Screen Australia today announced $750,000 in support for the production of five short films through its Springboard Program, now in its fourth year. The recently-completed Springboard workshops provided a unique development experience over several months, enabling the five participating teams to develop a short film script that speaks to the sensibilities of their proposed feature film and becomes a strategic tool in its financing. For the first time, this year Screen Australia decided that all participants would be given the opportunity to make their short film, with production funding of $150,000 each. All teams will also receive ongoing support to develop their feature film scripts.
The five selected projects are:
Bluey (supporting the feature Obelia)
Writer/Director Darlene Johnson, Producer Heather Oxenham
The Apartment (supporting the feature Dealer)
Writers/Directors Sam McKeith and Tom McKeith, Producer Robert Coe
Dario (supporting the feature Starfish)
Writer/Director Hannah Moon, Writer Stephen Sholl, Writer/Producer Robin Geradts-Gill
Skin (supporting the feature Red Earth)
Writer/Director Liselle Mei, Producers Trish Lake and Dan Lake
Martha the Monster (supporting the feature Pest Control)
Writer/Director Christopher Weekes, Producers Michael Pontin and Jamie Hilton
Screen Australia’s Head of Development Martha Coleman said, “This year we were struck even more than usual by the strength and diversity of the participants’ projects. The growth in storytelling skills of each team during the Springboard workshops was notable and, considering the short film scripts the filmmakers developed, and the feature films they intend to make, it would have done the industry a disservice to not fund any one of these shorts.”
Two shorts created through Springboard in 2012, The Last Time I Saw Richard (writer/director Nicholas Verso, producer John Malloy) and Perception (writer/director Miranda Nation, producer Lyn Norfor) will screen at the Sydney Film Festival Dendy Awards on Saturday 15 June. These Final Hours, the feature film for Springboard 2011 participants Zak Hilditch and Liz Kearney, for which the short film Transmission was created, is in the final stages of post production.