Screen Australia commits $4.4M to support local events & festivals

Screen Australia has announced support for 18 key screen industry festivals and events around Australia, sharing $1.4 million per year from 2022-2025.

Funding has been allocated to major film festivals in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, as well as those dedicated to serving regional areas and national promotion such as CinéfestOZ, the Flickerfest National Tour and the Sydney Travelling Film Festival.

The recipients also include accessible disability film festival, The Other Film Festival, as well as events championing emerging creators and career promotion like Screen Forever’s Ones to Watch.

Screen Australia has approved three years of funding for these film festivals and industry events, which offer significant benefits to Australian screen content, creators and their career development, and a range of businesses in the screen sector.

Screen Australia’s CEO, Graeme Mason said, “It has been an extremely challenging couple of years for film festivals and events around Australia, which have done an extraordinary job in rising to the relentless trials they’ve faced. It’s inspiring for the sector that there is such a huge volume of events and festivals for screen content and practitioners across the country.

“This is a competitive fund and we have prioritised supporting festivals and events that offer the greatest opportunities for Australian creators across drama and documentary. We had to be targeted with our funding and have supported events that could make the most impact and clearly demonstrate how they have adapted to the rapidly changing audience landscape.”

See more: Screen Australia supplies $4 million to 31 Australian games

The funded events and festivals include:

• ACTA Awards, honouring excellence and celebrating the achievements of the Australian screen production sector. It is being funded in recognition of the unique role it plays in bringing the attention of the industry to the fore domestically.

• Adelaide Film Festival is an internationally recognised screen event incorporating features, documentaries, shorts, interactive work and art. The newly annualised event has a reputation for innovation and launching the careers of Australian practitioners, and offers a $1 million film fund to commission new projects.

• Brisbane International Film Festival will now be hosted by QAGOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque, offering a program showcasing the work of leading Australian and international filmmakers. In partnership with other venues it will offer a program of new release titles alongside screenings with live music, conversations, panel discussions, gala events, industry workshops and more.