Narrative Content Production

Applicants and projects must meet Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade, any general eligibility or other requirements listed on the agency’s website (see Information for Applicants and Information for Recipients), as well as the specific eligibility criteria set out in these guidelines.

Specific requirements apply to projects which involve First Nations participation or content.

Specific requirements may apply to projects which involve community participation or content with the following communities: d/Deaf, disabled, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQIA+, or those from other under-represented groups.

For full eligibility information, including criteria for applicants, projects, and additional criteria for each project type, please refer to the attached guidelines.

Before applying, applicants must read and understand these guidelines, Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade, Information for Applicants, Information for Recipients, and preview the application form on SmartyGrants.

Through the application form, applicants must:

• provide all the information requested and answer the application questions;
• meet, where required, all eligibility criteria; and
• include all required supporting materials.

For full details on the application process, including required materials for each project type, please refer to the attached guidelines.

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Story (25%)
  • Is the story strong, distinctive and entertaining and does it demonstrate storytelling craft?
  • Is the story suited to its platform and audience?
  • Is the story production ready?
  • Does the story contribute to a depth and diversity of Australian stories?
• Talent & Team (25%)
  • Does the previous experience and/or track record of the talent and team position them to execute the vision and deliver the project at its budget level?
  • Does the talent and team have authentic connection to the content of the story, characters and world they are representing?
• Audience & Budget (25%)
  • Does the project have the potential to resonate significantly with Australian and/or global audiences and will it invite them to click, turn on, or buy a ticket?
  • Will the story have impact for audiences and/or reflect the depth and diversity of people and experiences from around Australia?
  • Does the budget align with its intended audience reach?
  • Does the project have the potential to reach its intended audience on its intended platform?
  • Is the project budgeted appropriately and can the project be successfully realised for its budget and methodology?
• Marketplace & Finance (25%)
  • Is marketplace and finance compliant with industry standards and appropriate for the project, budget, reach, impact and platform?
  • Does the marketplace and finance sit within Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade and Credit Policy?
  • If applicable, is the track record of marketplace and finance contributors appropriate to the project and the potential commerciality?
  • Is the ask on Screen Australia’s direct funding appropriate to budget, audience engagement and impact and, where applicable, recoupment?
  • For Creative First applications, is there potential for the project to unlock distribution and financing partners?

Other factors may be considered including the:

• availability of funds;
• range of projects in receipt of production funding from Screen Australia, inclusive of a project’s scale, budget, intended audience, genre, themes;
• range of applicants in receipt of production funding from Screen Australia, inclusive of applicant, applicant company and geographic diversity; and
• extent to which a project is likely to effectively and properly increase and amplify equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.

Preference will be given to projects that, at the time of application, are no further than six (6) to nine (9) months from the start of pre-production, excluding Creative First Feature Film applications.

For full details on the assessment criteria, please refer to the attached guidelines.