Screen Australia has confirmed it will support 91 new Australian-made narrative projects, with $20.4 million of funding provided to creatives across the country.
This allotment includes the first recipients of the newly-established Short Film Production Funding Program, which aims to elevate diverse voices who may be Australia’s future feature filmmakers.
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Screen Australia’s latest round of screen funding
This latest funding round sees plenty of compelling, creative screen projects now supported by Screen Australia.
The funding will aid the new season of children’s series Little J & Big Cuz to launch, as well as new animated musical series The Art of Murder, which is heading to YouTube.
The short films supported by new production funding are Sundowner, The Novelty, Inferno and Lazy Love (Lasagne 365). Teams behind these projects will be supported financially, as well as receiving professional mentorship from an array of directors, including Beck Cole (High Country, Deadloch), Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine (The World Came Flooding In, Passenger), Noora Niasari (Shayda) and Goran Stolevski (Of An Age).
Per Screen Australia, the establishment of this Short Film Production Funding Program is a milestone for the organisation, as it reaffirms ‘its vital role in the careers of future feature filmmakers’.
In delivering this funding, there has also been a concerted effort to support diverse stories and mediums, with the funding going towards short films, animated shorts, feature films, and more.
‘The range of these 91 projects showcases the depth, diversity and bold creativity of local storytellers, shaped with Australia’s unique blend of humour, style and perspective,’ said Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough.
‘We’re particularly lucky to have industry figures of such calibre to mentor the four directors of our Short Film Program, guiding them to hone their unique, imaginative shorts for cinema and festival audiences. No doubt this experience will help the short film teams to grow their craft, build recognition and eventually move toward long‐form storytelling’.
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Highlights from Screen Australia’s latest screen funding round
There are an array of supported projects to keep an eye on in future, but highlights include:
- The Laugh of Lakshmi – ‘A debut feature film about a mother and a son separated by a civil war from acclaimed theatre writer/director S Shakthidharan (Counting and Cracking, The Jungle and The Sea).’
- Untitled Feature Film – ‘An official Australian and Canadian co-production and the feature directorial debut from actor Cody Fern, starring Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson, Odessa A’zion, Dianne Wiest and Toby Wallace. The film centres on a celebrated actress whose life begins to unravel on the eve of her greatest performance.’
- Fortitude Valley – ‘Written, created and executive produced by Moving Floor Entertainment co-founders Stephen M Irwin and Leigh McGrath (Harrow), with Hunter Page-Lochard (Reckless, Beep and Mort), this gripping six-part crime thriller stars Page-Lochard and acclaimed actress Kat Stewart. Filmed and set in Queensland’s capital city, the series explores family secrets, the corrupting force of power and the complicated truths behind lies.’
- Little J & Big Cuz Series 5 – ‘From director and Trawlwoolway man Tony Thorne, the series follows five-year-old Little J and nine-year-old Big Cuz, two First Nations Australian kids, who, with the help of Nanna and their teacher Ms Chen, find out all about culture, community and Country.’
- The Art of Murder – ‘An animated series to be released on YouTube from Choc Chip Animation Studios. Spearheaded by sisters Nirali Somaia (writer/director) and Anokhi Somaia (writer/producer), this murder mystery musical is a love letter to pop culture and the artist’s journey, set in a world where sketchbook drawings come to life.’
- Asian Girls – ‘A horror film which expands on the successful short of the same name, this feature is from writer/director Hyun Lee (Fake), with producers Georgia Noe and Matt Noonan (Hunt for the Wilderpeople). A driven Korean‐Australian woman plagued by relentless visions of ghosts, Kim receives a stark warning from a Korean shaman that she must give up her career aspirations to become a shaman herself.’
Screen Australia has confirmed it will announce further support for various narrative content projects in future.
