International Festival and Marketplace Travel

This program acknowledges that through regular travel to markets, festivals and conferences Australian filmmakers can develop international relationships and familiarise themselves with global trends in audience tastes and emerging technologies and business practices.

Practitioners can apply for grants to attend:

• international film festivals
• international markets
• transmedia events
• international pitching forums/competitions and other special events.
  

The list of premier festivals, markets, pitching forums and events that will be considered for funding is available on the bottom of this page. This list has been reviewed to ensure that Screen Australia’s travel support is as strategic as possible and the best use is made of available funds.

Applications can also be made where a project has been nominated for an Academy Award®, Emmy® or BAFTA. In this case, funds may be provided for producers, directors or writers to attend.

Finance is subject to the availability of funds and the relevance of each person’s attendance at the specific event. It is expected that applicants will also talk with state screen agencies in considering their travel needs.

Loans: Producers whose feature film project receives a Letter of Interest from Screen Australia (see Production investment: features) are eligible for a travel loan of $7,000 to be used at a market of their choice. This offer is available within 12 months from Screen Australia’s letter. Details will be provided along with the Letter of Interest.

Eligibility

All applicants and projects must meet the general criteria in our Terms of Trade. The following specific eligibility requirements will apply for each type of event (we may make exceptions to these at our discretion):

General

• Proof of selection/invitation must be provided for all applications with the exception of travel to international markets.
• Disclosure of any hospitality offered by the event must be provided and any travel funding from state agencies must be listed.
• Screen Australia will take into account any travel funds provided by state agencies and the actual costs of travel from the applicant’s current place of residence.
• Screen Australia will not provide funds retrospectively.
• Applicants who are being mentored by a Screen Australia Enterprise Program recipient are not eligible to apply.

For festivals

• Directors and producers whose film has been selected for one of the international festivals listed on the bottom of this page are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to projects selected to screen in key programming sections at these events. The screening must be the film's international premiere.
• In exceptional circumstances, applications for travel will be considered for lead actors of films selected in competition – or for a gala or special presentation – at Berlin, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto or Venice in a key programming section where there is significant evidence that the actor’s attendance is required to assist with film publicity. The producer/sales agent should provide a letter of support outlining the benefit of the lead actor’s attendance at the festival, including a publicity strategy to be run by a qualified international publicist. Other festivals or screenings may be considered in exceptional circumstances, where funds are available. Specific materials relevant to the application may be requested from applicants when they seek these funds.

For markets

• Funds are available for applicants with a range of experience.
  
• Producers must have a reasonable body of completed, produced and released work, commensurate with their level of experience, to showcase their talent and ability.
  Producers must have at least two active projects in development. In the case of more experienced producers, a slate of projects is preferable, at least one of which has secured 25 per cent of its budget.
  
• This fund is not for completed projects selling at the market and does not support general market attendance. However, in exceptional cases and pending available funds, completed projects with marketplace attachments or a local distributor that are seeking international sales may be considered.
  
• Screen Australia may offer internship positions at major markets for emerging producers to attend from time to time. Look out for news of these opportunities on the Screen Australia website.

• Applicants may receive only one travel grant within a 12-month period.

For international pitching forums and other special events

• Producers or producer/director teams whose projects have been invited to take part in one of the key international pitching forums/competitions or workshops listed on the bottom of this page are eligible to apply.

For transmedia events

Interactive digital screen content practitioners are eligible to apply:

• If their project has been invited to take part in one of the key international festivals or events listed on the bottom of this page,
  AND
• They can identify specific professional development opportunities.

Practitioners must have at least two non-student credits in their relevant field.

For significant international awards

• A producer, writer or director nominated for an Academy Award®, British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award or an International Emmy® is eligible to apply. Contact marketing@screenaustralia.gov.au directly in this case.

Available funding

• For festivals (maximum of one grant per project or company)
  - Selection into Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Venice – $7,000
  - All other eligible festivals – $5,000

• For international markets (maximum of one grant per project or company)
  - Cannes Film Market – $7,000
  - All other eligible markets – $5,000

• For international pitching forums/co-production workshops (maximum of one grant per project or company)
  - $5,000 for producer, $8,000 for director/producer teams when both have been invited

• For transmedia events (maximum of one grant per project or company)
  - $5,000 where the producer or director is invited (one per project)

• ACE
  - $10,000 to selected producer

• For significant international awards
  - $5,000 maximum per project/company on a case-by-case basis

Assessment process

Applications will be assessed by at least two people, with at least one being a staff member of Screen Australia. Industry specialists/peers may be used.

We will advise applicants of the success or otherwise of their application. Where an application is unsuccessful, a brief statement of reasons will be provided..

Assessment criteria

When assessing applications for this program, we will take the following into account:

• The strength of argument put forward and the relevance of attendance for each person included in the proposal. This should include expected outcomes and how they may be achieved.
  
• For attendance at markets, Screen Australia will assess the suitability/viability of the producer’s project slate, their marketing and financing strategy and their proposed meetings.
  
• The strength of the applicant/team’s CV, including relevant and recent credits and industry experience and their experience pertinent to the market, festival or event. Where appropriate, Screen Australia will also consider the benefits to the applicant’s career and the professional development opportunities from attendance at the event.
  
• The event itself and its standing within the international arena. Where applicable, the status of the section/forum into which a project or person has been invited will be taken into consideration.
  

Note: Applications from less experienced practitioners will be enhanced if they are able to secure a market mentorship with an established producer; however, this is not a requirement.

Terms of funding

Funds for Festival & Marketplace Travel are provided as a grant and are not recouped by Screen Australia. Recipients of travel grants are required to provide a written report detailing the outcomes of the funding.

Eligible events

Following is a list of festivals, markets, pitching forums and events that will be considered for funding. Selection of a project into a festival or market does not guarantee support and approval is dependent upon the competitive strength of the application and the availability of limited funds. As noted above, a festival screening must be the film's international premiere.

• ACE, France
• AFM (American Film Market), Los Angeles
• Annecy International Festival of Animation, France
• Berlin/EFM/Talent Campus
• Cannes – Festival/Marche du Film/L’Atlier, France (NB: Short film applications will only be considered where official competition section applies)
  
• Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, France
  
• CONTENT 360 Pitching Competition, France
• Critics Week, Cannes
  
• Digital Hollywood, United States
• Directors' Fortnight, Cannes
• Hiroshima Animation Festival, Japan
  
• Hot Docs – Festival/Forum, Toronto
  
• IDFA – Festival/Forum, Amsterdam
  
• INPUT, Seoul
  
• International X/Media/Lab (where held outside Australia)
  
• MIPTV - Pitching sessions only, Cannes
  
• nextMEDIA, Canada
• No Borders, New York
  
• Power to the Pixel, London
  
• Pusan – Festival/Promotion Plan, Korea
  
• Rotterdam – Festival/CineMart/Lab, The Netherlands
• Sitges, Spain
  
• South by Southwest (SxSW) – Festival/Interactive Fest, United States
  
• Sundance Film Festival, United States
  
• Telluride Film Festival, United States
  
• Toronto – Festival/IFF, Canada
  
• Venice International Film Festival, Italy (NB: Short Film applications will only be considered where selection for Corto Cortissimo applies)
  
• World Congress of Science & Factual Producers (when held outside Australia)
  

A new event or an event not included on our list may become eligible if it has grown in significance and may offer unique professional development opportunities, as well as be exclusive in its selection process, warranting the attendance of a practitioner whose program is selected to screen there. However, the practitioner must be experienced and capable of delivering adequate market intelligence, enabling evaluation of the event for future travel grant consideration.

 

[Page updated 20 August 2010]