Screenrights has announced a record seven projects will be supported by its 2020 Cultural Fund. The total funding amount increased from $250K to $295K for this year’s initiatives, submitted around the focus of ‘New Voices’.
The Screenrights Cultural Fund was established in 2018 to support innovative projects that foster the creation and appreciation of screen content in Australia and New Zealand. With support usually available up to $250K total, in its third year Screenrights has been able to offer additional funding from the balance of previous funding rounds.
Five recipients will each receive $45,000: Bus Stop Films, to support the expansion of their award-winning Accessible Film Studies Program to Queensland, Victoria and South Australia; Tai Huri Films, for a training and skill development workshop for rangatahi Māori aged 15-25 to explore cultural narratives using the art of cinematic storytelling; Northern Rivers Screenworks, who will partner with Princess Pictures and Hoodlum Entertainment to run a program to train undiscovered, diverse and talented screenwriters living in regional Australia with specific skills to meet industry requirements; Southland Creative Inc, for My Home My Culture – a short film program that will mentor ten aspiring 16-24 year-old regional South Coast NSW filmmakers to share their stories with audiences and communities; and Script to Screen, who will run a 3-stage Paerangi program that finds new voices in remote regions of New Zealand, and gives isolated and inexperienced aspiring filmmakers the tools to develop a captivating story for screen.
Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation will receive $38,720 for Our Ganalili Heroes, a youth digital media project that will give 12 young people in the Pilbara region the digital media skills to contribute their voices to the deep cultural and community-held knowledge of the Yindjibarndi people; and Cinespace will receive $31,280 to roll out an online educational program that gives culturally diverse creatives the tools to be able to access industry, building capacity towards greater representation on Australian screens.
“The third year of the Screenrights Cultural Fund has seen our strongest field of applicants yet, and we are delighted to be able to support so many initiatives, especially in such a challenging year for the screen industry,” said Screenrights Board Director and Cultural Fund Working Group Chair Geoffrey Atherden. “These projects engage meaningfully with our New Voices focus, intended to advance those who, for whatever reason, have found doors not readily open to them. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of these initiatives across the Australian and New Zealand screen landscape well into the future.”
Applications were assessed by a panel of professionals with both local and international expertise in screen, media and education.
More details of all projects here.
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Top Photo: Photo caption (L-R, Top to Bottom): Alex McNeilly from Southland Creative Inc.; Daniel Schultheis from Cinespace Inc; Eloise Veber from Script to Screen; James Dickinson from Screenrights; Jason Taylor from Tai Huri Films Limited; John Kassab from Cinespace Inc; Jonnie Leahy from Southland Creative Inc.; Lisa O’Meara from Northern Rivers Screenworks Inc; Maha Ismail from Screenrights; Ryan Drechsler and Eagle Felix from Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation; Tracey Corbin-Matchett from Bus Stop Films; Wimiya Woodley from Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation