Screen Australia has announced over $8.1 million in production funding for 15 projects spanning feature film, television and online content. Among the funded projects are “Zac Power,” a new animated family feature from Flying Bark Productions and Cheeky Little Media, based on the popular book series of the same name; “Leviticus,” the latest feature from Causeway Films, the production company behind the global breakout success “Talk to Me”; romantic comedy “Love Adjacent”; Stan’s psychological thriller series “Watching You”; and online series “Hoops,” from the creative team behind the popular TikTok documentary Transathletica.
Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan said: “These latest projects reflect the depth of creative storytelling that defines the Australian screen industry. We support projects that entertain and resonate with audiences. Our aim is to champion authentic local voices and ensure our sector remains at the forefront of global storytelling.” The executive added: “For the 2023/24 financial year, Screen Australia invested over $85 million across all 57 funding programs, including over $5.5 million through the First Nations Department, and issued 205 final certificates through the Producer Offset with a total value of $413 million. Demand on Screen Australia support remained high, with the agency supporting just under a third of all applications received. We’ll continue to seek ways to provide impactful support within our limited capacity, prioritising audience connection, industry value and cultural relevance.”
Over the past year, Australian projects demanded global attention with 61 Australian projects selected for international film festivals and events. Amongst those titles, online series “Videoland” took out Best Comedy series at the prestigious Festival Series Mania, critically acclaimed debut feature “Shayda” won the Sundance Audience Award, and “Furiosa” and Australia/Ireland Co-production “The Surfer” starring Nicholas Cage led the Australian contingent hosting World Premieres at Cannes Film Festival. Funding stories that reflect and connect remains a focus and in 2023/24, the agency supported a breadth of titles that highlight local screen talent including drama series “Top End Bub,” feature film JIMPA and a new slate of children’s content including “DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW,” an animated adaptation of the popular children's book series by comedian and author Andy Lee.
“Our focus is firmly on the future. We’re building a sustainable screen economy that both adapts and inspires. I’m thrilled by the international recognition of our stories and excited for the pipeline of projects set to release before the end of the year including films ‘Memoir of a Snail’ and ‘The Moogai,’ along with series ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal,’ ‘Four Years Later’ and ‘Plum’ – I can’t wait for Australians to experience them,” continued Brennan.
Also announced are 27 television dramas, 23 feature films and six online projects that will share in over $1.7 million of development funding. Of these, 24 projects have been supported through the Generate Fund, 26 through the Premium Fund and six through the Online Development Fund.
The projects include online action adventure series “Amy the Pirate”; family music drama feature “Piano Mums,” following a promising teenage pianist and exploring the power of music and love of family; Skip Ahead project “Life of Kea” that has been developed into a television drama series; and a second season of the TikTok docuseries “Sextistics,” which continues to explore the statistics to create a snapshot of gender, sexuality and identity within Australia.
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