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Australian short film production crew filming a narrative scene on location

Screen Australia – Narrative Content Short Film Production

  • Funding available per project: Up to $150,000
  • Funding basis: Non‑recoupable grant
  • Matched funding: Not mandatory, but encouraged
  • Project format: Narrative short films intended for festival audiences

 

The Screen Australia Narrative Content Short Film Production program supports the production of high‑quality Australian narrative short films. The program is designed to build creative capability, support emerging and mid‑career screen practitioners and enable short films to reach festival and industry audiences.

Key Requirements

  • Projects must be narrative short films, generally intended for festival release
  • Applicants must demonstrate significant Australian content
  • Funding is provided as a grant, not an equity investment
  • Applicants are required to engage with Screen Australia prior to submission
  • Projects must demonstrate creative merit, deliverability and clear audience intent

 

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible projects include:

  • Narrative short films for festival and industry audiences
  • Projects led by emerging or mid‑career Australian creatives
  • Projects with clear creative vision and delivery capability

Funding may be used for:

  • Production costs directly related to the short film
  • Cast, crew and post‑production expenses
  • Costs required to deliver a completed short film

Funding is not generally available for:

  • Feature‑length, episodic or factual content
  • Projects already in production or completed
  • Projects without clear Australian creative involvement

What companies are eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants include Australian production companies and creative teams who can demonstrate:

  • Australian residency or company registration
  • Clear rights and chain of title
  • Capacity to deliver the project to industry standard

Eligibility requirements may vary slightly between rounds.

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.