Past Initiatives
Production Manager Accelerator Workshop
2024
Screenwest is pleased to announce the return of the successful Production Manager Accelerator Workshop for 2024, led by experienced WA Producer/Line Producer/Production Manager James Grandison. The workshop will provide a limited number of WA practitioners with an understanding of Production Management and the mechanics of taking a production from script to screen.
Narrative Design Writing for Games Workshop
2023
The Australian Writers’ Guild and Screenwest are pleased to bring the Narrative Design Writing for Games Workshop to WA. The in-person Perth workshop with Narrative Designer and Facilitator, Alexander Swords, aims to develop practical skills in creating industry-ready narrative content in a collaborative way.
SBS Emerging Writers’ Incubator 2023
2023
The nationwide initiative from SBS in partnership with Screen Australia and state and territory agencies, provides a year of paid employment in a leading Australian production company for emerging writing talent reflecting backgrounds and experiences historically under-represented in the Australian industry.
ABC Art Works Documentary Initiative
2023
The initiative is aimed at emerging to mid-career Producer and Director teams interested in producing short documentary segments profiling the work of Western Australian artists or arts companies, for broadcast on ABC and iview.
West Coast Visions 2023
2023
West Coast Visions is a screen industry development program that provides production funding of $750,000 to low budget features that are to be produced in WA. Its primary goal is to offer first time feature film directors their first theatrical feature film credit.
First Facts: First Nations Factual Showcase
2023
First Facts is a new nationwide factual initiative aimed at First Nations practitioners with ideas for bold, engaging and thought-provoking short documentaries to screen on 10 Play and Network 10’s social media channels.
Brian Beaton Award 2022
2022
The award recognises the valuable contribution esteemed late documentary producer Brian Beaton made to the WA screen industry and honours his memory, by annually awarding a grant to filmmaker/s who have a current social impact project that needs further support to reach its full potential.
Elevate 2022
2022
Elevate invests in the professional skills development of our most talented emerging filmmakers who are committed to a career in film and television, by providing funds to produce a scripted short form project – through either Elevate30 or Elevate70.
Nautilus - Screenwest Professional Skills Development Program
2022
Screenwest is supporting Moon Stories Australia to help further the careers of up to two Western Australian screen professionals through a skills development opportunity in QLD on Nautilus for Disney+.
Environment and Climate Solutions Short Form Initiative
2022
The national short form documentary initiative is designed to provide opportunities for early career filmmakers to hone their documentary craft and create a short documentary for ABC TV and ABC iview under the mentorship of Doc Society and ABC.
First Break
2022
The Australian Writers’ Guild and Screenwest are pleased to launch First Break in Western Australia – a unique professional development program designed to give talented, aspiring WA screenwriters the opportunity to gain in-demand and practical skills, develop their understanding of the screen sector, and build industry connections.
WA Reflections
2022
A partnership between The State Library of WA and Screenwest, WA Reflections is a capacity building initiative will enable up to six, early to mid-career Western Australian filmmaking teams to produce documentary films of up to five minutes in duration. Up to $15,000 production funding is available per project.
Last Days of the Space Age - Screenwest Professional Skills Development Program
2022
Screenwest and Princess Pictures are supporting up to four Western Australian screen professionals to further their careers through a skills development opportunity in NSW on Last Days of the Space Age for Disney+.
ABC Factual Formats Initiative
2022
Screenwest and ABC Factual and Culture have partnered for an initiative that will invite WA producers to create new returnable, half hour format series with broad audience appeal for ABC TV and ABC iview. This initiative seeks to co-develop up to three ideas, with the opportunity for at least one project to go into production in late 2022 – early 2023.
SBS Emerging Writers’ Incubator 2022
2022
The SBS Emerging Writers’ Incubator is a nationwide initiative from SBS in partnership with Screen Australia, state and territory agencies, aiming to promote inclusion among Australian screenwriting talent and to provide significant work experience in drama production to writers with lived experiences that have been underrepresented in the sector.
Unreal Engine Short Film Challenge
2022
Epic Games and Screenwest are looking for new voices and talent from across the film, TV and games sectors eager to engage with new, innovative technologies and alternate methods of storytelling. WA creators can apply for up to $50,000 in production funding to create an animated short film of up to five minutes using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 software.
Industry Enhancement Program
2022
The aim of the Industry Enhancement Program is to build a more sustainable Western Australian screen industry, by increasing the production levels in Western Australia and by leveraging international and national funding into the State.
West Coast Visions
2022
West Coast Visions is a screen industry development program that provides production funding of $750,000 to low budget features that are to be produced in WA. Its primary goal is to offer first time feature film directors their first theatrical feature film credit.
Curious Australia
2021
Screenwest partnered with SBS, Screen Australia and other state and Territory agencies to call for diverse and First Nations creatives to get curious about contemporary Australia, through a new documentary initiative.
SoundWAves – Audio Development and Production Initiative & Audio Production and Post-Production Initiative
2021
Audible – a leading provider and producer of original spoken word entertainment – partnered with Screenwest to provide two unique funding opportunities for Western Australian creatives.
Filming our Future
2021
Screenwest partnered with Carers WA to create a new disability led screen project initiative, providing the opportunity for a Western Australian Producer or Production Company to work with emerging storytellers and practitioners living with disability
Breaking the Celluloid Ceiling
2021
Breaking the Celluloid Ceiling is a bespoke mentorship program designed to meaningfully support three mid-career female or non-binary producers to create bold new, Western Australian work for film and television.
Out Now
2020
Screenwest teamed up with Screen Australia to look for projects to cut through on an online platform, from LGBTQIA+ Western Australian creative teams keen to shape the future of LGBTQIA+ storytelling.
WA Reflections – Our History Rediscovered
2020
Screenwest launched WA Reflections – Our History Rediscovered in collaboration with the State Library of Western Australia to reimagine stories, bringing them to life through film.