Screen Australia have announced triennial support for 18 key screen industry festivals and events from across the country, sharing $1.48 million per year from 2022-2025. Screen Australia’s CEO, Graeme Mason explained that funding has been allocated to major film festivals in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, as well as those dedicated to serving regional areas and national promotion such as CinéfestOZ, the Flickerfest National Tour and the Sydney Travelling Film Festival. The recipients also include accessible disability film festival, The Other Film Festival, as well as events championing emerging creators and career promotion like Screen Forever’s Ones to Watch.
“It has been an extremely challenging couple of years for film festivals and events around Australia, which have done an extraordinary job in rising to the relentless trials they’ve faced. It’s inspiring for the sector that there is such a huge volume of events and festivals for screen content and practitioners across the country.”
Mr. Mason commented “This is a competitive fund and we have prioritised supporting festivals and events that offer the greatest opportunities for Australian creators across drama and documentary. We had to be targeted with our funding and have supported events that could make the most impact and clearly demonstrate how they have adapted to the rapidly changing audience landscape.”
Mason said that Screen Australia has approved triennial funding for these film festivals and industry events which offer significant benefits to Australian screen content, creators and their career development, and a range of businesses in the screen sector.
THE FUNDED EVENTS AND FESTIVALS ARE:
- AACTA Awards, honouring excellence and celebrating the achievements of the Australian screen production sector. It is being funded in recognition of the unique role it plays in bringing the attention of the industry to the fore domestically.
- Adelaide Film Festival is an internationally recognised screen event incorporating features, documentaries, shorts, interactive work and art. The newly annualised event has a reputation for innovation and launching the careers of Australian practitioners, and offers a $1 million film fund to commission new projects.
- The Australian International Documentary Conference is the premier event for nonfiction screen content in the Southern Hemisphere. It is committed to supporting and elevating nonfiction storytelling through creative and business opportunities across all forms. AIDC hosts an industry-leading event welcoming representatives from across the globe to drive collaboration, development and production and to inspire innovation and ignite change. AIDC will be supported to deliver international marketplace opportunities, industry networking forums and world-class programs to showcase and celebrate the work of Australian and international nonfiction creators across craft, business, technology and future directions.
- Brisbane International Film Festival offers a program showcasing the work of leading Australian and international filmmakers including new release titles alongside screenings with live music, conversations, panel discussions, gala events, industry workshops and more.
- CinéfestOZ in the South West region of Western Australia is a celebration of Australian filmmaking that includes premieres and events in the region’s cinemas, wineries, small bars and galleries. The festival offers a lucrative film prize of $100,000 – the largest for an Australian film in the country – and has cultivated a reputation as both an industry event and film festival destination. The event has since grown with CinefestOZ Albany returning for its second year this April. The most recent addition is CinefestOZ Broome to be held in November – WA’s Indigenous festival held in conjunction with Goolarri Media, a wholly owned and run Indigenous media organisation.
- Darwin International Film Festival is the biggest film event in the Northern Territory with a program of films and special events, several outdoor gala events and a strong focus on showcasing local, Indigenous and South East Asian content.
- Flickerfest Film Festival is an Academy® Award and BAFTA accredited competitive international short film festival, held in Bondi Beach, Sydney. Celebrating 32 years in 2023, the festival’s official accreditation provides local filmmakers with an Australian link to top tier international awards, and has a reputation for kick-starting the careers of emerging filmmakers.
- Flickerfest National Tour takes highlights from the short film competition to over 50 venues across Australia, including all states and territories. The tour provides audiences in regional Australia the opportunity to engage with international and local screen culture, and the short films, with the chance to be seen by a much wider audience.
- MCX Screenmakers Conference, Market and Lab is the annual industry event for emerging and developing content creators Australia-wide. The seventh edition will be 100% online and interactive, expanding to three events over one month.
- Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an internationally recognised festival, operating since 1952. Presenting a curated global program of innovative screen experiences and the world’s largest showcase of exceptional Australian filmmaking, MIFF is an accessible, iconic cultural event that provides transformative experiences for audiences and filmmakers alike. The festival offers opportunities for filmmakers through Short Film Awards, MIFF Accelerator Lab for emerging directors, MIFF Premiere Fund, 37˚ South Market and the MIFF International Film Competition – Bright Horizons; one of the richest film prizes in the world.
- MIFF 37˚South is Australia’s only film co-financing market and runs parallel to MIFF, featuring key international financing executives and professional development opportunities for producers to develop their networks and slates. Along with AIDC, it is one of the largest industry events in Australia and facilitates considerable deal-making opportunities for producers.
- Revelation Perth International Film Festival is a Western Australia’s major annual international screen culture event featuring signature-driven works from around the world, moving image art exhibits, talks, workshops, masterclasses and live performance. The festival notably has a focus on innovation in screen practice and provides online access, and has expanded their commitment to Australian cinema through the annual event in addition to year-round activities.
- XR:WA is an experiential and thought-provoking conference and exhibition for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and games industry professionals, artists, businesses and the wider general public. Designed to explore the opportunity and possibility of digital screen technology, the major conference and subsequent workshops, speaking events and interactive experiences aim to discuss the impact and opportunities for VR, AR and digital screen technologies across a number of industries including science and academia; art and entertainment; architecture and design; education and training; medicine and research and traditional screen practice.
- Screen Forever is one of the largest congregations of screen industry professionals in the Southern Hemisphere and attended by the ‘who’s who’ in Australian screen business – the leading Australian and international industry practitioners involved in all aspects of producing, creating, writing, directing, distributing and financing screen content across film, television, games, interactive and online. Ones to Watch is a professional development and mentoring program for emerging and early career screen producers looking to accelerate their careers to the next level.
- St Kilda Film Festival is an Academy® Award accredited 10-day event showcasing more than 100 Australian short films alongside development programs, competitions, international screenings and youth content. Now in its 40th year, the festival is known for showcasing up-and-coming filmmakers.
- Sydney Film Festival celebrates its 70th edition in 2023 – one of the longest running film festivals in the world and the premier celebration of filmmaking excellence in Australia. SFF presents 12 days of bold, provocative and inclusive programming, with the best Australian and international films screened alongside talks, panels, parties and industry events. SFF helps us to explore the world and our times, offering new discoveries, encouraging discussion and strengthening community through shared cinematic experiences.
- On the road since 1974, the Travelling Film Festival brings outstanding Australian and international cinema to regional audiences across NSW, NT and Queensland. A lively festival setting with filmmaker guests celebrates filmmaking excellence and creates opportunities for regional audiences to participate in the cultural conversation.
- The Other Film Festival is Australia’s only international 100% accessible disability film festival where all content is made by, with, or about, people with disabilities. Containing shorts, documentaries, features, workshops and forums, it is highly regarded for delivering exemplary standards of access including Auslan interpreters, captioning and descriptive audio for all screened films.