Screen NSW Production Finance Program (Australia)

The program focuses on generating employment and economic activity for NSW, contributing to Australian culture and storytelling, growing NSW production companies and creatives, supporting diversity and authentic representation, and demonstrating project quality and feasibility through strong creative materials, financial planning, production methodology, marketplace commitment, and a clear pathway to audience.

Funding is available on a case-by-case basis and is determined according to Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure. Feature films, one-off documentaries, documentary series, and digital online interactive projects may receive up to 10% of their Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure, with funding capped at AUD 850,000 per project. Television drama, including children’s television, may receive up to 5.5% of Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure, also capped at AUD 850,000.

Eligible funding supports the production or post-production of feature films, documentary television, documentary features, online documentaries, documentary series with a minimum total duration of a commercial half hour, television drama and narrative comedy series including miniseries, animation series, and creative interactive online screen content such as digital series, interactive projects, and XR content intended for public access on screen-based devices. Post-production funding is also available for projects that have completed principal photography and can demonstrate a post-production pathway to delivery and audience.

Eligible applicants include Australian companies based in NSW that have been actively operating in the state for at least six months before applying and have at least 50% of the total production budget as Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure. Australian companies based outside NSW may also apply if they are in a genuine co-production arrangement with a NSW production company, or where the project is created by a NSW creative or is substantially driven by NSW key creatives, provided at least 50% of the total production budget qualifies as NSW Production Expenditure. Non-NSW Australian companies with at least 80% of the total production budget as Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure are also eligible.

Applicants must have a total production budget of less than AUD 20 million, include at least one NSW-based key creative, hold the rights required to produce, market, and exploit the project, and comply with all relevant program requirements. The standard 50% or 80% Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure requirements may not apply where Qualifying NSW Production Expenditure is at least AUD 5 million, where eligible below-the-line NSW post-production expenditure is at least AUD 3 million, or where all post-production work is undertaken in NSW using NSW-based post-production personnel.

Projects must have Significant Australian Content or qualify as an official treaty co-production. They must also be fully financed at the time of application, except for eligible concurrent funding contributions, be substantially ready to commence production, include marketplace commitments where required, and comply with the eligible project format requirements.

For more information, visit Avant Group.