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Australian feature film production supported for premiere at Melbourne International Film Festival

Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) – Premiere Fund

  • Grant funding available:
    • Up to $95,000 for completion or enhancement of fully or partially shot projects
    • Up to $200,000 (or 10% of the budget, whichever is lower) for scripts or fully developed documentary proposals
  • Applications close: 2 April 2026

The MIFF Premiere Fund co‑finances new Australian feature narrative and documentary films that will premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The fund supports high‑quality theatrical projects that align with MIFF’s programming and audience, providing strategic minority finance to assist projects reach premiere and release readiness.

Key Requirements

  • Projects must be Australian feature‑length films (minimum 80 minutes) intended for theatrical release
  • Films must be capable of premiering at MIFF in the nominated year
  • Applications must be submitted by an Australian producer who is Victorian‑based or whose project is substantially Victorian‑driven
  • The fund provides recoupable finance only
  • Projects must not already have received a screening invitation from MIFF

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible projects include:

  • Narrative feature films
  • Feature documentaries
  • Projects seeking completion, enhancement, or advanced financing support

Projects must:

  • Demonstrate viable financing plans and delivery timelines aligned to MIFF
  • Hold or commit to required marketplace holdbacks for MIFF premiere
  • Maintain appropriate insurance, completion bonding, and delivery capacity

The fund will not support:

  • Short films
  • Student films
  • Retrospective production expenditure
  • Projects unable to meet MIFF premiere requirements

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants include individual producers or organisations who:

  • Are Australian citizens or permanent residents
  • Are based in Victoria or lead projects driven by Victorian creatives
  • Hold or can secure required distribution, insurance, and delivery arrangements

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

  • Industry analysis presentation
  • Competitor Analysis Presentation
  • Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
  • 3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
  • 3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
  • End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
  • CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
  • Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
  • Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.