Screen Australia’s First Nations Department programs support creatively ambitious projects and people, and imaginative, resonant stories authored by Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners. 

Screen Australia aim to assist the career development of talented writers, directors and producers who have the potential to make a significant contribution to screen culture and the national cultural life. Screen Australia engage actively at all stages with key creatives in the development and production of their works.

The following is available for successful applicants:

First Nations Feature Development

This program seeks writers or teams with demonstrated experience and an idea they wish to explore in the longer feature format

What funding is available?

• Up to $30,000, or up to $45,000 if a producer is attached

TV Drama Development

This program is looking for striking and engaging storytelling that will connect with audiences. Screen Australia reserves the right to require the attachment of a story consultant where appropriate.

What funding is available?

• One-offs: Up to $30,000
• Series: Up to $65,000  

Documentary Development:

Funding is available for the further development of a treatment and/or draft scripts, series bible, project development as well as fees for writer, producer, director, story consultant, research, and/or securing production financing.

What funding is available?

• Up to $30,000 for one-off feature length documentaries
• Up to $30,000 for series
• Up to $20,000 for television one hour documentaries
• Up to $20,000 for online series

Who can apply?

Feature Development and TV Drama Development

Applicants and their projects must meet the general eligibility requirements set out in Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade in addition to the following:

• Can be a producer, writer or writer/director.
• The director (where attached) and writer must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian and must have at least three ‘eligible drama credits’ in their respective roles.
• In the case of co-writing teams, made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers, the original concept must come from the First Nations Australian writer. This must be shown in the application.
• An eligible writer or writer/director may receive a maximum of two tranches of funding as a solo applicant without a producer attached as above.
• The producer (where attached) must be either:
  – an ‘experienced producer’, or
  – a producer who has at least two ‘eligible drama credits’, or
  – an emerging producer applying in conjunction with an ‘experienced producer’.

Documentary Development

Applicants and their projects must meet the general eligibility requirements set out in Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade in addition to the following:

• A sole applicant must be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian, and have at least one ‘eligible documentary credit’ in the role of writer, producer or director.

If applying with a team:

• The director (where attached) and any co-directors must be Australian Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander person
• In the case of co-writing teams, made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers, the original concept must come from the First Nations Australian writer. This must be shown in the application.
• The producer or the director must have at least one ‘eligible documentary credit’.
• Where the request includes shooting material, a director must be attached.
• The project must be a documentary as defined by ACMA.  Screen Australia does not invest in reality or magazine television, light entertainment, panel shows, infotainment, current affairs, cooking, ‘how to’, sports, corporate, training, games, extensions to film or TV, or community access programs or projects whose primary market is the education sector.

• Phone: 1 800 507 901
• Email: indigenous@screenaustralia.gov.au