Maya Stange in short film 'Trespass' (2016), directed by Mirrah Foulkes and funded by Hot Shots. (Photo credit: Mark Rogers).
Screen Australia’s Hot Shots Short Film Fund, now retitled Hot Shots Plus, has been rebranded as a "proof of concept program".
The program will now provide production funding for a narrative proof of concept, and development funding to help turn that proof-of-concept into a longer form project.
The program's eligibility criteria – formerly a festival screening credit – has been broadened to include the public release of a film on any social media platform.
“We have revamped this program in recognition that today there are multiple pathways to an artistically satisfying and sustainable career other than making a short film” said Screen Australia's Senior Manager of Development, Nerida Moore.
“Hot Shots Plus is deliberately platform-agnostic, and provides emerging practitioners with the opportunity to develop a longer-form idea whilst concurrently realising an accompanying proof of concept. We don’t want Hot Shots Plus to be the end result; we want it to be the beginning of a career.”
Up to $70,000 in funding is available for live action production, up to $100,000 for animation production and up to $40,000 for post, while up to $50,000 in development funding will be available for the longer-form project.
In total, a pool of around $750,000 is available. The original Hot Shots program, launched in 2013, funded a total of 28 shorts. Applications for Hot Shots Plus close April 20. Program guidelines are here.