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Chantelle Murray’s The Lost Tiger, the first animated feature from Australia to be written and directed by an Indigenous woman, has been acquired by Sola Media which is introducing it to buyer at the EFM this week.

It has begun production in Queensland and is being produced by Australia’s female-owned Like a Photon Creative. The voice cast incudes Thomas Weatherall, Rhys Darby, Celeste Barber, Jimi Bani and Nakkiah Lui.

The Lost Tiger follows the story of Teo who unbeknownst to him is one of the last Thylacines. Found abandoned and wearing a mysterious crystal necklace, he is adopted into a family of boisterous,...

The winners of the 19th annual AIBs have been revealed at a glittering awards dinner in London. The AIBs reward the best international journalism and factual productions across TV, radio, and digital platforms. Over 400 hours of content were submitted to the 2023 competition and 50 judges around the world evaluated the shortlist.

Guests from countries as diverse as South Korea, Norway, Canada, Germany, South Africa, the UAE, Taiwan, France, and the UK joined the celebration at Church House Westminster, right alongside Westminster Abbey. The evening’s host was veteran journalist and news anchor Simon McCoy.

Opening the evening, Aib chief executive Simon Spanswick said: “this competition is needed more than ever, as we face a world in increasing chaos and danger. In many areas, that chaos and danger threaten media freedom and the ability of journalists to hold power to account.

“That’s why journalists and producers need to shout about their...

There’s a streamer that’s adored by diplomats and by Mormons, by doctors at the Mayo Clinic and by rabid cinephiles. The brand has continually operated under its founder for more than 30 years, and the odds are excellent that you have never, ever heard of it.

One reason you’ve probably never heard of MHz Choice is — with apologies to its founder and operator, Frederick Thomas — its terrible name. He said he chose to call it MHz because it derives from megahertz, or one million hertz, a measure of radio transmission frequencies or a computer’s clock speed. Neither of these things seem to address the MHz mission, which is to stream TV shows and films from 30 international countries.

Thomas founded the company in 1993 as a subsidized public-access channel in Washington DC. Today, it’s a for-profit Kino Lorber joint venture that costs $7.99 per month with more than 2,500 hours of mysteries,...

Exclusive: Subscription streaming outlet MHz Choice, which brings prestige international television to North American viewers, has set its summer slate with the U.S./Canada premieres of 15 series and nine returning shows. Included among them are French period mystery Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games: The ‘70s and Don’t Leave Me, an Italian police drama from the creators of Gomorra.

France Television’s Criminal Games debuts on the service June 13. The 10-part series adapts Agatha Christie’s mysteries in the 1970s and is led by three intrepid investigators. Emilie Gavois-Kahn, Arthur Dupont and Chloé Chaudoye star. Creator is Thierry Debroux.

On August 15, Federation Entertainment’s Don’t Leave Me will bring Deputy Chief Elena Zonin (Vittoria Puccini) back to her hometown of Venice to hunt down a network of kidnappers. There, she’s confronted...

Aacta has revealed those in contention for the major film, television and short-form prizes at this year’s awards, with High Ground leading the charge in the film categories and The Newsreader ahead in television.

The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.

Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.

There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.

High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.

The Best Indie Film Award,...

The second season of Total Control will launch on the ABC November 7.

In the first season, political newcomer Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman) engineered a coup against Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths), the Prime Minister who appointed her to the Senate.

In season two, both Alex and Rachel find themselves treading different political paths. After being dumped by her own party, Rachel relies on strategist Nick Pearce (Alex Dimitriades) to guide her political ambitions, while Alex finds herself surrounded by a new team, led by her brother Charlie (Rob Collins). But politics can be a nasty business. Will Alex’s determination and the tenacity of her grass-roots driven team be enough? Can she survive a system determined to shake everything she values? And can these political adversaries become political allies?

Reprising their roles in the Blackfella Films series are Rob Collins, Wes Patten, Anthony Hayes, William McInnes, Huw Higginson and Lisa Flanagan,...

Newly-appointed Screen Australia head of First Nations Angela Bates is taking an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to the role, insisting her focus is on furthering the strides made by her predecessors.

Bates, who first joined the department in early 2019 as development and investment manager, had the opportunity to work closely with previous head Penny Smallacombe, who vacated the position in May after more than six years.

Speaking to If, she said she would draw on the five strategic pillars identified in The Next 25 Years, a strategy that Smallacombe developed in consultation with filmmakers and industry stakeholders during the department’s 25th anniversary year in 2018.

“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here,” she said.

“There are five key pillars that underpin The Next 25 Years strategy – Indigenous storytelling, identifying stories and talent, developing talent, connecting talent, and advocating for indigenous representation and leadership.

“I...

The second season of ABC/Blackfella Films’ Total Control will headline this year’s Series Mania Melbourne, which will be held online next month.

Organised by Acmi and Film Victoria, in partnership with Series Mania France, the four-day event includes a public screening program comprising a mix of web series, comedy, and drama.

The festival also features a Screen Industry Day on October 14 that incorporates craft-focused panels, keynotes, and masterclasses with global creators.

Series Mania Melbourne will commence with the opening two episodes from political drama Total Control, starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths. The second instalment picks up where Senator Alex Irving’s (Mailman) crusade left off, as she vies to hold everyone to account. Mailman and Griffiths are joined by a host of new cast members for the second season, including Wayne Blair, who is also directing.

Other program highlights include ABC doomsday comedy Preppers from writers/creators Nakkiah Lui and Gabriel Dowrick.

Production in and around Sydney, Australia has started on “Preppers,” a comedy series about the end of the world.

Directed by Steven McGregor (“Black Comedy”), “Preppers” follows a young Aboriginal woman whose world crumbles around her after experiencing a personal, cataclysmic event. Escaping the fallout, she finds herself at the center of a mismatched community of doomsday preppers.

“Preppers” stars Nakkiah Lui who also co-wrote the series with Gabriel Dowrick.

Penny Smallacombe, head of the First Nations Department at Screen Australia said: “Nakkiah Lui has a track record of creating boundary-pushing comedy and we’re proud to support her and the rest of the talented creative team in bringing this hilarious and clever series to life. Who doesn’t need a few lessons in Prepping!”

The show is a Porchlight Films production in association with Spirit Pictures. The series producer is Sylvia Warmer, with Porchlight’s Liz Watts and the...

ABC doomsday comedy Preppers has started filming in Sydney, with the six-part series set to air later this year.

Directed by Steven McGregor, Preppers follows Charlie (Nakkiah Lui), a young Aboriginal woman whose world crumbles around her after experiencing a personal, cataclysmic event.

Escaping the fallout, Charlie finds herself at the centre of a hilariously mismatched community of doomsday preppers.

Written by Lui and Gabriel Dowrick, the cast includes Ursula Yovich, Chum Ehelepola , Meyne Wyatt, Aaron McGrath, Eryn Jean Norvill, Jack Charles, Grant Denyer, Christine Anu, Miranda Tapsell, Brooke Satchwell, Luke Carroll and singer Kate Miller-Heidke.

Preppers is a Porchlight Films production, in association with Spirit Pictures. Sylvia Warmer produces, with Liz Watts executive producing alongside Margaret Ross from the ABC.

Backers include Screen Australia’s First Nations Department, while there has also been a major production investment from the ABC, in association with Screen Nsw.

Lui and Dowrick, a wife and husband team,...

Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths will be joined on screen by a host of new faces for the second season of the ABC/Blackfella Films’ Total Control, including Wayne Blair, who will also direct all six episodes.

Steph Tisdell stars in her first dramatic role, alongside other new cast members such as Alex Dimitriades, Colin Friels, Harry Greenwood, Rob Carlton, Daniella Farinacci, Brenna Harding, Benedict Hardie, and Anita Hegh.

Returning are Rob Collins, Anthony Hayes, William McInnes, Huw Higginson, Wes Patten, Lisa Flanagan and Harry Richardson.

Filming is currently underway, with production to take place across Sydney; Canberra, including at Parliament House, and Broken Hill.

The first season of the multiple Aacta Award-winning drama saw political newcomer Alex Irving (Mailman) engineer a coup against Rachel Anderson (Griffiths), the Prime Minister who appointed her to the Senate.

Season two sees Alex running as an independent. She’ll be ready for the...

After six and half years, Screen Australia head of Indigenous Penny Smallacombe will depart the agency in June.

Smallacombe joined Screen Australia in 2014, and during her tenure has helped shepherd to screen some of the Indigenous Department’s most high-profile projects, including ABC series Mystery Road and Total Control, feature films Sweet Country and Goldstone, and documentaries Maralinga Tjarutja, Looky Looky Here Comes Cooky and She Who Must Be Loved.

The highly-regard executive also stewarded the “The Next 25 Years” – the Indigenous department’s new strategy, the culmination of extensive consultation that occurred throughout the department’s 25th anniversary year (2018).

While at the federal agency, she has also overseen numerous initiatives, including Bunya Talent Hub LA, Songlines on Screen, Pitch Black Shorts, Shock Treatment, State of Alarm, [Black Space] and the Producers Initiative.

“Heading up Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department for the past six years has been one of the best jobs I...

So hefty is the ABC’s slate in 2021, director entertainment and specialist Michael Carrington is confident audiences won’t even realise that many of the broadcaster’s productions faced shutdowns and delays during the pandemic.

As announced at the ABC’s upfronts this afternoon, the line-up for the new year includes new dramas Fires and The Newsreader, new comedies Fisk and Preppers, as well as the return of Total Control, Frayed, Jack Irish, Harrow and Superwog.

2021 will also see the premiere of Jungle Entertainment’s mental health drama Wakefield, with all eps planned to drop on ABC iview.

Also on the line-up is Closer Productions’ chef comedy Aftertaste, starring Erik Thomson, Natalie Abbott and Rachel Griffiths, and feature anthology Here Out West, penned by a group of emerging writers from Western Sydney.

“Seven or eight months ago we were in full production and overnight we stopped production all around Australia,...

The ten Indigenous-led productions due to participate in Bunya Talent Lab LA will each receive development funding and participate in a companion writing program with Netflix.

Originally scheduled for May 2020 in LA, the five-day incubator program was delayed due to travel restrictions but will now take place virtually in early February 2021.

In order for the creatives to maintain momentum and utilise the extra time ahead of the event, Screen Australia’s Indigenous department and Netflix will give each team development funding to further develop their projects with Bunya producers.

As part of the hub, each project will also receive one-on-one international mentorship for their production from Australians in Film (AiF).

A final pitch session to Netflix commissioners in early 2021 will see one of the projects land a formal development deal with Netflix, with Bunya Productions engaged as producers.

Projects include a range of feature film and TV series ideas encompassing comedy,...

HBO has begun developing a series based on Tabloid: The Making of Ivanka Trump, the hit podcast from New York Magazine and Luminary Media, Collider has exclusively learned. Tabloid will be adapted as a fictionalized drama centered around Ivanka’s early years. The project is still in its early stages, but podcast host Vanessa Grigoriadis is expected to serve as an executive producer along with former HBO executive Nick Hall and Australian playwright Nakkiah Lui. A representative for HBO had no comment. Launched last August, the eight-episode series gives listeners a glimpse into the life of the First Daughter, …...

Nakkiah Lui, Sarah Kern and Tai Hara.

Screen Australia today announced $2.7 million of production funding, going towards two features, one TV drama, one children’s drama and five online projects.

The slate includes the Roache-Turner brothers’ Wyrmwood Apocalypse, sequel to 2014’s Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead; writer/director Sara Kern’s debut feature Vesna; Nakkiah Lui and Gabe Dowrick’s ABC comedy Preppers; and a second season of Komixx Entertainment’s Itch.

Screen Australia head of content Sally Caplan said: “This slate of projects is testament to the breadth of Australian storytellers and what they’re capable of creating when supported. We are committed to elevating the careers of emerging talent and it’s exciting to see the likes of Sara Kern making her feature film debut, Nakkiah Lui creating her first longer form TV series and actor Tai Hara moving into directing with online series Colour Blind.”

“I’m...

Creative Incubator facilitator, producer Gillian Moody.

Screen Nsw, in partnership with Bunya Talent, is calling for emerging and mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives to participate in an intensive masterclass and mentoring program.

The three-day incubator, facilitated by producer Gillian Moody, will work with up to eight practitioners to identify and harness their talent, and to advance story ideas and skills.

It is a bespoke program, tailored for each participants’ interests, background and skill sets, and will feature masterclasses and one-to-one mentoring with experienced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander industry practitioners.

Screen Nsw head Grainne Brunsdon said: “Telling stories is a critical way for us to understand our past, navigate the present and imagine possible futures. This program will provide tangible career pathways in the screen sector, kickstart avenues for important stories to be shared across the country and worldwide, and support building important networks and relationships for emerging practitioners.

Vincent Sheehan, Liz Watts and Anita Sheehan.

After 23 years and a body of work that spans 15 features, five TV series, two docos and three shorts, Porchlight Films will cease operations as founding partners Vincent Sheehan, Liz Watts and Anita Sheehan move on to pursue new opportunities individually.

The company is best known internationally for producing three of David Michôd’s four features, including his Oscar-nominated debut, Animal Kingdom, as well as The Rover and Netflix’s The King.

Other notable film credits include Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang, Garth Davis’ Mary Magdalene, Rachel Perkins’ Jasper Jones, Tony Krawitz’ Jewboy and Dead Europe, Daniel Nettheim’s The Hunter, Tony Ayres’ The Home Song Stories and Walking on Water, Cate Shortland’s Lore, Rowan Woods’ Little Fish and David Caesar’s Mullet.

In television and episodic, the team have produced Foxtel drama The Kettering Incident, created by Vicki Madden...

Australian production firm Porchlight Films will cease operations after 23 years of making features that include Justin Kurzel’s “True History of the Kelly Gang,” and Garth Davis’ “Mary Magdalene.” The company also produced David Michod’s 2010 Australian “Animal Kingdom” feature that sparked a successful U.S. TV series.

The three founding partners Vincent Sheehan, Liz Watts and Anita Sheehan will move on to pursue new opportunities individually. Watts and Vincent Sheehan will continue to work on projects currently in development. Anita Sheehan, MD of Porchlight since 2015, will take a short break before pursuing other business opportunities.

The three partners will retain ownership of Jetty Distribution, which will continue to manage the ongoing rights in Porchlight’s catalogue.

Productions currently being financed will continue to be produced under the Porchlight banner into 2021. These include Kitty Flanagan’s comedy series “Entitled” and Nakkiah Lui and Gabe Dowrick’s “Preppers.”

The company’s...

Miranda Tapsell and Nakkiah Lui in ‘Get Krack!n’ (Photo credit: ABC).

The nine creative teams comprising 13 individuals who will take part in the inaugural Bunya Talent Indigenous Hub in Los Angeles in March were announced today.

Presented in association with Netflix Australia and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department, the five-day talent incubator is aimed at mid-career Indigenous writers, showrunners, directors and producers.

The 13 will develop and pitch their projects and attend meetings and presentations by executives from Netflix and other industry practitioners.

The feature film and TV series ideas encompass comedy, drama and the supernatural. The event will take place at Charlie’s, Australians in Film’s hub for business, project development and networking for the Australian screen community in La.

At the end of the incubator, one participant’s work will be selected to proceed to further development with Bunya Productions as producers, receiving up to $20,000 in further development...

Samantha Lang.

Lion and Mary Magdalene director Garth Davis and See-Saw Films have launched a production co-venture with Samantha Lang as head of development.

Entitled I Am That, the partnership will develop feature film and TV projects for Davis to direct and produce alongside See-Saw founders Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.

The president of the Australian Directors Guild, Lang has started work already, based at See-Saw Films’ Sydney office. “This is a really great fit,” Sam tells If. “I really admire Garth and Emile and we look forward to creating beyond beautiful, large scale international film and TV projects together.”

Davis said: “I Am That stems from my long-standing relationship with both Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, who have been incredibly supportive of me in my filmmaking journey and are wonderful partners.

“I also feel very lucky to have the talented Samantha Lang by our side in this new chapter,...

Melissa Lee Speyer (Photo credit: Darwin Morales).

Emerging screenwriter Melissa Lee Speyer is gratified by the advances in screen diversity in the past three years but worries that progress has been exaggerated and there is still a significant imbalance.

Born in the UK to Chinese-Malaysian parents, Speyer sometimes finds she is the only non-white writer in writers rooms.

“For every diverse show loudly championed there are a dozen more with representation issues that nobody notices,” she tells If.

“I know it feels like all the money and opportunities are going in a very specific direction. Trust me, that’s not where 100 per cent of it is going. It’s often just talked about the loudest.

“In the last three years there’s been a lot of loud mainstream talk about diversity, coming off the back of 50 years of virtual silence.

“It’s not just about ‘not being the only non-white writer in the room,...

‘Diary of an Uber Driver.’

Sally Riley is bemused when people use this line when they are pitching projects to her: “This is definitely an ABC show.”

The ABC’s head of scripted production, Riley usually replies: “What is that? What is an ABC show?”

Interviewed in her Ultimo office for a two-part story, she tells If: “If it’s a great show, we’ll do it. I don’t think it must fit in the parameters of what is supposed to be an ABC show.

“We want to not only hold our audiences but also bring in new and younger audiences and we have a broad slate to try to meet both. We will definitely take a calculated risk when we believe in a show.”

As an example of a program which she thinks most people would not expect to see on the public broadcaster, she points to Les Norton,...

Tony Briggs on the set of his short ‘Elders.’

After Tony Briggs spent a year playing Pete Baxter in Neighbours, his screen debut, he discovered the producers had debated whether to identify his character as Indigenous.

He was not aware of those discussions and was very pleased when he found out another actor on the serial had advised the producers that wasn’t necessary.

That was in 1988. Since then he has played numerous characters whose nationality was not mentioned in Rosehaven, Rake, Cleverman, The Warriors (which he co-created with Robert Connolly), Seven Types of Ambiguity, Nowhere Boys and Wentworth, alternating with multiple stage roles.

The creator of The Sapphires is serving as the artistic director of the inaugural Birrarangga Film Festival, a celebration of Indigenous filmmakers from around the world, which will be staged at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image from April 26 – 29.

He is gratified to see more...

Ben C Lucas (centre) on the set of ‘Fighting Season.’

Cjz MD Nick Murray and CEO Matt Campbell’s observations on the shortage of top-class TV writers in light of the continuing talent drain overseas have triggered a lively industry debate.

“For a network and a production house it is the greatest struggle to find writers in this country at the moment as they get sucked up into the Us and UK,” Campbell told If. “Everyone is after the same people. We are having to look far and wide for writers.”

There is general agreement that it is tough for emerging writers to get enough screen credits to establish themselves. While the ABC and some production companies are mentoring writers there are no ready solutions.

Some creatives say there are plenty of skilled writers but networks and producers are often reluctant to back new talent.

“TV in particular rests on the credits of established writers,...

The winners from Series Mania Lille/Hauts-de-France were presented tonight during the closing ceremony at Nouveau Siegle in Lille, France. The international competition ran from April 27 through this evening, honoring the cream of contemporary drama series.

Leading the way was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which won the Audience Award as the crowd favorite among new titles screening their first series, with votes collected after each screening. The series was created and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino (USA), with production by Picrow and Amazon Studios. Its France broadcaster is Amazon Prime Video

The international jury, presided by Chris Brancato and composed of Maria Feldman, Maria Schrader, Clovis Cornillac and Pierre Lemaitre, gave four awards among the 10 series presented in world premiere.

The Grand Prize went to On The Spectrum, created by Dana Idisis and Yuval Shafferman (Israel), with direction by Yuval Shafferman and production from Sumayoko Mtd. The jury called it “a superb,...

Winners were announced on Saturday night for the 9th edition of France’s Series Mania, the first held in the Northern France city of Lille, and Israel’s “On the Spectrum” took home the top Grand Jury Prize, making it the second Israeli series in as many years to claim the award.

Also announced at the Series Mania Forum, the festival’s industry event, France’s Federation Entertainment is teaming with Donna Wiffen and Paul Marquess to create Long Story TV, a European drama series production company. The new outfit will look to create commercial content that is cost-effective, popular, and maintains a British sensibility. It’s one more example of Pascal Breton’s Federation pushing further into English-language programming.

Everything about this year’s edition spoke to the growth of the festival, the most immediate difference being the shear geographic scale. Whereas previous editions were held at the Forum...

Nakkiah Lui..

Shooting has kicked off in Sydney on Porchlight Films' comedy series.Kiki & Kitty.

The absurdist series is the brainchild of writer-actor Nakkiah Lui (Black Comedy), who is working with producers Liz Watts and Sylvia Warmer. .

Produced for ABC iview, the 6 x 10 minute series will be directed by Catriona McKenzie (Shadow Hunters, Satellite Boy, Redfern Now).

The series follows .the trials and tribulations of Kiki, the good black girl in a bad white world, who stumbles across her vagina in the personification of Kitty and realises there is a lot more to life than she thought..

Elaine Crombie (Black Comedy, Redfern Now) stars as Kitty, and comes to the series.from Lui.s recent Malthouse Theatre Company show Blaque Showgirls. Kiki & Kitty also stars Christine Anu, Tessa Rose, Lisa Flanagan, Ryan Johnson and Rob Carlton..

Kiki & Kitty has been commissioned by ABC Indigenous and financed through Screen Australia.s Multiplatform Fund.

The 58 recipients of Screen Australia's Gender Matters: Brilliant Stories and Brilliant Careers.funding, designed to address.the gender imbalance.in the screen industry, have been unveiled..

$3 million.will be shared.among 45 female-helmed film, TV and online projects and 13 career boosting initiatives. The announcement marked the largest cohort of projects funded in a single.day in Screen Australia's history. ..

Screen Australia started the Gender Matters program.late last year in response to the industry.s gender inequity.in key creative roles..In film, women make up around 32 per cent of producers, 23 per cent of writers and 16 per cent of directors. .

Screen Australia chief operating officer Fiona Cameron said Gender Matters was unashamedly providing .express lane. access to female business ideas and stories...

.The funding boost provided by Screen Australia has been a game-changer, providing the industry with an opportunity to get behind some very commercial and creative prospects. It.s now time for action,...

Director, Robert Connolly, will executive produce, Hive Fund winner, Guilty.

Guilty, Remembering Agatha and Bunghole have won funding in the third and final round of the Adelaide Film Festival Hive Fund initiative.

Australian artists Matthew Sleeth, Emma Magenta and Bruce Gladwin are set to collaborate with screen creatives Maggie Miles, Robert Connolly, Andrew Bovell, Julie Eckersley and Ester Harding on three new projects as part of the initiative.

Hive is an Adelaide Film Festival initiative in collaboration with the Australia Council for the Arts, Screen Australia and ABC Arts.

It is a disruptive initiative designed to bring together Australian artists and filmmakers to cross-pollinate their creative ideas, develop screen-based projects and support bright talent to take the next step.

The three newly commissioned projects will have their world premieres at the next edition of the biennial Adelaide Film Festival in 2017 and will all air on ABC TV.

The first project,...

Director, Robert Connolly, will executive produce, Hive Fund winner, Guilty.

.

Guilty, Remembering Agatha and Bunghole have won funding in the third and final round of the Adelaide Film Festival Hive Fund initiative.

Australian artists Matthew Sleeth, Emma Magenta and Bruce Gladwin are set to collaborate with screen creatives Maggie Miles, Robert Connolly, Andrew Bovell, Julie Eckersley and Ester Harding on three new projects as part of the initiative.

Hive is an Adelaide Film Festival initiative in collaboration with the Australia Council for the Arts, Screen Australia and ABC Arts.

It is a disruptive initiative designed to bring together Australian artists and filmmakers to cross-pollinate their creative ideas, develop screen-based projects and support bright talent to take the next step.

The three newly commissioned projects will have their world premieres at the next edition of the biennial Adelaide Film Festival in 2017 and will all air on ABC TV.

The first project,...

The Adelaide Film Festival (Aff) has called for entries to fund films that will premiere at the 2017 festival.

The Hive fund is provided by the Aff, Screen Australia, ABC Arts and the Australia Council for the Arts. A total of. $700,000 will be available. Established in 2011, the Hive Fund has commissioned five films . Tender, I Want To Dance Better at Parties and The Boy Castaways . all of which premiered at the 2013 Festival . and Girl Asleep and Spear, which premiere at this year.s festival. Screen Australia.s head of production Sally Caplan said: .We are delighted to continue to support the Hive Fund and Lab. The quality of the films that have come out of the initiative is extraordinary. This year, the films again meet the high standards set by the 3 previous films. Girl Asleep by Rosemary Myers is fresh, charming and delightful and Spear from Stephen Page exquisite and beautiful.

The ailing screen production sector is set to get a major boost with more than $80 million worth of films, TV dramas and a documentary receiving funding from Screen Australia.

The agency is investing more than $12 million in four features, four adult dramas, two children.s dramas and a theatrical doc. In addition Scroz is providing completion funding to sex comedy The Little Deaths, writer-director Josh Lawson.s feature debut.

The projects include a Blinky Bill animated movie, a comedy set during the Cronulla race riots, the long-mooted Molly Meldrum TV drama and The Principal, the first drama commissioned by Sbs since Better Man.

.We have backed some of our great contemporary writers, directors and producers, alongside some exciting new voices, . said Screen Australia head of production Sally Caplan.

.The projects target audiences as diverse as Australia is today, with projects which are ambitious, risk-taking and culturally important, revealing we have...