Up to eight First Nations creative teams will be supported in bringing romantic comedy short film concepts to life as part of a new initiative from Screen Australia, ABC, and NITV.
Delivered in partnership with Screenwest, Screen Territory, Screen Queensland, Screen Tasmania, VicScreen, the South Australian Film Corporation, Screen NSW, and Screen Canberra, Proper Loved Up aims to bring Indigenous stories to the screen while focusing on building producers’ business skills to develop projects for both local and global markets.
Selected projects will receive up to $5,000 in development funding and participate in a training program comprising three in-person workshops and four online masterclasses. From there, the teams will deliver a third draft script and be invited to apply for up to $80,000 in production funding to produce and deliver their short film. The film will have a 12-month festival holdback before broadcast on the commissioning platforms. A First Nations series producer supported by NITV and ABC will work with producers throughout development and production.
After completing the third workshop, creatives can apply for up to $15,000 in seed funding (from Screen Australia and relevant state agencies) to develop a slate of projects. This includes opportunities for First Nations Travel Grants to take their slate to a local or international market such as the Cannes Film Festival or Screen Forever.
To be eligible, stories must be conceived by an Indigenous creative with the key roles of writer, director, and producer held by Indigenous Australians. No experience in screenwriting is required, but applicants must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in this field. Stories that include the use of First Nations languages are encouraged.
Screen Australia First Nations head Angela Bates said the initiative was “bold and ambitious”.
“We have a proud history of supporting Indigenous creatives to tell powerful and authentic stories that inspire and travel the world,” she said.
“This program expands on the legacy of my predecessors and their work in creating the Indigenous Producers program. It is designed to empower First Nations producers by providing them with a practical and holistic experience of producing a short film, in addition to offering individual seed funding to expand their project slate for local and international markets.”
Bates will host a webinar at 11am on December 18 that will provide an overview of the initiative and the application process and include insights from Blackfella Films’ head of scripted Penny Smallacombe and writer/director Dylan River. Click here to register for the webinar and here to find out more details about eligibility and how to apply.