Independent screen development and funding organisation Screenwest has been quietly supporting the growth of the Western Australian games industry for years now. While largely unheralded, the organisation has encouraged major WA titles like Don’t Stop, Girlypop!, Misc. A Tiny Tale and Ghost Cam to launch, and continues to provide support to many other game development teams living and working within WA.
Speaking to ScreenHub, Anthony Sweet, Digital Games Manager, expressed great pride in the leaps that Screenwest has made in recent years, and in seeing the value of funding and support for local creatives.
‘We’ve had a long track record, a long history of creative development here [in Western Australia],’ Sweet says.
‘The support we provide to these developers is being able to get them get some stability, and some sustainability to their businesses. Not just seeing developers produce one game, but being able to produce multiple games. They’re able to create careers out of game development.’
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An ’emerging’ creative industry in WA
As Sweet tells ScreenHub, the games industry is well-regarded as one of the leading emerging creative industries within WA. It’s a priority investment for the WA Government, particularly for its export benefits, and how it allows for economic diversification.
‘Games fits so comfortably in there as a creative industry, as a technical industry, as an export industry. It just ticks a lot of boxes,’ Sweet says.
Beyond the potential economic benefit of investing in video games, creating jobs and encouraging tourism – the typical hallmarks of any entertainment media investments – Sweet believes the work of Screenwest also has more intangible benefits.
For developers, it’s about the confidence that financial support gives, as well as the potential job security it offers. With funding, developers can focus on creating meaningful art, and building those longer-term, sustainable careers.
‘A lot of people are very supportive, and thankful for the support that Screenwest can provide,’ Sweet says. ‘I think the real benefits that we do see from it is just being able to scaffold people’s careers … I like to see people establish careers. I can see them developing their skill sets.’
‘They get multiple shots at making games. They get to attend workshops, and travel to big international expos. Just watching these folks really develop, grow their skillsets, and grow themselves as people … It’s not just about making a game, but [helping them] make their careers, and [seeing them become] creative professionals.’
With this scaffolding, developers are able to create new games that well-represent their talents, as well as the unique talents and perspectives of creatives in WA.
Western Australian entertainment has its own unique vibe
Diversity is essential for sharing rich, full-bodied stories with the world. In supporting creatives in WA, Screenwest aims to elevate a variety of voices in the region, allowing their stories to become part of the living fabric of Australian-made media that is experienced within the country, and overseas.
As Sweet says, there’s a unique flavour and tone to WA stories, and creatives deserve plenty of support to help them come to life.
‘There’s a really strong flavour to WA creatives, because we are so far away from everyone,’ Sweet says. ‘We’re such a remote [state] and this plays for us and against us in so many different ways.’
‘The way that our creators’ work is just so original, and [there are] so many unique voices … I think that’s really a testament to how much WA developers are able to do, and have done for so long, with so little.’
Screenwest’s overarching goal is to help creatives really ‘spread their wings’ and allow them to share the ‘uniqueness of their stories and voices’ with a wider audience.
‘The ambition for Screenwest is to make WA known as a place where games get made, and where people here who make games can thrive and blossom,’ Sweet says.
In late 2025, Screenwest released its Digital Games Strategy for the next five years, with this confirming a dedication to ‘driving growth and impact across the sector’ to support games as ‘powerful global medium[s] for storytelling, creativity, and innovation’.
It’s not only about elevating local game developers within Australia, but allowing them to reach a global audience through their work.
A ‘broad spectrum of success’ so far
To date, the Screenwest team has achieved ‘such a broad spectrum of success’ with its funding programs, Sweet says.
‘I just love the idea that we’ve got more people working, more people getting credits on games that are shipping and getting published, and they’re making these great networks with developers, not just in WA, but across the entire country,’ he says.
His own experience as a game developer has also informed this perspective and approach, allowing him to help shape Screenwest’s programs to meet game developers where they are, as well as inform a funding program with reasonable expectations.
The goal of Screenwest’s funding is to provide tangible outcomes – released games, skilled developers, and stable businesses. That requires viable and well-understood production plans, timelines and an understanding of the ‘wide breadth’ of games out there, Sweet says.
His own experiences have helped him become a more discerning judge when deciding which games get support, and which miss out – something he describes as one of the hardest parts of his job.
‘We want to be here to help productions be the best that they can be, help games go to market as best they can,’ Sweet says. ‘It’s always a matter of, how can we support as many of the projects as we can – because there’s a lot of unfunded excellent at the moment – to steal a phrase from my friends over at Screen Australia.’
To that end, Sweet is always keen to share knowledge and advice for developers, including offering time on the phone for those unsure about how to apply for Screenwest’s latest funding rounds.
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For those creatives based in Western Australia and looking for new creative opportunities, Screenwest’s door remains open. While the biggest yearly funding rounds for the organisation are now closed, it’s looking forward to opening up various funds in the next financial year, including production, pre-production and post-production opportunities for developers across the state.
‘In the meantime, we will just be plugging away, supporting the industry as best we can,’ Sweet says.
