Out Now Application Tips

About Out Now

Do you have a bisexual vampire genre romance? Awesome! Or, maybe you have a lesbian time-travel drama? Great! What about a children’s show about a mischievous puppy with two mums? Cute! Think outside the box and stretch the bounds of LGBTQIA+ stories on screen.

Out Now is the first Australian scripted funding initiative open exclusively to LGBTQIA+ web series proposals. Screenwest with the support of Lotterywest has teamed up with Screen Australia and is looking for projects to cut through on an online platform, from LGBTQIA+ Western Australian creative teams keen to shape the future of LGBTQIA+ storytelling.

In line with Screenwest’s current Indigenous Screen Strategy, Out Now will support at least one project with an Indigenous writer and director attached. Screenwest will be assisted by Western Australia’s Centre for Stories to source and develop LGBTQIA+ stories and talent, and connect creatives together.

Applications for Screenwest and Screen Australia’s Out Now Initiative close Monday, 25 January 2021 at 5:00pm AWST. Apply now through the Screenwest SmartyGrants Portal.

Here are some tips from Screen Australia’s Senior Online Investment Manager Lee Naimo and Online Investment Manager Alyce Adams to help you with your Out Now application!

Helpful Resources

Funding Available

Six applications will be shortlisted and receive $2,000 in development funding. These six shortlisted teams will then take part in a series of development workshops to get their projects in the best shape possible to apply for production funding.

Following the development workshops, up to three of the shortlisted applicants will receive up to $100,000.00 per project in further production funding from Screenwest and Screen Australia.

Teams applying for funding must be:

1. Be a Western Australian resident filmmaking team (producer, writer, director).
2. Have an LGBTQIA+ identifying writer and director attached.
3. If applying for the Indigenous strand, two out of three key creatives (writer/director/producer) must identify as Indigenous. One of these key creatives must be the writer.
4. Be able to complete the series within one year of the date of their contract (including projects that contain animation or CGI).
5. Have a separate producer and director attached to the project. Submissions with director/producer applicants will not be eligible.

The project must also be episodic (a minimum of two episodes) and no longer than 30 minutes in total length. For full guidelines please visit the Production page of the Screenwest website.

How to Apply

The full guidelines, application materials and eligibility criteria are available on the Production Funding page of the Screenwest website.

All program guidelines are to be read in conjunction with the Screenwest Terms of Trade.

Applications will be accepted through the Screenwest SmartyGrants Portal.

An application receipt will be forwarded to the applicant within two working days to confirm that Screenwest has received the application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact Screenwest if an application receipt has not been received within this timeframe.

Applications close Monday, 25 January 2021 at 5:00pm AWST.

Program Contact

For more information about this program, please contact:

Chantal Chateauneuf, Interim Talent Development Manager
Screenwest
E: chantal.chateauneuf@screenwest.com.au
T: +61 8 6169 2107
Toll free: 1800 463 04 (WA country callers only)

Stephanie Cole, Development and Production Assistant
Screenwest
E: stephanie.cole@screenwest.com.au
T: +61 8 6169 2114
Toll free: 1800 463 04 (WA country callers only)