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ABC and Screen Australia to help female filmmakers tap into their inner girl

ABC and Screen Australia have partnered on a new funding program designed to build the skills of female filmmakers.

The Girls initiative will fund up to five individuals or teams to make a stand alone TV episode that captures the lives of Australian girls.

The brief? "Each creative team is to imagine the episode is like an open letter to their 12-year-old self that explores the hopes, the dreams, the challenges, the hardships and the belly laughs that drive today’s girls," the ABC said in a statement. 

The successful applicants will be given up to $80,000 each to create a 20-minute episode aimed at the ABC ME audience (8-12years).

The filmmakers will be mentored by experienced female producers and receive editorial guidance from ABC Commissioning Editors Libbie Doherty and Jan Stradling, as well as Screen Australia’s Senior Development Executive Nerida Moore.

“Although Gender Matters was a game changer for Screen Australia and the industry, we are constantly looking for new opportunities to progress towards our target of achieving gender equity in our production funding," Moore said. 

"The Girls season was a perfect fit for this reason. It will provide talented emerging female storytellers with an avenue to create exciting new content, a significant onscreen credit, and a chance to develop a relationship with the ABC.”

Applications open on International Women’s Day, March 8, and is open to females aged 18 years and older  however younger applicants will be considered, said the ABC. Applications close on April 13, 2017.

The episodes will premiere on ABC ME, the ABC ME app and ABC iview in October 2017 to celebrate the International Day of the Girl.

abc.net.au/girls