Screen Australia has announced $5.5 million of production funding for two feature films, two children’s series and four online projects.
Writer and director Mirrah Foulkes (Judy & Punch) is teaming up with See-Saw Films (The Power of the Dog) on psychological thriller Runaway, and lovable were-poodle Freddy Lupin will return to the big screen in the feature film 200% Wolf (working title).
Plus new seasons of hit children’s series The PM’s Daughter and Little J & Big Cuz will return to ABC and NITV.
The online projects include a hybrid narrative-natural history series It’s A Jungle Out Here! from the producers of Playing with Sharks for ABC ME; the TikTok series Cool Mum about a non-binary teenager coming out to their mum; along with K-drama inspired romantic comedy No Ordinary Love and Salma’s Season about a mother pursuing her dream of winning the Australian Open, both for YouTube.
Grainne Brunsdon, Screen Australia’s head of content, said: “We’re delighted to announce these projects including some stellar children’s content, which demonstrates the ability of Australian creators to produce high calibre, original IP that connects with young viewers.
“It’s very special that Little J & Big Cuz is engaging children around the country in-language and we are proud to support another series of this ground-breaking production.
“The team behind riveting feature thriller Runaway have an exceptional track record, and we are pleased to support Mirrah Foulkes on her second film. It’s also encouraging to see new, smart online storytellers finding their niche.
“These creators know their audiences and how to reach them on the right platforms, and we are confident these series will captivate viewers,” she added.
This comes after Screen Australia announced over $1 million of development funding for 15 television dramas, 11 feature films, and five online projects, last month.
These include science fiction drama Immersion from Lion director Garth Davis; a queer family drama from writer/director Sophie Hyde called Jimpa; plus successful online series Girl, Interpreted expanding into television, and a unique comedy from the Northern Territory, The Hairy Marys.
Louise Gough, Screen Australia’s head of development said, “Screen Australia is delighted to be able to support such a fantastic mix of originals and adaptations from established and new talent. We’re pleased to see a diversity of themes and genres, from coming of age, to gripping thrillers, queer quests and absurdist comedy, that have the potential to connect with a wide range of audiences.”
“Now five months into the job as the new Head of Development, it’s thrilling to see the stories that are being developed, the hands they are in, the formats being written for, and the audiences these stories seek to connect with. We look forward to continued engagement with talent and the content they are developing,” Gough continued.
Of the 31 projects, 22 have been funded through the Generate stream and nine have been funded through the Premium stream.
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Top image: Still from No Ordinary Love