicants must engage a NSW-resident writer) and the applicant, or member of the key creative team, must have an appropriate credit on a qualifying project and be able to provide chain-of-title documents for the submitted project
This Screen NSW fund supports writers, directors and producers of fiction, unscripted (documentary) and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories. Projects can be for release on any platform, including cinema, television and online. Priority will be given to fully NSW-resident teams and projects that intend to shoot/post-produce in NSW, in order to nurture NSW talent and ideas. All applications must have a well-articulated plan for their next stage of development and be able to identify appropriate market partners. Learn more.
Screen industry professional development and travel
Screenwest Workshops and Masterclasses Fund – closes 12 January
- Value: Up to $25,000 per activity
- Important dates: Submissions close 5pm AWST 12 January
- Eligibility: Applicants must be Western Australian residents (with ABN) or a Western Australian resident company (as defined in the Screenwest Terms of Trade)
This Screenwest fund supports the delivery of professional skills development opportunities for Western Australian screen practitioners. Activities delivered must address identified skills gaps in the WA industry, targeting scripted development, documentary skills development, below-the-line training and digital games. Learn more.
Screen NSW The International Travel Fund – current round closes 30 June
- Value: Up to $5000 for one key creative, or up to $6000 for two or more
- Important dates: The current round closes 30 June; the next round opens 1 July
- Eligibility: Applicants must be NSW-based creatives (with ABN) attached to the proposed project/s being taken to the festival or market; for market travel, applicants must be attending a recognised screen industry market, and hold the rights to the project; and for festival travel, applicants must be invited to represent project/s with confirmed screenings in the program of an approved festival or awards program
Screen NSW‘s International Travel Fund supports NSW screen practitioners for travel related to significant international festivals, markets, awards, industry trade missions and financing projects. The objectives of this program are to nurture NSW talent and strengthen global connections that will shape the future of NSW’s creative landscape. Learn more.
Screenwest Professional Development Placement – apply anytime
- Value: Up to $25,000 per placement
- Important dates: This fund accepts applications at any time
- Eligibility: Applicants must be Western Australian residents over 18 who demonstrate a track record in their field that aligns with the placement opportunity, and who display an ongoing commitment to being a part of the screen industry in Western Australia, however consideration will be given to First Nations practitioners who do not meet the above criteria but who can demonstrate the placement opportunity will provide significant benefit to Western Australia
This Screenwest fund recognises that highly skilled practitioners are vital for the long-term growth of the screen industry in Western Australia. It assists the professional development of Western Australian above-the-line key creatives, below-the-line crew, and digital games developers who have been offered an exceptional national or international placement with a reputable company or provider. The fund’s primary focus is placements in identified skill gaps areas in the Western Australian screen industry. Only a few exceptional opportunities will be supported each year. Learn more.
Screen Tasmania Training and Placements – apply anytime
- Value: N/A
- Important dates: This is a rolling program, apply anytime
- Eligibility: Applicants must be an early or emerging Tasmanian-resident screen practitioner, who can demonstrate commitment to a career in drama, comedy, factual, documentary or games production
Screen Tasmania is committed to growing the skills of local practitioners. Through its Industry Development training program, there are three types of on-the-job paid opportunities available across professional productions. Productions wanting to film in Tasmania with support from the Production Support Program will be encouraged to employ one or more of the following opportunities. There are attachments, placements and traineeships. Positions can be in linear scripted and unscripted/documentary productions such as film, television, online or in games development. Learn more.
