Update on screen funding guidelines

Screen NSW has made important changes to the way we fund screen investment and our funding guidelines. Listening to feedback received directly from the sector and in line with our commitment to supporting sustainable growth in the industry, we’re making things simpler and faster for funding applicants.

These updates to our guidelines ensure:

• Screen NSW funding continues to support the creation of new IP by NSW practitioners, encourages more local productions to be made in NSW, and attracts more business to the state.
• eligibility requirements are clear for all applicants.
• NSW funding remains competitive and promotes NSW as a premier destination for filmmaking.

Screen NSW will now invest in screen productions through a much simpler model of Production Grant Agreements (PGA) across funding programs, including Production Finance and the newly launched Made in NSW – TV Drama Fund. Screen NSW has also reduced payment timeframes, from 30 days to 14 days payment terms.

These changes are an important measure in the state’s Creative Communities policy, which commits to reducing investment approval, contracting and payment timeframes for the screen sector with the aim to increase and diversify screen output.

Screen NSW has also refreshed the guidelines for the Development Program in an effort to provide clearer guidance on funding guides and the program’s broader requirements. In addition, Screen NSW launched the International Travel Fund. 

Updates to key funding programs are further outlined below.

Production Finance Guidelines

The Screen NSW Production Fund invests in NSW production companies, NSW screen projects and NSW creatives to produce or post produce in NSW – feature films, TV drama including children’s (up to $5 million); factual and documentary television or online, animation and interactive online screen entertainment. Key updates:

• Funding is provided as a grant
• Revision to funding amounts, with up to $850,000 per project in funding now available
• An increase in funding amounts available for documentary and factual series, which is now up to 10% of their Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure (QNWSPE).

For full guidelines and to apply please visit the funding page for Production Finance.

Made in NSW – TV Drama

The Made in NSW - TV Drama Fund is a new program that supports both high-end feature film and television drama productions (including children’s content), produced by Australian production companies, which are genuinely footloose and can shoot in NSW. Key features:

• Funding is provided as a grant
• The total budget of a project must be between $5 million (AUD) and $18 million (AUD)
• Applicants can apply for up to 10% of their Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure (QNSWPE), capped at $1 million  
• Screen NSW will conduct 5 competitive funding rounds per financial year. Applications are now open.

For full guidelines and to apply please visit the funding page for Made in NSW – TV Drama.

Funding for NSW practitioners for travel related to significant international festivals, markets, awards, industry trade missions and financing projects is now available via the International Travel Fund.

Applications for the Development Program, which provides funding to support writers and producers to develop fiction or unscripted (documentary) and online projects with distinctive ideas and ambitious stories is now open.

Image: BTS on House of Gods. Kamel El Basha as Sheikh Mohammad. Credit: Daniel Asher Smith. Supplied by Matchbox Pictures.