Production Finance

Screen NSW general eligibility requirements can be found in the Screen NSW Terms of Trade, which should be read in conjunction with these guidelines.

At least one of the Key Creatives must be NSW-based.

Screen NSW is committed to supporting increased participation in the industry of people from under-represented groups, as well as the diversity of screen stories. Priority will be given to teams including people from the following priority areas:

• Regional NSW
• Western Sydney
• First Nations people
• People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• People living with disability
• LGBTQIA+ people. 
  
  

We fund production and/or post-production of Australian projects in the following categories:

• Feature films
• Adult and children’s television drama and narrative comedy including series, miniseries, web series and telemovies
• Content-rich factual and documentary television or web programs and series
• Animation series
• Creative interactive screen entertainment.
  
  

We do not fund the production of:

• Infotainment, lifestyle, travel, magazine, sports, education, game shows and other magazine-style productions*
• Current affairs and news
• Community television
• Shorts and short features (under 60 minutes duration)
• Projects that are being produced as part of a course of study.

*For further guidance on the distinction between infotainment, lifestyle, magazine programs and documentary/factual programs refer to the advice on Screen Australia’s website.

The production needs to meet the following minimum NSW Spend requirements. See Section 7 of Terms of Trade for a description of NSW Spend.

If the production company is registered in NSW, productions must spend more than 50% of the total budget in NSW. International co-productions with an NSW-based producer must spend more than 50% of the total Australian budget in NSW.

An interstate production company must spend at least 80% of the total budget in NSW. International co-productions with an interstate production company must spend at least 80% of the total Australian budget in NSW.

The 50/80% requirement will be relaxed in the following circumstances:

• Where the eligible NSW Spend is at least $5 million
• Where the below-the-line eligible NSW post-production spend is at least $3 million 
  (For an indication of an acceptable percentage spend in NSW in these instances, please contact the Screen Investment team)
• Where a producer intends to conduct 100% of the project’s post-production in NSW, from picture edit to delivery, with NSW-based post-production personnel. 
  (Please see definition of 100% Post-Production requirements and Allowable Post Exclusions in the Screen NSW Terms of Trade to confirm your eligibility)
• Where NSW-based producers are co-producing documentary and factual projects with interstate producers.
  
  

Funding allocations are guided by ratios linking the Screen NSW contribution to the amount spent in the State.

The expected ratios for each genre are shown below:

Productions will usually be fully financed at the time of application, with the exception of contributions being sought from Screen NSW and other state, federal or international agencies.

For feature film projects, distribution and market attachments as well as Australian and rest of world distribution strategies will be significant assessment criteria.

Television drama, narrative comedy and factual/documentary projects must have a confirmed financial commitment from a broadcaster, subscription service or distributor.

Screen NSW will consider a limited number of applications for post-production funding for productions that meet Screen NSW eligibility criteria. Productions that have already completed their shoot need to submit at least a full assembly. 

All projects receiving Production Finance must comply with the production attachment requirements in our Terms of Trade (page 23) and in the budget.

Attachments must be employed at industry award minimum rates and be for the duration required.

The attachments should:

• Reflect the theme or content of the project, for example Screen NSW’s Priority Areas, or
• Be targeted at providing experience to emerging practitioners. 

Please discuss potential attachments with your Investment Manager.

Your application will be competitively assessed against the project’s economic contribution to a robust and continuously developing NSW screen industry, with regard to the following considerations:

• The qualities of the creative materials, relative to the team’s creative vision and market intentions, and their readiness for production
• Potential for innovation in content, form, distribution/delivery or production practices
• The track record and level of experience of the key creative team and crew relative to the ambitions of the project, creative
• The distribution and marketing
• The viability of the budget and schedule in terms of realizing the project’s stated ambitions
• The perceived cultural merits of the project
• The available screen NSW funds in a particular round, and each project’s assessed real need for the funds
• The diversity of the Screen NSW slate.

Projects for which a First Nations assessment is commissioned will be assessed with reference to Screen Australia’s guidelines Pathways & Protocols: a filmmaker’s guide to working with Indigenous people, culture and concepts.

Applications for rollover of Screen NSW development investment will be considered by the Advisory Committee at the same time as Production Finance or Regional Filming Fund applications. Standalone applications may be approved out of round where no other Screen NSW finance is being sought. See Terms of Trade for an explanation of terms governing repayment, retention and rollover of Screen NSW development investment.

Development and Production team members assess projects across our entire suite of development and production programs.

For shortlisted Production Finance applications, we may commission an external budget assessment and/or other assessments.

External reports inform our decision-making, but they don’t determine the outcome. External assessors have substantial experience in producing, developing or commissioning in the genres in which we invest and they all sign confidentiality agreements.

Applications for Production Finance that are declined cannot be resubmitted to future funding rounds unless there is a significant change to the proposal.

Shortlisted applications are presented to the Film and Television Industry Advisory Committee for recommendation to the Secretary (Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport), who is the final decision maker.

The timeline for funding decisions for Production Finance applications is currently expected to take 6-8 weeks from the funding round deadline.

If successful, the applicant must enter into and abide by the terms of an agreement with us, which will include the funding’s deliverables and acquittal requirements.