FIRST NATIONS
Documentary Production 

This program seeks to support strong and distinctive documentary projects primarily to assist in the professional development of the key creative team.

What funding is available?

Limited funding is available through this program to support the production and/or post-production of one-off documentaries, documentary series or online projects. Funding is designed to complete the project, not a stage of production.

There are no limits on the proportion of the budget Screen Australia can contribute under this program. However, other sources of finance are encouraged, and the assessment process will take into account the level of Screen Australia funding requested as a proportion of overall budget.

Contributions might come from marketplace entities (eg broadcasters), as well as from state agencies, other government organisations, cultural institutions, international sources, private investors or other partners.

Post-production funding: Applications for matched post-production funding will be considered up to a maximum of $100,000, provided that the project has a post-production presale to a domestic broadcaster with a licence fee of at least $30,000 per broadcast hour or part thereof.

Who can apply?

Applicants and their projects must meet the general eligibility requirements set out in Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade in addition to the following:

Applicants

• An application must be from a producer on behalf of a team, including a writer and director, or writer/director.
• The director and any co-directors must be Australian Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander practitioner.
• In the case of co-writing teams, made up of Indigenous and non- Indigenous writers, the original concept must come from the First Nations Australian writer. This must be shown in the application.
• The producer or the director must have at least one 'eligible documentary credit'.

An ‘eligible documentary credit’ under this program must be either:

• a linear documentary, is 30 minutes or longer in duration, and has:

• been broadcast by a recognised broadcaster or channel or Commissioning Platform, or

• had a commercial theatrical release, or

• been invited to screen at IDFA, Hot Docs or equivalent, OR

• an interactive linear documentary project which has been publicly released.

Note that reality or magazine television, light entertainment, panel shows, infotainment, current affairs, cooking, ‘how to’, sports, corporate, training, games, extensions to film or TV, or community access programs or projects whose primary market is the education sector are not acceptable credits for eligibility purposes.

Projects

• can be a one-off or series linear documentary of at least a commercial half hour in duration, or a series of any number of episodes at least a commercial half hour in total duration
• must be a documentary as defined by ACMA.  Screen Australia does not invest in reality or magazine television, light entertainment, panel shows, infotainment, current affairs, cooking, ‘how to’, sports, corporate, training, games, extensions to film or TV, or community access programs or projects whose primary market is the education sector.
• must be intended for distribution via a Commissioning Platform with the required presale confirmed (noting that minimum licence fees apply). See below.
• have been developed by Australian production companies/producers and creatives, not sub-contracted from a Commissioning Platform;
• if applicable, must be independent of the nominated local Commissioning Platform for the first release of a program in Australia. In addition, Screen Australia expects key creatives (producer, writer, director, cinematographer, editor) to be sourced from the freelance market and not from the staff of the Commissioning Platform; 
• must not be more than 26 broadcast hours of any one project, which may include multiple series.
• Other than in exceptional circumstances, preference will be given to projects that, at the time of application, are no further than six months from the start of pre-production.

Presale requirements

A domestic presale for Australian Commissioning Platform is required, with the following minimum requirements:

• single documentary or series: a confirmed minimum licence fee of $180,000 per broadcast hour allocated toward the initial 5-year licence period against the primary rights for the program being on the Commissioning Platform on which the program premieres in Australia. 
• TV feature length documentary: a confirmed minimum licence fee of $250,000 allocated toward the initial 5-year licence period against the primary rights for the program being on the Commissioning Platform on which the program premieres in Australia. 
• secondary rights for the program being on the Commissioning Platform’s branded/related-party platform (e.g., BVOD/SVOD for an FTA Commissioning Platform; FTA/other VOD for an SVOD Commissioning Platform; Digital additional rights (including third party free or subscription platforms e.g., Tubi, YouTube): a confirmed minimum licence fee of $10,000 per broadcast hour or TV feature length documentary (note: this additional secondary rights fee generally does not apply to public broadcasters).
• monetised AVOD/digital additional rights for the program being on a third-party platform/channel that is (i) owned or controlled by the Commissioning Platform; and (ii) approved by the Producer (Geoblocked): a confirmed royalty share of no less than 50:50 (subject to negotiation with the Commissioning Platform).
• feature film documentaries with a theatrical release: a theatrical distributor must be secured for at least the Australian territory. Whilst there is no minimum distribution guarantee amount, the key deal terms for such theatrical distribution arrangement must be provided to Screen Australia.

No international marketplace attachments are required but producers are encouraged to develop a marketing strategy for international sales.

Note that:

• minimum licence fees cannot include:

• equity investment;

• broadcast rights for New Zealand or any Rest of World territory (ROW);

• secondary rights (except as permitted above);

• distribution rights; or

• ancillary rights.

• where applicable, if further rights or extended licence periods (after the initial licence period) are sought from the Commissioning Platform, additional licence fees must be negotiated in good faith, in line with current market rates on terms acceptable to Screen Australia and in accordance with relevant industry agreements;

• the minimum licence fees are minimum requirements, and Screen Australia recognises that producers may be in a position to negotiate for more favourable rates with respect to certain rights, depending on the unique circumstances of the relevant project; and

• the minimum licence fees set out above will be valid until a review takes place prior to 1 July 2028.

What is the assessment process?

Applications are by invitation only. Contact a First Nations Investment Manager to discuss your project or the Program Operations team if you are unsure who to speak with: 1 800 507 901 or [email protected]. 

If you are invited to apply you will be asked to submit your application using the Application Portal.

Turnaround time for decisions is approximately eight weeks.

Refer to the website for a downloadable materials checklist. All documentation should be in place at the time of submission.

For projects that have also applied for state agency funding, the state agency decision must be made within 4 weeks of the date your application is submitted to Screen Australia to be eligible for assessment.

Applications are assessed by Screen Australia executives and/or industry specialists as required.  Screen Australia will advise applicants in writing of the success or otherwise of their application. 

Funding decisions will be made against the following equally weighted criteria:

• Script/treatment/outline: The script, treatment, outline and project materials according to: (i) the strength and distinctiveness of the idea; (ii) the quality of the writing; (iii) readiness of the script or treatment to proceed into production.
• Creative team: The producer, director, writer according to: (i) evidence of skills, relevant experience and achievements which demonstrate either an established successful track record or exciting new talent; and (ii) their demonstrated creative, technical and managerial capacity to deliver the project.
• Project: The project’s potential in relation to: (i) the creative team’s demonstrated understanding of the intended audience; (ii) the creative team’s vision for the project; (iii) the proposed participants.
• Viability: Screen Australia will consider (i) the viability of the proposed budget in relation to achieving the creative team’s stated goals and vision for the project; (ii) the viability of the proposed financing structure including the amount requested from Screen Australia as a proportion of the total budget; and (iii) the production schedule.

Pathways to audience

For this program, projects must have commitment from a domestic Commissioning Platform in place (see above for minimum licence fee requirements), and a copy of the relevant agreement must be included in the application.

Enhancing audience reach through new pathways is also encouraged. This could involve:

• demonstrated community of interest in topic
• access to an existing database and promotional channels
• existing and potential partnerships with organisations tied to significant communities of interest
• analytics of audience engagement in existing related content and platforms (e.g.  websites, social media channels and trailers).

Marketing plans can demonstrate how these new pathways will enhance the project’s audience – and ongoing revenue potential where relevant – by providing detail on relevant mailing lists, audience analytics, and/or any existing partnerships with relevant similar interest organisations.

Budget requirements

Format: Budgets must be presented in the A-Z Budget format, using the Screen Australia template. Fees should comply with industry norms. They will be considered in the context of the budget and track record of the key creatives and crew.

Production budgets must include:

• Contingency: Contingency is set at 10 per cent.
• Completion Guarantor: Screen Australia reserves the right to require a completion guarantor.
• Delivery items: Allowance must be made for delivery items specified for Screen Australia, the Commissioning Platform and NFSA, as well as for sales company deliverables and other delivery items as required. See Terms of Trade for details.
• Study guides: The cost of a study guide must be included in the budget as a line item at the price set out in this attachment. If the publisher decides not to create a study guide, the budget can be applied to marketing expenses. The producer must seek Screen Australia’s approval of the choice of publisher (ATOM is pre-approved).
• Promotions and marketing: Budgets should allocate an appropriate marketing spend fit for purpose.

Terms of funding

Crew Placement Scheme

As a condition of Screen Australia production funding, below-the-line crew placement opportunities must be allocated to each project for emerging to mid-career Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practitioners to gain experience in mid and senior crew and leadership roles. 

• Documentary Productions that receive $300,000 or over in production funding from Screen Australia must budget for, and engage, one emerging or mid-career crew Placee in consultation with Screen Australia.

• Depending on the role, the length of each crew placement opportunity must be for a period of time that provides genuine career advancement (minimum of 6 weeks).

• The costs for the Placee must be included within your production budget. Potential roles for the placements can be discussed with the Investment Manager or Screen Australia’s Industry Development Unit.

• For more information about the requirements of the Crew Placement Scheme, click on these FAQs.

Where Screen Australia’s total contribution (including any development funds) is $500,000 or under, funding will be in the form of a grant:

• Screen Australia does not take a share of receipts from projects funded under a grant, which means the funds do not have to be repaid other than in circumstances set out in the Terms of Trade.
• The amount of the Screen Australia grant will be agreed upfront and not varied, other than in exceptional circumstances.
• Screen Australia does not require a share of copyright in productions that it funds under a grant.

Where Screen Australia’s total contribution including any development funds is more than $500,000, funding will be in the form of recoupable equity investment, with copyright and recoupment terms in accordance with the agency’s Terms of Trade.

You must list all of your Chain of Title documents in the application and a Solicitor’s Opinion letter will be required for all projects.