Screen Australia has made changes to its Narrative Content Development and Documentary Development guidelines, with new criteria for those seeking to apply for funding.
Positioned as being an effort to ‘streamline’ the application process, these changes add in additional staffing requirements for documentary projects, and lowers the maximum funding amount for narrative content production by a fair margin.
Here’s what to know.
Screen Australia funding criteria changes – quick links
Screen Australia announces funding changes for narrative projects
The first major change is specifically for those pursuing Narrative Content Development funding, intended to support the release of narrative projects for online, television, and theatrical feature film with ‘distinct storytelling for a range of audiences’ and featuring ‘talent at different career stages’ with ‘viable pathways to market partners and audiences.’
As Screen Australia has announced, the maximum funding for these projects has been lowered to $50,000. Per an archival page from May 2026 cached by the Wayback Machine, the maximum amount of funding was previously $75,000.
That’s a fairly significant cut, and one that will likely have an impact on those looking to pursue support for narrative projects with a higher budget – those with greater casting needs, or anything in the realm of genre which may require additional post-production, including VFX.
Other tweaks include a commitment to provide verbal notification for all funding outcomes, aligning with new Narrative Content Production application decision feedback processes. The funding criteria also now includes more details about immersive media projects utilising technology such as VR, XR, and AR.
Documentary Development criteria is also being tightened
Another major change announced by Screen Australia impacts those applying for Documentary Development funding.
Going forward, all teams applying will need to include at least one key creative with an eligible credit in the role of writer, producer and/or director on ‘a comparable project which has been primarily released on an online/direct-to-audience platform.’
The aim here is likely to support projects only backed by the needed experience to see them through to release, with one experienced team member able to tackle more complex challenges, and help to corral others as projects develop.
The maximum funding amount for documentary features remains static at $30,000.
Screen Australia is currently adapting to a new Corporate Plan
Beyond these changes, an array of others are currently taking place at Screen Australia in an effort to better support Australia’s local screen industry with more targeted initiatives.
This week, it announced a plan to strengthen local theatrical film releases by connecting creatives with data analysts and researcher-experts in market and audience. In the week prior, it also announced an investment toolkit to educate creatives and potential investors about the value of screen investment and what it can give back.
As Screen Australia shared, these initiatives are all part of a program to better align its efforts for the modern era, to ensure its support is impactful and perhaps a bit thriftier in an era where arts funding in general is becoming more difficult to secure.
Also on ScreenHub: Screen Australia announces plan to strengthen local theatrical film releases
Screen Australia has announced the launch of two new initiatives focused on market and audience growth for Australian-made, theatrically-released feature films.
Working alongside global development and research organisations Tatino Films and Publikum, it has development the new First Cut Lab, to strengthen narratives, as well as the Impact & Insights programs, which are aimed at providing filmmakers with audience insights.
Read more …
