Screen Australia: Documentary Development

Overview

Screen Australia is the Australian federal government's primary film funding agency. Its Documentary Development program provides grants of up to $30,000 AUD per application to Australian documentary filmmakers for research, scripting, treatment development, sample footage, and other activities that transform a concept into a production-ready project.

Updated guidelines took effect from 1 July 2025 as part of a broader restructuring of Screen Australia's documentary funding programs. The Documentary Development program continues as an open, rolling-deadline program available year-round, separate from the new production funding streams (Producer First, Platform First, and Direct-to-Audience).

The development grant is repayable if the project goes into production, whether or not Screen Australia funds the production. This is a grant, not an equity investment: Screen Australia does not take a recoupment position at the development stage, but recovers the development funding if the project advances to production.

Available Funding

• Maximum request: $30,000 AUD per application
• Funding type: Grant (repayable if the project goes into production)
• Co-funding: Applicants may apply for 100% of the development budget, though co-funding is encouraged
• Rolling deadline: Applications are accepted year-round, with no fixed round dates
• Screen Australia may award a different amount than requested based on assessment of all projects

Development funding cannot cover costs already incurred. Applicants should apply before spending on the activities they want funded.

What It Funds

Development funding covers activities that move a documentary from concept to a financeable, production-ready package. Eligible costs include:

• Research and research-related travel: Meeting subjects, conducting background research, location scouting
• Written materials: Treatments, outlines, series bibles, and other written development documents
• Visual and pitch materials: Decks, teaser/mood reels, sizzles, sample scenes, and time-critical shooting
• Writer, director, producer, and executive producer fees: Development-phase creative fees
• Audience testing and design: Community manager and consultant fees, impact producer fees and plans
• Carers' and accessibility costs: Within specified caps

The program supports projects intended for theatrical release, television (including SVOD/BVOD), and direct-to-audience release (including YouTube, VR, XR, and AR). Additional platforms may be eligible as direct-to-audience pathways evolve.

Eligibility

Applicant Eligibility

The program is open to individuals and Australian companies:

• Individuals: Must be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident (holding a permanent visa)
• Companies: Must be an incorporated company conducting business in Australia, with central management and control in Australia
• ABN required: All applicants must have an Australian Business Number and be registered for GST if required by law
• Co-productions: For anticipated Official Co-Productions, the Australian co-producer applies

Project Eligibility

• Must be a documentary (per ACMA guidelines for the definition of a documentary)
• Must be intended for public release
• Must be developed by Australian production companies/producers and creatives, not sub-contracted from a commissioning platform
• Must be primarily produced in Australia (except anticipated Official Co-Productions)
• Must be written and directed by Australian citizens or permanent residents (except co-productions)
• The applicant must control the rights to the project, including copyright and clearances
• The project must not have been declined twice for Documentary Development funding
• First Nations content or participation requires appropriate protocols, consultation, and consents

Credit Requirements

Credit expectations vary by pathway and budget level:

• Television/theatrical pathways: The team must include a key creative with at least two eligible credits in the role of producer and/or director. The producer or director must have at least one eligible credit on an equivalent publicly released project
• Direct-to-Audience pathway: No minimum credits for Direct-to-Audience development. However, at least one key creative must have an eligible credit on a comparable project released on a direct-to-audience platform

Applicants should consult the Documentary Development Program Guidelines for full details on what constitutes an eligible credit.

Application Process

1. Contact Screen Australia first: Before applying, contact a Development and Investment Manager to discuss your project. Call the Program Operations team on 1800 507 901 or email documentary@screenaustralia.gov.au to confirm eligibility and get directed to the right manager
2. Read the guidelines: Review the Documentary Development Guidelines, Terms of Trade, Information for Applicants, and Information for Recipients on the Screen Australia website
3. Preview the application form: Access the SmartyGrants application form to understand what information and materials are required
4. Submit through SmartyGrants: Complete the online application with all required supporting materials

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. All required supporting materials must be included at submission.

The Development-to-Production Pathway

Screen Australia's development funding is structured as a first step toward production funding. From 1 July 2025, the documentary production funding programs are:

• Documentary: Producer First: For features, series, or singles with no confirmed market interest but a distinctive story and a well-defined pathway to market
• Documentary: Platform First: For features, series, or singles with confirmed market interest through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that includes a first-window request and a commitment to the Screen Australia Minimum Licence Fee
• Documentary: Direct-to-Audience: For online short- and long-form projects (YouTube, AR, MR, VR) with or without market interest

Producer First, Platform First, and Direct-to-Audience are assessed four times per year. Development continues as a rolling-deadline program.

Filmmakers who receive development grants are expected to use the development period to build toward a production funding application, either to Screen Australia's documentary production programs or to external broadcasters and co-production partners. The development grant is not intended as standalone support for indefinite development.

Who Should Apply

Australian documentary filmmakers with a compelling concept that needs development resources to reach the production stage. The program is open to emerging and established filmmakers, with credit requirements varying by pathway. Projects should have strong Australian storytelling value and reflect Australian perspectives, stories, or subjects.

Filmmakers should apply when they have a concept they want to develop but have not yet secured production financing or marketplace attachment. If a broadcaster or distributor is already attached, the project may be better suited to the Platform First production program rather than development funding.

Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money

Screen Australia publishes all documentary development funding approvals on its website, organized by financial year. The program has funded hundreds of projects since its inception. Here are some notable examples of projects that received development funding and went on to achieve significant festival and distribution outcomes:

• Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story (Sally Aitken): Received development support from Screen Australia. Premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance 2021. National Geographic Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights. Released on Disney+ in July 2021.
• In My Blood It Runs (Maya Newell, Closer Productions): Received development funding from Screen Australia. World premiered at Hot Docs 2019 in the International Spectrum competition. Screened at Sheffield DocFest and aired on ABC iview. The film sparked a national conversation about Indigenous education in Australia.
• The Opposition (Hollie Fifer): Screen Australia supported development. Premiered at IDFA 2016 and Hot Docs 2016. Screened at Sydney Film Festival and was nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
• Gondwana (Ben Joseph Andrews, Electra Manikakis): A 24-hour durational VR experience that received development funding. Premiered at Sundance 2022, then screened at SXSW and Sheffield DocFest.

Funding approval lists show that most development grants range from $15,000 to $30,000, with occasional smaller awards for early-stage research or direct-to-audience projects. The program funds both emerging and established filmmakers, with credit requirements varying by pathway.

Typical Award Size Range

Based on published funding approvals from 2019 through 2025:

• Minimum observed: $5,000 (small-scale research or early concept development)
• Typical range: $20,000 to $30,000 (the majority of awards fall in this band)
• Maximum request: $30,000 per application

Screen Australia may award less than the requested amount based on its assessment of the project scope, the development budget, and the stage of development. The program funds 100% of the development budget in some cases, though co-funding is encouraged. Applicants should justify their budget relative to the project's scope, anticipated production budget, intended platform, and the experience level of the key creatives.

What Makes an Application Competitive

Screen Australia assesses applications against four equally weighted criteria:

1. Track record and capacity of the creative team: The assessed team must demonstrate the ability to execute the project and eventually fund production. Prior credits matter, especially for television and theatrical pathways where at least two eligible credits are required.
2. Strength and distinctiveness of the idea and creative approach: Screen Australia looks for concepts that bring a fresh perspective or untold story. Generic treatments or approaches that duplicate existing documentaries are less competitive.
3. Appropriateness of the development strategy: The application must show a clear, realistic plan for how the development funds will move the project toward production. Vague or open-ended development plans are a common weakness.
4. Understanding of audience and pathways to viewers: Applicants must identify the target audience and explain how the project will reach them. This includes specifying the intended platform (theatrical, television, SVOD, direct-to-audience) and explaining why that platform fits the project.

Additional factors that strengthen an application include a well-substantiated development budget, evidence of consultation for First Nations content, and a clear articulation of why development funding is needed now rather than after marketplace attachment.

Watch

See Also

For international co-production considerations relevant to Australian documentary projects, see Distribution Deals: What Filmmakers Need to Know. For planning a documentary production budget once development funding is secured, use the Production Schedule Calculator. For understanding how government funding fits into a broader financing stack, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack.