Screen NSW has invested $160,000 in 14 projects to support the State’s screen industry through professional development programs, festivals and events.
Acting CEO Grainne Brunsdon said seven of the projects have a presence in Western Sydney, a priority area under the NSW Government’s new Create in NSW policy framework for the arts and cultural sector.
“Screen NSW is strongly committed to developing our State’s screen industry through supporting the professional development of screen practitioners and providing audiences with new opportunities to engage with quality screen content,” Ms Brundson said.
“The Industry Development funding is targeted at screen content practitioners, including writers, directors, producers and emerging practitioners to develop the next generation of screen professionals and ensure NSW continues to have a world-class film, television and interactive media production industry.
"The Audience Development funding supports community-based travelling film festivals where up-and-coming film-makers will screen their works.
“This latest funding is in addition to almost $400,000 already provided for Screen NSW’s multi-year projects in 2015, which includes funding to ICE, Northern Rivers Screenworks and Screen Producers Association through the Industry Development Fund and funding to festivals including the Antenna Film Festival, Access All Areas Film Festival and the Byron Bay Film Festival through the Audience Development Fund.”
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUND
• CuriousWorks Inc: $15,000 for Curious Creators professional development program for 15 emerging Western Sydney film-makers focusing on migrant, refugee and working class stories. Locations: Liverpool, Fairfield, Penrith, Campbelltown.
• South East Arts (NSW): $20,000 for professional development activities to support regional practitioners. Locations: Bega, Jindabyne, Moruya, Bermagui.
• Australian International Documentary Conference: $8,000 towards the 2016 conference in Melbourne. The event attracts up to 500 delegates working in documentary film, broadcasting and content creation.
• Queer Screen Limited: $10,000 towards the 2016 Mardi Gras Film Festival featuring more than 60 films and documentaries. Locations: Sydney City, Western Sydney, Parramatta, Katoomba.
• Northern Rivers Screenworks Ltd: $17,700 for Inside the Writers Room to enable four emerging film-makers to observe a professional writers room in action, as well as support for a screenwriters’ event. Location: Northern Rivers area.
• Screen Culture Association Inc: $10,000 towards a seminar bringing together leading international and national film-makers, editors, funders and other stakeholders. The event will be run by Antenna DocTalk in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art. Location: Sydney metro.
• Australian Guild of Screen Composers: $5,000 for a series of master classes, workshops and screenings with a focus on screen music. Locations: Sydney, Western Sydney, Hunter, Central Coast.
• Dashboard Animals P/L: $15,000 for Castaldi in Focus, 12 weekly screenings of classic Australian and international titles, supported by Q&A sessions with key members of cast and crew, at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres.
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT FUND
• Australian Writers Guild: $30,000 for the NSW Pathways Screenwriters Program to develop relationships between writers and other industry professionals, and the National Screenwriters’ Conference. Locations: Sydney metro, Western Sydney, Phillip Island.
• Screenwave: $10,000 towards Rec Ya Shorts Youth Film Festival to extend its reach to further regional areas in NSW. Location: NSW mid-north coast.
• Persian International Film Festival: $5,000 towards the 2015 festival, which was held in September and showcased the best in contemporary screen culture from Persian and Persian-Australian film-makers. The event included a forum, an education program in collaboration with the University of NSW and a film competition.Locations: Sydney metro, Leichhardt and Kensington.
• Lebanese Film Festival: $5,000 towards the festival, which was held over two weeks in August and September and featured the work of Lebanese film-makers and films focused on Lebanon. Locations: Western Sydney, Bankstown, Sydney metro.
• Women in Film and Television NSW: $5,000 towards the 21st WOW Film Festival of short films, documentaries and feature films. Locations: Central West, Far West, Northern Sydney, Western Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra, South-Eastern NSW, Richmond-Tweed, Sydney metro.
• Screen Hunter: $5,000 for the Real Film Festival featuring workshops and panel discussions, three short film competitions and screening of documentaries and feature films. Location: Hunter region.