Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: Up to $5,000
- Application opened: 11 September 2024
- Application closed: 8 October 2024, 3:00 pm
Program objective
The aims of the program are to:
- Support film festivals right across the state via their Opening Night event
- Ease the financial burden on small-medium film festivals that demonstrate a strong community origin and base
- Complement the existing funding available for film and community festivals in the state, including Screen NSW’s Audience Development Fund and Destination NSW’s Regional Event Fund
- Build audiences and community engagement
- Have an impact on audiences and communities in NSW
- Support impactful festivals which are also evolving to be relevant to future audiences and the screen industry
- Support underrepresented communities to tell their stories
- Showcase the rich cultural diversity of NSW.
This program is administered by Screen NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
Please see the Program Guidelines on the Screen NSW website for the full eligibility and program details.
Funding for the Program is open to:
- Organisations, including companies and not for profit incorporated bodies, co-operatives, trusts or local government authorities
- A consortium or a group of organisations working collaboratively*
Applicants must be an Australian organisation with an ABN.
To be eligible for funding, organisations must be legally constituted and financially solvent. Applicants need to provide proof of their legal status.
Applicants must be an Australia-based organisation also adhere to the general eligibility requirements under the Screen NSW Terms of Trade.
*In the case of a consortium or group of organisations working collaboratively, one eligible organisation must be nominated as the lead organisation. The funding grant agreement will be with the lead organisation.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Funding is available to support activities related to the opening night of an established film festival in NSW held between 22 November 2024 and 31 December 2025.
What costs you can apply for
Please see the Program Guidelines on the Screen NSW website for eligible funding inclusions and exclusions.
Who can’t apply
Applications for the funding will not be accepted from:
- Individuals, partnerships or groups of individuals and unincorporated organisations
- Government departments and agencies, primary and secondary schools, tertiary institutions and TAFE colleges
- Previous Screen NSW or Create NSW funding recipients who have not fulfilled the conditions of the funding and/or who are overdue in acquitting prior funding
- Festivals receiving a NSW Government contribution of over $150,000
- Festivals with an annual budget of over $1,500,000
- Multi-disciplinary or cultural festivals where screenings and screen culture account for less than 75% of programming activity.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Support material plays a vital role in how we understand and assess your application. Choose high-quality support material that is concise, current and directly relevant to your application.
Support material for proposals involving the Aboriginal arts and cultural sector and/or Aboriginal people, organisations and cultural material must include letters of support and confirmation of involvement from the relevant communities and/or organisations (see NSW Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Protocols).
Other support material may include:
- A program of activities
- Relevant and recent examples of your artistic work (images, video, recordings, written material or links to websites)
- A brief biography or CV for any screen practitioners or key collaborators involved in the project (maximum one A4 page per person)
- Confirmation letters and/or letters of support related to your project (provided as one document), such as from partners, venues, key sector contacts or other funding agencies.
Please submit your support material in the amount and format required, including:
- Combined files not exceeding 25MB
- Up to five minutes of video or audio recording
- No zipped or compressed files
- Documents in PDF format where possible
- Links for externally hosted work only.
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: Head of Screen NSW
Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation from our secure online grants system, SmartyGrants.
Late applications due to technical difficulties will be reviewed and eligibility determined with absolute discretion by the Head, Screen NSW. You must lodge a request for a late application by email to industry@screen.nsw.gov.au setting out the reasons for the request, along with any evidence, by 4pm on the day applications close.
Eligibility
Applications will be initially reviewed by Screen NSW staff to ensure they meet eligibility requirements, and all application materials are acceptable. If you application is assessed as ineligible, you will be advised in writing within 14 days.
Assessment
If your application is considered eligible, it will progress to the assessment panel for consideration against the Assessment Criteria. The Assessment Panel will consist of a minimum of one Screen NSW staff member (Chair) and two external advisors with relevant expertise. Each panel member will assess and score applications individually, before meeting as a group to discuss the results and finalise recommendations.
Based on outcome of the assessment meeting recommendations will be made in writing to the decision-maker.
Please note that funding allocation follows a competitive process. Evaluations will consider the assessment criteria outlined above and the availability of funds at Screen NSW.
Recommendation
The recommendations from the assessment panel will be provided to the Head, Screen NSW for consideration and approval. The assessment process will take up to 5 weeks from the application closing date. Screen NSW aims to advise applicants of the outcome via email by 22 November 2024.
Additional Considerations
Additional considerations Screen NSW may, at its sole discretion, and at any stage of the application process, do all or any of the following:
- Require additional information from an applicant;
- Change the scope or the requirements of these guidelines vary, amend (including by replacement) or terminate the application process, and
- Re-open an application after the closing date, provided it doesn’t give the applicant an advantage over other applicants.
Support and contact
Screen NSW Industry and Audience team (industry@screen.nsw.gov.au)