Australian company SBS announced, at the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Melbourne, that it is searching for "its most daring, unflinchingly fearless and boundary-smashing factual format yet," issuing a call out for impactful ideas for new documentary series unlike anything seen in Australia, with up to $50,000 in development funding on offer. How the topic is approached is up for grabs, with SBS on a mission to redefine what risk-taking looks like on television with a new format that can have a meaningful and positive impact.
Head of SBS Unscripted, Joseph Maxwell, said: "You hear a lot about taking risks in our industry, but what does that really mean? At SBS, we want to genuinely break new ground in ways we haven't seen before. This first-of-its-kind initiative in Australia is an opportunity for creatives across the country to reach for new levels of courageousness in their craft and redefine what cutting-edge means while creating what could be a new, channel-defining factual format for SBS. We want the biggest, boldest, and bravest ideas that get the nation-talking and to challenge audience expectations. Surprise and even scare us through inventive approaches to help SBS unpack issues we face in society and create must-see, talk-about TV that can create real impact."
Entries are now open, with pitches being considered by SBS with a pot of up to $50,000 in development funding available. Ideas must have the SBS Charter at their core and demonstrate scale, boldness, and ambition in their approach to delivering something overwhelmingly new and fresh. Whether genre-bending or format-flipping, ideas must be attention-grabbing and can capture the hearts and minds of a broad Australian audience on television and SBS On Demand.