ADVERTISEMENT

Screen NSW rebrands its Emerging Filmmakers Fund

·
Funding
·

2014 EFF short The Guests, which was directed by Shane Danielsen and premiered at Cannes.

Screen NSW's Emerging Filmmakers Fund for emerging short filmmakers has been renamed and rejigged.

In 2016, Generator: Emerging Filmmakers Fund will "require the inclusion of a female director and priority will be given to teams that include people from under-represented groups," said Screen NSW.

Each Generator round will $30,000 to projects for production and/or post-production of a short film. There is one round annually and in 2016 funding will be provided for up to three projects.

This year, Aquarius Films (Angie Fielder, Polly Staniford, Cecilia Ritchie, Bec Cubitt and Alice Willison) will act as mentors and executive producers for all the Generator shorts. 

Aquarius' slate includes the upcoming Lion, directed by Garth Davis, and Berlin Syndrome, directed by Cate Shortland.

Projects can be drama, factual, animation or experimental and no more than 30 minutes long. Applications close October 30.

http://www.screen.nsw.gov.au/funding/production-support/generator-emerging-filmmakers-fund

Tags
Related

5 Comments

  1. Why don’t they just rebrand it “Women’s Screen Australia?”

    Serious question.

    I’m male but I don’t see why I should be excluded from being eligible just because the men that went before me were idiots (and probably misogynists). I’m at the stage of my career where I want to direct my own films and I want to apply to ScrAus for help, and I can’t because I am a man. This is discriminatory.

    Sure, the way that ScrAus was run in the past discriminated against women. I understand that and it’s terrible, and unfair.

    But the answer is not to completely bounce in the opposite direction and stop all men from applying to things. That’s also unfair.

    I’ve worked really hard my whole life, and now because some stupid older men on some company boards were selfish in their management of certain organisations, us younger men can no longer apply. When will programs like these be open to aspiring directors on merit and not gender?

    Why not assess all applications anonymously? That removes the question of gender. Shortlist applicants based on the strength of their project, THEN find out which ones are male or female. OR: there are 3 projects that will be funded, why not 2 female and 1 male? That’s increasing the ratio and being slightly more fair. At least then I could apply and have a small chance.

    Right now I have nothing, no hope, and nowhere to go, and I can’t question the program because, as a male, well, I have no right to ask for anything, do I? Males have had it so good for so long, how dare I be male and have ambitions and dreams of my own. In the same way we don’t exclude Germany from the UN for what a bunch of idiot Germans did 50 years ago, don’t write off all men just because a bunch of older ones are jerks.

    Inside Film, I’d like to see you tackle this issue and whether or not this really is the best and fairest way to get more women involved in screen arts.

    Reply

  2. The whole gender thing has now derailed into antagonising males. Nice one.

    Bring on the next round of cuts to screen funding. This time I welcome it.

    Reply

  3. This particular scheme is run by Screen NSW not Screen Australia, but valid point.

    I can only imagine how people would react if a scheme was only open to men or to people from a white anglo-saxon/celtish origin. There would be an outrage.

    But I feel for you. If you were to openly question this on social media you would be vilified. I wonder how many of my fellow female screen colleagues will stand up for men like yourselves or revel in the new inequalities. Surely things haven’t gotten to that.

    I think Screen NSW must be a little too drunk on the positive action kool-aid to see things really clearly. They are a group of very intelligent women. And I’m surprised at the very least that they didn’t do something more political astute like not announcing any changes to the Emerging Filmmakers Fund, and just release details of a new positive action female directors’ support scheme (along the lines of Screen Australia’s Gender Matters scheme, which as part of their spread of offerings was a one-off program to create greater INCLUSIVITY on gender lines).

    They could have then, some time down the road, just quietly mention that there will no longer be an Emerging Filmmakers Scheme this year… Not that that will improve matters, but it would have been far less politically foolish on their part.

    I imagine now that heads will roll at Screen NSW — since this cannot be in accord with Screen NSW’s remit — to create schemes that EXCLUDE specific sections of the NSW taxpaying community. Where is the governance? The compliance control? I wonder what will happen to their CEO?

    Because quite honestly, this is getting far too extreme, and quite evidently as you say unfair to young men who are now having to suffer the paucity of excellence or openness demonstrated by their male ‘elders’. Or indeed the failure of previous female CEOs of Screen NSW to balance the field more.

    It’s all rather strange.

    I suggest you contact your local, federal and state political representatives — your state premier, local MP, and local member of the state and federal senate. Contact the ADG and WGA and SPA. And if all that doesn’t work try talk back radio. Could be good for a laugh. But somehow do it anonymously, because you will be crucified.

    Otherwise, maybe sanity will prevail and Screen NSW will issue a “mistakes were made in internal communications” announcement, and adjust the terms of the scheme or introduce an open to all side version.

    As a woman, I’m all for a level playing field, and DO believe that the playing field needs to be levelled by positive action on gender ratios. But to exclude male players for an indeterminate number of years is just pushing the ground too far in the other direction to the point of creating exactly the same or worse gender bias.

    Good luck young man. Good luck young men.

    It’s your fight, but I for one support it.

    Reply

  4. One of the few opportunities for emerging filmmakers and they’ve outright excluded 50% of the demographic. I actually got in touch to ask them about this and they replied back with “well we’re trying to to achieve a 50/50 gender balance by 2020 and this is working towards that”. Can’t really argue with that and as stated in another comment, you’re most likely to get criticised if you do question this openly. I understand that there needs to be a balancing of gender in the film industry overall, which has been incredibly biased in the past but this is one of the few funds around that emerging filmmakers have access to and it’s seems unfair to outright exclude younger emerging male directors. Why not select an equal number of male and female led projects for the fund?Or is the way forward when it comes to redressing the gender balance just blindly limiting male filmmakers from getting ahead. As an aspiring filmmaker who happens to be male, this was such a disappointment.

    Reply

  5. This is discrimination. I am pro affirmative action, but not at the sake of descriminating against 50% of the Australian population. What about ABORIGINAL, IRANIAN MEN, SUDANESE MEN?

    Do you actually think they are more advantaged than a WHITE WOMAN? LOLOLOLOLOLOL. You are DELUDED. White women are not getting SHOT on the streets of baltimore, or killed in goalcells.

    SOMEONE with power, please stand up and stop these people. Becaus there is a silent majority male and female who are DEAD SCARED to say anything out of fear of having their career ruined because the beauocracy all support this agenda. They are punishing future generations of artists for the sins of dead men.

    That young aboriginal, sudanese, afghani man who’s faced racism all his life, wants to have a crack at filmmaking. Nope, it’s pointless mate, not for you. You are hurting young talented artists.

    Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *