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Stan and Film Victoria launch comedy development fund

Stan’s ‘The Other Guy’ season 2.

Stan and Film Victoria today launched a comedy fund designed to help Victorian writers and producers develop Australian comedy with world-class scope and scale.

The joint initiative initially will provide up to $30,000 each for up to four Victorian writers or writer/producer teams to deliver a 30-minute pilot script and series outline.

The teams will be given the opportunity to participate in a workshop with a pre-eminent comedy writer to build their concepts into a pilot. The successful projects will premiere on Stan.

“We want stories that respond to Stan’s creative brief and feature relatable characters with unique dilemmas fueling the comedy for a multi-season run,” Film Victoria said.

Stan’s brief, which references such shows as Catastrophe, Fleabag, Younger, The Moodys and Broad City, calls for serialised comedy, romcoms and comedy-dramas, but not sitcoms, stand-up or sketch comedy.

This marks the second year of the Stan and Film Victoria Development Fund, a two-year initiative aimed at discovering new perspectives and fresh, original stories. The fund is open to up-and-coming creative talent as well as established players.

Stan’s chief content officer Nick Forward said: “We had an outstanding response to the Stan and Film Victoria Development Fund for premium drama projects last year and are thrilled to continue our partnership with Film Victoria in 2020.

“Our focus is always firmly set on finding the next must-watch Stan Original Series and we’re expecting big things from Victoria’s world renowned comedy community. My advice to creatives submitting their pitches this year: Go big. Be bold. And hold nothing back.”

Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher added: ““We’re excited to have partnered with Stan to find irresistible comedy ideas that have an essence that is unmistakably Australian and which will resonate with audiences around the world.”

Applications for the Stan and Film Victoria Comedy Fund are now open and close on March 19. Projects selected for commissioning consideration will be notified in May.

For more information or to apply go here.