‘Mirror’ (Photo: Kate Paul and Brodie Poole).
ABC Arts and Screen Australia have joined forces once again to run a third instalment of short-form documentary initiative Art Bites, designed to support early career filmmakers.
Announced at the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) this week, the initiative sees Screen Australia and the ABC put forward a total of $240,000 to fund 4 x 5 minute projects that “contribute to the national cultural conversation around art”. Each will premiere on the ABC Arts iview channel next year.
Innovative approaches to the documentary form are being encouraged for this year’s instalment.
The state funding agencies have also pledged to contribute up to an additional $30,000 per project if it is from their state.
Previous projects funded through the initiative include Home: The Art of Ian Strange, The Glass Bedroom, Shock Art and The Wanderers in 2016 and Carla and Lisa’s Countdown of Australian Art, Lessons from a Middle Class Artis, Mirror and Unboxed, which will be available on iview later this year. Ten projects funded via Love Bites, an LGBTQI one-off for the 40th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, are also on iview at the moment.
“Art Bites is a highly desirable career escalation opportunity that not only gives emerging documentary filmmakers a broadcast credit, but also contacts at the ABC and Screen Australia that can open doors to other opportunities down the line,” said Screen Australia senior manager documentary Liz Stevens.
“With this year’s intake we’re particularly interested in applications with a unique or playful approach to form – for example proposals that go beyond artist profiles and explore an unfolding narrative structure.”
Applications close April 30. More info here.