Helping Australian films find an audience is just as important as making them, and that’s the focus of Screen Australia’s latest investment in the local industry.
The Federal Government’s screen funding agency has unveiled a suite of new audience led initiatives that will connect filmmakers with international experts, research and data, helping shape everything from the final edit through to release strategies as Australian stories compete for attention at home and around the world.
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Screen Australia has announced two new Market & Audience initiatives as part of its refreshed program strategy to strengthen the reach and impact of Australian theatrical feature films.
The new initiatives – First Cut Lab and Impact & Insights – draw on the expertise of global organisations Tatino Films and Publikum to support filmmakers with audience insights as they develop and produce their films.
First Cut Lab supports early to mid-career Australian filmmakers with dedicated feedback to create the optimal cut of their feature film, while Impact & Insights offers established screen practitioners the opportunity to develop robust audience and release strategies for projects either in development or post-production, guided by customised feedback and research workshops.
To be eligible, projects must be narrative content intended for theatrical release, but do not need to have been previously supported by Screen Australia funding.
Screen Australia Head of Market & Audience Rakel Tansley says the agency’s new initiatives will help Australian filmmakers better connect with audiences at home and overseas (image – supplied)
Screen Australia Head of Market & Audience Rakel Tansley said:
“Connecting Australian stories to audiences locally and globally has never been more complex, making it critical that filmmakers have access to the right tools, expertise and audience insights.”
“Through our First Cut Lab and Impact & Insights partnerships, Australian creatives will have the opportunity to work alongside international leaders and access guidance, research and audience intelligence to shape their projects and strategies.”
“Our aim is to empower filmmakers to maximise the potential for Australian stories to resonate at home and around the world.”
First Cut Lab
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Delivered in partnership with global film and talent development organisation Tatino Films, First Cut Lab will assist local features to maximise their reach potential by offering expert guidance to shape the strongest possible cut.
The initiative is designed for early to mid-career film practitioners, supporting narrative feature film projects (<$8m) entering or in post-production.
The local iteration of the globally recognised initiative leverages Tatino Films’ proven track record in delivering labs and residencies to more than 300 film talents from over 50 countries, representing 150 screen projects including features, series and shorts.
First Cut Lab will provide up to four projects in the editing stage with the opportunity to participate in tailored workshops and mentorship with a bespoke panel of international delegates, including festival curators, directors, editors and producers.
Impact & Insights
Impact & Insights connects established practitioners working on a scripted narrative feature film at either late-stage development or post-production, with international strategic audience advisor Publikum to develop audience strategies and increase engagement on release.
The initiative leverages Publikum’s extensive anthropological research and data analysis, offering filmmakers and distributors valuable insights into the potential impact with domestic and international audiences.
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Impact & Insights supports up to three late-stage development and five post-production scripted narrative feature film projects.
Australian teams will participate in individual Publikum-led workshops to strengthen discoverability for their project and inform creative, marketing and distribution positioning for their feature film.
Audience In/Sight series
To empower all screen practitioners, Screen Australia is also launching Audience In/Sight, a series of industry presentations, discussions and thought-leadership pieces exploring how audiences engage with all forms of screen content, focusing on how content makers can harness new production and marketing strategies to bolster cut-through.
Register now for the first in the series, Impact & Insights, a webinar co-presented by Publikum exploring how to make audience data work for your project and providing practical advice for applicants considering applying for the Impact & Insights initiative.
Register now for the first in the series, Impact & Insights, a webinar co-presented by Publikum exploring how to make audience data work for your project and providing practical advice for applicants considering applying for the Impact & Insights initiative.
- Date: Tuesday 14 July
- Time: 4pm-4.45pm AEST
- Register: click HERE
- Accessibility: An Auslan interpreter will be made available for the webinar.
A recording of the webinar will be made available on the Screen Australia website soon after.
First Cut Lab, Impact & Insights and the Audience In/Sight series are the latest efforts to be launched as part of Screen Australia’s Market & Audience strategy, aligning with the Engage pillar of the agency’s Corporate Plan.
The three recently launched Narrative Content Market & Audience Programs – Assets, Audience Testing and Channel Management – will also reopen in the coming weeks.
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