Using These Guidelines

General Guidelines apply to all funding schemes, however specific exceptions may apply.

ScreenWest provides funding for film and television productions undertaken in Western Australia in order to assist development of a local screen industry, and to encourage national and international standard production in the State.

Funding limits exist, so no applicant can be guaranteed of funding. ScreenWest will consider joint applications where applicants are seeking co-funding arrangements with other State or Federal funding agencies.

ScreenWest reserves the right to vary any of the terms or conditions without notice, therefore applicants should confirm the currency of these Guidelines before lodging applications. ScreenWest does not fund retrospectively.

The ScreenWest Board also reserves the right to waive certain conditions in individual cases where the application is considered to fit the spirit of these Guidelines. The final interpretation of these Guidelines and the decision to approve applications rests with the ScreenWest Board and the Minister for Culture & the Arts.

General Eligibility

For applications to be considered, they must meet the following General Eligibility Criteria:

Activity within Western Australia

All Projects must show they provide economic, employment, creative or industry development, and/or cultural benefits to the State. In the case of Production Fund projects, they must also demonstrate national and/or international market attachments.

Priority is given to applications from either resident Western Australians, a Western Australian-resident Production Company, or a Western Australian-resident production company that has entered into a genuine co-production relationship with a non Western Australian-resident production company. Non Western Australian drama productions will only be considered where the Production Company employs substantially Western Australian crew and creative personnel and brings demonstrated strong economic and/or creative opportunities to the State.

Note: A genuine co-production relationship with a Western Australian-resident production company will be evidenced by both co-producers sharing creative control, copyright and profit entitlements on a pro rata basis and sharing credit entitlements by way of a shared card. Variations to the foregoing entitlements may be considered in exceptional circumstances Preference is given to productions that can demonstrate substantial Western Australian content in terms of personnel employed, (including key personnel), locations and facilities used.

Projects originating from outside the State will be considered in certain circumstances, provided they are filmed predominantly in Western Australia and will generate demonstrated substantial employment and professional development opportunities for the local production industry.

Other funded activities such as screen events must occur within Western Australia and enable participation by Western Australian audiences.

Productions

ScreenWest’s priorities for project funding are in the areas of:

• television drama (including children’s and animated drama);
• low budget features; and
• factual television, with a distinct emphasis on documentary.

Projects can be either series or one-off programs, but must be designed for cinema release or television transmission and generally be at least a commercial half hour in duration.

Producers of other types of projects are welcome to seek funding advice and assistance from ScreenWest.

While ScreenWest has no specific schemes of support for multimedia projects, ScreenWest acknowledges the importance of this developing area and encourages projects which provide ‘cross-over’ opportunities for broadcasters and distributors, provided they fit within the broader guidelines.

Individuals

ScreenWest seeks to encourage the work of established professional filmmakers and those mid-career and emerging filmmakers who have embarked on a serious career in the screen industry in this State. They are expected to be Western Australian residents and working or aiming to work predominantly in the drama and factual production sector of the industry (see eligible productions).

A Western Australian resident is defined as “someone who has been resident in Western Australia for at least six months prior to submitting the Application and is registered on the Western Australian electoral roll. ‘Being resident’ means ‘having your usual place of abode’.”

The Board reserves the right to make exemptions in cases where there are exceptional benefits for the local industry.

Practitioners employed on a full time basis by television networks or training institutions are generally not eligible to apply.

Companies

While funding schemes are available to all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria, some schemes give priority access to Western Australian-resident production companies.

ScreenWest adopts the following test for WA residency for companies where a residency test is required:

A Western Australian-resident company is a company which:

• Has its principal place of business in WA; and
• Has at least 50% beneficial ownership by a WA resident(s).

Exemptions may apply where the Company can demonstrate a strong track record and commitment to the WA industry over a minimum two year period. The Board also reserves the right to make further exemptions in cases where there are exceptional benefits for the local industry.

Activities not Funded

Direct funding through ScreenWest will usually not be considered for the following:

• Activities which are associated with a course of study or which take place predominantly in an educational institution;
• Purchase of equipment or capital works;
• Productions primarily intended for corporate, educational, training or promotional purposes;
• Productions for non-commercial outlets, or which do not have national and/or international market attachments;
• Television programming (other than drama or documentary) such as commercials, infotainment, current affairs, light entertainment and general children’s programming;
• “Domestic door” documentaries intended to be funded entirely by the FFC and national broadcasters (unless the total budget exceeds $332,000 per hour);
• Publication costs of film journals, books or magazines.

Application Procedures

Applicants are required to submit an appropriate completed application form (available from the ScreenWest website) plus the supporting material listed in the specific Guidelines for each scheme. The relevant assessment criteria should be addressed in either the support material or a covering letter.

Applicants need only provide ONE typed copy of the submission. It must be professionally presented, but NOT bound. Pages must be printed on one side only. CVs included as support material should be limited to one page and list only experience relevant to the application.

Materials submitted to ScreenWest will not be returned. Applicants should keep their own copy of the application, and should not under any circumstances submit original supporting material.

Closing dates vary across ScreenWest’s funding schemes. They are listed under the specific guidelines. Late or incomplete applications are not generally accepted. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact ScreenWest for more information prior to submitting their application.

Assessment Procedures

ScreenWest utilises a combination of in-house and external panelists when assessing applications. Small grants such as travel grants are usually approved in-house however, applications for development or production investment are considered by specially convened panels comprising of ScreenWest staff and industry representatives with relevant expertise. Panel members are not allowed to have any involvement in a project they are assessing.