Funding Approvals
2023-2024 development funding
Premium
DESERT FISH
Liyan Films Pty Ltd
Genre Comedy, Drama
Director Wayne Blair
Writers Victor Hunter, Melanie Hogan
Producers Victor Hunter, Melanie Hogan, Lisa Scott
Executive Producer Mark Coles Smith
Script Editors Mark Coles Smith, Keith Thompson
Synopsis Alfie Munns, a lost soul burdened by a turbulent past, seeks salvation in the remote Kimberley when he stumbles upon the visionary Frances Nerrima, a respected Elder determined to empower her people by building homes together. As they face setbacks, legal troubles, and bitter adversaries, Alfie must confront his demons and embrace his roots to bring hope, unity, and a sense of purpose to a community.
REVERSE
Wee Beastie Productions Pty Ltd
Genre Comedy, Drama, Road Movie
Writers Dave Johnson, Lou Sanz, Sean Ellis
Producers Christine Alderson, Kate Neylon
Synopsis Reverse is a high concept contemporary comedy road movie, epic in setting, yet intimate in its portrayal of one woman’s struggle against gambling addiction.
THE YARRABAH BRASS BAND
Yarrabah Films Pty. Ltd.
Genre Comedy, Musical, Family
Director Bjorn Stewart
Writer Kodie Bedford
Producers Mitchell Stanley, Tim Sanders
Synopsis When a young Indigenous man returns to his divided home town, he transforms the community - and himself - through the magic of music by re-forming Australia’s first ever Aboriginal Brass Band.
THE OTHER WAR
Jessica de Gouw
Genre Drama
Director Emma Freeman
Writer Sarah L. Walker
Producer Martha Coleman
Associate Producer Nicole La Bianca
Executive Producer Jessica de Gouw, Sarah L. Walker, Martha Coleman
Synopsis When the Australian Women’s Land Army sends a misfit woman to fill in for a war-absent husband on a remote property in Western Australia, it ignites an epic forbidden love story. A sweeping wartime lesbian romance that explores the tragedy of historical gender and sexual inequality in 1940s rural Australia.
THE LAST TIGER
Moving Floor Entertainment
Genre Family
Writer Leigh McGrath
Producers Leigh McGrath, Stephen M. Irwin
Script Editor Stephen M. Irwin
Synopsis Set in the breathtaking wilds of Tasmania, The Last Tiger tells the story of a remarkable friendship between twelve-year-old Pippa and an injured thylacine pup, which she rescues from near-death and decides to raise in secret. But when Pippa’s discovery is exposed, forces beyond her control threaten to take her beloved tiger away... unless she can find a way to stop them and reunite the pup with its family.
TWO NATIONS
Jungle Entertainment Pty ltd
Genre Comedy, Drama
Writer/Director Trent O'Donnell
Producer Bridget Callow-Wright
Executive Producer Jason Burrows
Synopsis The true story of one of journalism’s most audacious undercover stings - when Australian man Rodger Muller went undercover for three years to infiltrate the NRA on behalf of Al Jazeera, only to find himself at the very centre of a 20 million dollar scandal.
SACCHARINE
Carver Films Pty Ltd
Genre Psychological Horror
Writer/Director Natalie Erika James
Producers Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, Natalie Erika James
Synopsis A lovelorn medical student becomes terrorized by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight-loss craze: eating human ashes.
7 1/2
Daybreak Films Pty Ltd
Genre Drama
Director Rhys Graham
Writers Christos Tsiolkas, Rhys Graham
First Nations Consultant Leroy Parsons
Synopsis In a remote coastal town, a provocative writer who has retreated into isolation to write about an aging pornstar, is overwhelmed with his memories as a migrant child experiencing beauty, desire and love for the first time.
Agrippina
Blackfella Films Pty Ltd
Genre Drama
Writer/Director Amanda Blue
Producer Darren Dale
Synopsis A curious teenage girl escapes the restrictive confines of her migrant suburban community to discover love, her sexuality and acceptance in 1980s queer Sydney.
BABY CAT
Bus Stop Films Ltd
Genre Comedy, Drama, Musical
Writer/Director Genevieve Clay-Smith
Producer Eleanor Winkler
Executive Producers Nathan Basha, Deanne Weir, Tracey Corbin-Matchett
Executive Producer and Contributing Writer Mandela Mathia
Producer’s Attachment Chanel Bowen
Synopsis After her mother dies, a dance obsessed woman with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) must prove to her estranged grandmother that she can live independently or risk losing her family home and her freedom.
BONEGILLA
Ultrafilms Investments & Productions Pty Ltd and Realworld Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Action adventure, Drama, Thriller
Director Franco Di Chiera
Writers Jason Agius, Franco Di Chiera
Script Consultant Stephen Cleary
Producers Yvonne Collins, Sabella Sugar, Franco Di Chiera
Synopsis When the Cold War migrated to Australia; set in 1952, an Italo-Australian cop is hired by ASIO to root out communists at the Bonegilla Migrant Camp. He soon finds things are not what they seem when he discovers a murder.
ONCE MORE WITH FEELING
Enjoy Entertainment
Genre Romantic dramedy
Writer Laurie Stiller
Director Mark Lamprell
Producers Phillip Bowman, David Parfitt
Synopsis Arthur and Roberta are facing the end of life’s journey but unexpectedly find each other, and a chance for love and a glorious new beginning. Once More With Feeling is from the novel By Ceridwen Dovey.
DUST
Bunya Productions
Genre Drama, Family
Director John Sheedy
Writer Suzie Miller
Producers Greer Simpkin, David Jowsey, Jenny Cooney
Synopsis An environmental crisis triggers a massive wakeup call forcing a group of individuals to look in new directions, grappling with the core of what matters most.
CANARY HIGHWAY
Lumila Films
Genre Comedy, Drama
Director Allanah Zitserman
Writers Allanah Zitserman, Felicity Price
Producers Allanah Zitserman, Alexandra Taussig
Executive Producers Bruno Charlesworth, Michael Helfand
Synopsis In 1976, a young Sydney mother fed up with her confined existence, breaks out of the suburbs for one liberating night on the town with her girlfriends.
THE GREAT DINOSAUR RESCUE
Fnbproductions
Genre Family
Writers Belinda Bradley, Franz Docherty
Producers Belinda Bradley, Franz Docherty
Synopsis For twelve years a pack of animatronic dinosaurs toured the world bringing joy to millions of people while celebrating their ancestors. Where are those rock star dinosaurs now? Scattered around Melbourne, gathering dust in shipping containers, waiting to be destroyed. Every tick of the clock bringing them closer to extinction again. Until ten-year-old Spike hears about it. She grew up with those dinosaurs. They're family. Spike’s determination will not only save the dinosaurs but find them a home!
TELL ME I’M HERE
Causeway Creations Pty Ltd
Genre Drama
Writer Veronica Gleeson
Producers Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings
Synopsis When a charming teenager becomes a tormented young adult his mother must face the reality of having a child living with schizophrenia. This is the true story of journalist Anne Deveson’s quest to save her son and shatter the stigma of mental illness.
Generate
HINDI-VINDI
ANA Productions Pty Ltd (24Six Films)
Genre Drama, Musical, Young Adult
Director Ali Sayed
Writers Jayant Sharma
Additional Writers Swarnima Singh, Arka Das
Story Consultant Bina Bhattacharya
Producer Aniket Deshkar
Synopsis A mixed-race teenage musician discovers his cultural identity as he must race against time to create a rap song in a language he doesn’t speak to honour his grandmother.
KINDNESS
Matthew Whittet
Genre Drama
Writer Matthew Whittet
Synopsis The kindness of friends is never forgotten. For 20-year-old Lucas, his friends are his world. But his older brother Oliver is his solar system. And when a life changing event takes place, Lucas starts to slide. Only the gentle, unwavering love of his friends can lift him again. With luminous, intimate, piss-taking kindness.
THIS SUBURBAN LIFE
Pancake Originals
Genre Coming of Age, Drama
Director Gabriel Carrubba
Writers Gabriel Carrubba, Luke J. Morgan
Producers Gabriel Carrubba, Luke J. Morgan, Zane Borg
Synopsis The outer suburbs of Melbourne 2007. Two teenage boys, Matteo and Andre, inseparable friends from contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds, spend every moment of their waking lives together. However, when the growing pains of Matteo's mother's financial struggles become too much, and Andre stumbles upon the indiscretions of his father, the boys run away, embarking on a journey into the bustling city. This Suburban Life is a story of self-discovery, friendship, identity, and seeing the world outside of your suburb for the first time.
THE MATI
Panayioti Peter Ninos
Genre Horror
Writer/Director Peter Ninos
Synopsis In the shadow of his brother Stavros, Niko grapples with his self-acceptance as a gay man in a traditional Greek family. Living with the weight of his truth, Niko is preyed upon by a malevolent force known as the Mati, the evil eye, which feeds on his jealousy. This ancient curse offers Niko the chance of a better life, Stavros' life, he accepts it. Soon, with their fortunes reversed, Niko realizes the price he will pay for invoking the Mati will consume him, destroy his brother and bring an end to his family under the deadly shadow of the Mati.
COUNTING CARDS WITH MY FATHER
Lydia Rui Huang
Genre Drama, Crime
Writer/Director Lydia Rui
Producer Rachael Fung
Synopsis Sick of bouncing around from home to home, a misfit teen tracks down their absent father hoping to rebuild their relationship through poker.
LIGHTNING RIDGE
Never Sleep Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Thriller, Crime
Director Nathan Lewis
Writer Tara June Winch
Producer Kate Glover
Synopsis There are places we go to disappear… other places disappear ourselves. 1992, Lightning Ridge, population unknown. Marlee, young Aboriginal woman, with daughter, Lily, in tow, arrives to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. Serg, a migrant dreams of leaving. Marlee’s hunt for revenge and Serg’s quest for a ticket out, entangle them in a criminal underworld of opal mining, where a gemstone is worth more than morals. For both to escape, they must pay debts neither know they owe.
NEST
Catherine Smyth-McMullen
Genre Horror, Mystery
Writer Catherine Smyth-McMullen
Producer Catherine Smyth-McMullen
Synopsis An ambitious real estate developer must convince an eccentric homeowner to sell his bizarre property – a house that has been completely transformed into a giant ants’ nest. But as she learns more about this strange house and its tragic secrets, she starts to feel a kinship with the tiny ant inhabitants. As reality starts to slip away and the nest closes in, she’ll eventually have to choose – her sanity or her freedom.
ONE HUNDRED DAYS
Michelle Law
Genre Drama, Psychological
Director Corrie Chen
Writer Michelle Law
Synopsis Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Alice Pung, One Hundred Days is a psychological drama about motherhood, autonomy, and the frightening singlemindedness of those desperate to protect their loved ones… at any cost.
LANGTON
Far From Everything Films Pty. Ltd.
Genre Horror, Thriller
Director Rachele Wiggins
Writer Jennifer van Gessel
Synopsis A bored young misfit attempts to impress girls at a house party by summoning the Goddess Aphrodite to make them fall in love with her but feels she has instead summoned a demon as hell is unleashed upon them.
THE BLACK TALONS
Maria Lewis
Genre Comedy, Horror
Director Shari Sebbens
Writer Maria Lewis
Synopsis A 90-minute horror/comedy feature that follows a teen-girls netball team forced to fight for their lives in a public housing tower as reptilian monsters emerge during a flash flood.
SOPHIE NEXT DOOR
Contra Stories
Genre Drama, Mystery, Science fiction, Psychological thriller
Writer/Director Clare Sladden
Producers Danielle Redford, Clare Sladden
Synopsis When a woman finds herself living next door to her 12-year-old self, she takes on the persona of a mysterious stranger from her childhood in order to change the past. But as past and present collide in real-time with devastating consequences, she must make new choices in order to escape a tragic fate.
STUNNERS
Lake Martin Films
Genre Action, Horror, Comedy
Writer/Director Nicole Delprado
Producer Kate Separovich
Synopsis A frustrated gymnast and her overbearing stuntperson mother are hired for a feature film. Arriving at a remote location they’re pulled into a strange building where all the fights are real and they must be the last ones standing to win a bizarre battle royale style reality show.
LOVE IS, LOVE IS
Gemma Bird Matheson
Genre Comedy, Horror
Writer Gemma Bird Matheson
Synopsis A camping trip goes awry when soon to be parents Clare and Dana encounter a group of threatening homophobic men. Isolated and with no reception, a game of cat and mouse ensues… but our protagonists may not be the lesbian damsels in distress we first thought them to be.
THE WHITE GIRL
Typecast Pty Ltd
Genre Thriller
Director Tony Briggs
Writer Dallas Winmar
Producers Maggie Miles, Damienne Pradier
Synopsis Odette Brown, desperate to protect her light-skinned granddaughter from the Aborigines Welfare Board, hatches a defiant plan to outsmart newly appointed Sergeant Lowe. The White Girl is a co-production with Savage Films.
METAL FISH FALLING SNOW
Catherine Moore
Genre Drama, Magic realism
Director Olivia Peniston-Bird
Writer Cath Moore
Producers Cath Moore, Olivia Peniston-Bird
Synopsis When her adored mother dies suddenly, neuro-diverse Dylan (12) is driven across the Australian outback by her mother’s boyfriend Pat to live with her Grandfather William, who she has never met. Struggling with what it means to be of colour, Dylan must confront her fears and falsehoods about the skin she is in.
M.A.M (WORKING TITLE)
Ned Lander Media
Genre Musical, Action
Director Mrs Ruby C Challenger
Writer Gerard Dewhurst
Producers Mrs Ruby C Challenger, Ned Lander
Synopsis Kate has two jobs that never stop: international spy and devoted mother to her five-year-old son. But when Kate is benched after a routine mission turns fatal, she will jeopardise her dream job, her closest friendship and her family's safety to stop an evil tech giant’s plot to vegetate the world's children.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ME
Amplify Live Pty Ltd
Genre Drama, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult
Writer Jenna Guillaume
Producers Hayley Adams, Michelle Melky
Executive Producers Alex Reid, Tom Maynard
Script Editor Erica Harrison
Synopsis As if finding something to like about herself wasn’t already hard enough, sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin’s summer is turned upside down when her best friend starts dating her childhood crush. But as plus-sized Maisie pushes herself out of her comfort zone and into the limelight of the local beauty pageant, Maisie realises the things she loves about herself have been there all along.
MATRIARCH
Monkey and Pig Productions
Genre Horror
Director Jayden Rathsam Hua
Writers Ivy Mak, Jayden Rathsam Hua
Producer Ivy Mak
Synopsis When pregnant newlywed Connie moves in with her traditionalist Chinese in-laws, she becomes ensnared in a demented ritual to immortalise the family legacy.
CRIME CASTERS
Haven't You Done Well Productions
Genre Action adventure, Comedy
Director Max Miller
Writer Scott Limbrick
Producer Nicole Minchin
Executive Producers Georgia Mappin, Tessa Mansfield-Hung, Alexandros Ouzas
Synopsis An ambitious young journalist’s scheme to produce a lightweight true crime podcast takes a dangerous turn when she witnesses a policeman dumping a body. Thrown into a bizarre world of conspiracies and cover-ups, she must risk everything to expose the truth – all while managing a perfectionist audio engineer.
THE COCONUT CHILDREN
Caravan Pictures Pty Ltd
Genre Comedy, Drama, Coming of Age
Director Ben Lawrence
Writers Vivian Pham, Kim Pham
Producer Paula Jensen
Synopsis A dutiful, teenage daydreamer is inspired to write a romance novel about a delinquent neighbourhood boy, and discovers that her literary ambitions unlock a gateway to the boy’s heart, their lost childhood and the hidden underworld of her troubled community, until she is confronted with a heart-aching choice - to grow up or just give up.
OVER THE EDGE
Deadhouse Films Pty Ltd
Genre Drama, Horror, Thriller
Director Enzo Tedeschi
Writers Barbara Bingham, Enzo Tedeschi
Synopsis When an acclaimed film composer past her prime has trouble finding inspiration, she embarks on a self-destructive hedonistic spiral on a desperate and deadly mission to rediscover and unleash her muse.
SONG OF SONGS
Jump Street Films Pty Ltd
Genre Drama, Romance
Writer/Director Anita Lester
Producer Jamie Bialkower
Executive Producer Shekhar Kapur
Synopsis Over the seven days of mourning following her grandmother’s death, Miriam forms a forbidden connection with a young Rabbi that sets in motion the unravelling of a complex family reckoning with their identities. As she navigates the dynamics of those left behind, and the truth about their matriarch’s controversial past, Miriam’s unexpected feelings for the Rabbi lead her towards a profound personal and spiritual transformation.
WILDFLOWERS
Thomas Wilson-White
Genre Drama, Romantic Comedy
Writer/Director Thomas Wilson-White
Synopsis Will Beckett, an out of work dancer, takes a job as an assistant on an international period film shooting in Tasmania and falls into a love affair with the famous male lead. Losing themselves in a gentle and profound romance, the lines between fact and fiction blur and both men are confronted with reality when their time together abruptly comes to an end.
DIAL-UP
Imogen McCluskey
Genre Comedy, Coming-of-age
Writer/Director Imogen McCluskey
Synopsis Set in 2000 at a run-down rural boarding school, a precocious teenager with blinding ambition hatches an idea that captures the attention of the dot.com fever sweeping the tech world, promising her millions of dollars at the cost of her best friends who built their success.
THE INTERLOPER
Luke Ryan
Genre Comedy, Drama
Director Ben Chessell
Writer Luke Ryan
Synopsis A downtrodden library clerk trades places with his doppelgänger, starring in a theatre production that delivers him adulation and a renewed sense of potency, yet confounds his sense of identity that endangers almost all that he has.