Pathways Development Program 2025/26

Please see the Screen NSW website for the full Program Guidelines.

A primary eligibility requirement for Screen NSW funding is that applicants meet the provisions of the Screen NSW Terms of Trade. In addition, for the Pathways Development Program:

Writer applicants must fulfil the following criteria:

• Be a NSW resident
• Be a writer living with disability. Screen NSW classifies disability as per the NSW Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (see definition below*).

Producer applicants must fulfil the following criteria:

• Be a producer who will undertake responsibility for producing the project
• Have the right to carry out the project or other activity, for example, own or have licences or any relevant copyright. If the application is based on a third-party underlying work, at a minimum, an appropriate option agreement, with appropriate option periods.

* The NSW Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (DIA) defines disability as: “The long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which in interaction with various barriers may hinder the full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”. The term ‘disability’ can also include d/Deaf or hard of hearing people and people with mental health conditions.

Eligible projects must have:

• a NSW-based producer who is at least mid-career (a mid-career producer is defined as a producer with at least one significant long-form credit (feature film, broadcast television or premium factual) or equivalent body of work, and
• a NSW-based creator who is the Writer and who identifies as having a disability. The Writer must have an Eligible Credit as a writer on a Qualifying Project that is a short film, web series or television program, but not a major credit as a lead writer on a feature film or long-form drama series, or  
• a playwright, journalist, audio drama writer, podcast scriptwriter or author who has at least one work professionally produced, published, or distributed through publicly recognised media with demonstrated audience reach.
• Eligible Credits are credits for the same role as the role described in the application for this Program.

For screenwriters, Qualifying Projects are those that have fulfilled at least one of the following: 

• Been commercially distributed or exhibited theatrically
• Been commissioned by a recognised commissioning platform with proof the project is, at minimum, already in production and has a release plan in place 
• Been screened at a recognised marquee film festival
• Online digital projects with significant demonstrable audience reach

For playwrights, journalists, audio drama writers, podcast scriptwriters and authors: 

• The work must have been professionally produced or published by a recognised company, festival, venue, or publisher. Community, amateur or self-published works without demonstrable professional recognition or significant audience reach are excluded and are not considered an Eligible Credit.
• For journalists, the work must have been published by a recognised media outlet.
• For audio drama writers and podcast scriptwriters, the work must have been released by a recognised broadcaster, streaming platform, or production company with proof of distribution and audience reach.
• For authors, the work must have been published by a recognised publishing house with evidence of distribution and readership. Self-published works without demonstrable professional recognition or significant audience reach will not be considered Eligible Credits.

Eligible projects must be:

• Narrative fiction including children’s feature films and series for any release platform including cinema, video on demand, broadcast television and online
• Documentary and factual including children’s feature films and series (as defined by ACMA Documentary Guidelines) for any release platform including cinema, video on demand, broadcast television and online, broadcast television and online.