NSW creatives on the right path with new funding

Three creative teams will share in $90,000 of funding to progress their projects in development and further progress their career in the screen industry with support from Screen NSW.

Screen NSW has today announced the recipients for the Pathways Development Program, an initiative to support three projects from creatives with disability. Each team will receive $30,000 in funding to support the development of material that is ready to pitch and leverage further development support or secure marketplace finance.

The program, which was launched for the first time this year, will also support recipients in building their professional networks in the screen industry, as well as providing ongoing career opportunities and assist in developing their strong and distinctive creative voices.

Bus Stop Films will executive produce the program, working with the three successful teams to create a development plan, implement the plan and deliver the required material to Screen NSW. They will also provide accessibility training.

Creating a vibrant and inclusive screen sector was a commitment as part of Creative Communities and broadening representation in screen is a key priority area of the three-year NSW Screen and Digital Games Strategy.

 

Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said:

“I am thrilled we are able to support this talented group of creatives as they take these projects to the next stage of development and embark on the next stage in their career as screen practitioners.

“The variety of stories captured in these three projects supported through the Pathways Development Programs highlights the importance of building an inclusive screen industry and how vital it is to encourage new and distinct voices, bringing exciting projects into development. I look forward to seeing where these teams take these stories.”

 

CEO of Bus Stop Films Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM said:

“We are excited to work with the teams in this important stage of their projects. They each reflect dynamic stories created by and about people with disability and will enact strong professional outcomes for the creative teams.”

 

Pathways Development Program Recipients 

Project title: New Year’s Eve

Key Creatives: Victoria Singh-Thompson (Writer / Director) and Pip Smart (Producer).

Genre / Format: Horror / Thriller feature film

Synopsis: A group of friends in their 20s head into the dense bushland of Australia for New Year’s Eve. It is unbearably hot with the atmosphere covered in a thick blanket of smoke as fires burn across the country. They decide to push forward with their party plans, determined to celebrate. However, the acid-fueled and euphoric party descends into a dark and explosive nightmare as they witness a horrific accident, sending them over the edge as a mega bushfire blazes towards them. They must try to survive the night and maintain their sanity before it's too late.

 

Project title: Pony

Key Creatives: Eloise Snape (Writer), Anthea Williams (Writer / Director), Kacie Anning (Writer), Justine Flynn (Producer) and Naomi Just (Producer).

Genre / Format: Dramedy TV series

Synopsis: On the precipice of motherhood, fantasist Hazel is stuck grinding on the dance floor, when she finds an unlikely way of coping with her painful past, and the tidal wave of change that’s crashing over her life. A nine-part TV series created by Eloise Snape and Anthea Williams, based on their hit play written by Eloise Snape and directed by Anthea Williams. 

 

Project title: The Sams of Planet 9

Key Creatives: Emma Monk (Creator/Producer), Olivia Olley (Creator/Producer), and Tristram Baumber (Writer).

Genre / Format: Children’s TV series

Synopsis: This is not a story about aliens. It is a story about a family who happen to be aliens hiding out in Australia. Meet the Sams. They come from Planet 9. It’s the last planet in this solar system, and it’s the headquarters of the Galaxy. Mum, Sarah, is an intergalactic warrior whose legs don’t work very well on Earth. Nan is the head of a secret intelligence agency and uses sign language to communicate. Remi’s skin is always itchy, he hates homework and loves stickers. And Ocean, is an inventor who loves being a human kid as gravity is just the best! But Ocean accidentally alerts Vert Nagak to the fact they’re on Earth, and now he’s coming to get Nan.