Screen Australia Funds Eight New Documentaries

Screen Australia has revealed that over AUD$2 million ($1.36 million) is being used to fund two documentaries through its Commissioned Program and six projects through its Producer Program.

Among the new projects funded through the Producer Program is This is Us, a 30-minute documentary about the Australian Women’s Football team, which went from striking for equal pay to co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Other documentary films and series from the Producer Program are Aquarius, about the radical ten-day Nimbin Aquarius Festival in 1973, in which idealists faced down police interference, drugs and personal drama; Ellis Park, about Australian musician Warren Ellis and his wildlife sanctuary in Sumatra; Never Get Busted!, about former Texas narcotics officer Barry Cooper, who turned against the police force to expose crooked cops and corruption; Rewards for the Tribe, about the collaboration between two acclaimed Australian contemporary dance companies; and Welcome to Babel, about the life and work of Chinese-Australian artist Jiawei Shen.

Through the Commissioned Program, the two funded projects are Life on the Hospital Frontline (w.t.) and The Way We Wore. The former explores the challenges faced by the Australian public health system by going behind the scenes at one of the country’s busiest public hospitals. The Way We Wore, meanwhile, provides a definitive history of the Australian fashion industry.

Screen Australia’s Commissioned Program is designed to support the production of quality projects for television broadcast, SVOD or similar. Projects must offer a compelling vision with a clear cultural value and have a local presale with a minimum license fee at application stage.

The Producer Program is designed to give producers the foundational funding required to leverage their projects creatively and commercially. It must have a clear path to audience, but marketplace attachment is not required at the application stage.