
29 05 2023 - Media release Screen Australia, SBS And NITV Call For Applications To Digital Originals 2023
Latecomers, Appetite
Screen Australia, SBS and National Indigenous Television (NITV) have announced that applications are now open for the fourth year of the highly successful Digital Originals initiative.
Digital Originals aims to develop exciting and innovative short-form drama projects to premiere as a single hour-long episode program on SBS On Demand and NITV, from screen creatives historically under-represented in the sector. This includes people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations Australians, people with disability, female and gender diverse, LGBTQIA and those who are located in regional and remote areas.
Recent recipients include Appetite, which was selected as one of 10 series in the Short Form Competition at Canneseries 2023 and Latecomers, which was among six series featured in the Short Forms Competition at Series Mania in Lille, France - with both series the only Australian productions selected for each of the prestigious festivals. Three more projects from the 2022 cohort, Warm Props, Moni and Moonbird, are currently in development, with up to three progressing to production.
Screen Australia's Head of Online and Games Lee Naimo said, "It's amazing how quickly Digital Originals has established itself as a meaningful pathway for emerging creators to advance their careers, and I am sure this announcement is a welcome one for many talented creators in the industry wanting to follow in the footsteps of past recipients.
Whether it's previous recipients stepping up their careers on bigger projects, or series like Latecomers and Appetite receiving local and international acclaim, this initiative is a proven talent escalator with a deserved place in the careers of so many exciting writers, directors and producers.
SBS Scripted Commissioning Editor, Donna Chang, said, Digital Originals continue to break new ground in storytelling and showcase the tidal wave of talent we have here in Australia reflecting the cultures and lived experiences of people who have historically been under-represented in our sector. It's exciting to be a part of an initiative that is making an impact in our industry as a career pathway at SBS, we're thrilled to have had Digital Originals alum like Corrie Chen (Homecoming Queens, New Gold Mountain), Stevie Cruz-Martin (The Tailings, Safe Home), Liam Heyen (Latecomers, Erotic Stories) and others, go on to work across our flagship network dramas. I can't wait to see the projects and talent this initiative elevates next.
NITV's Head of Commissions, Marissa McDowell added, Through Digital Originals, we want to put the spotlight on emerging First Nations storytellers and provide a platform for a new generation of fresh voices. Each year we continue to be impressed by the calibre of projects, innovative approaches, and inspiring stories that Digital Originals delivers, testament to the incredible emerging creative talent that we have in this country. It's a wonderful and meaningful opportunity, and I encourage creatives to submit their ideas and get involved.
Teams will be selected to attend an exclusive workshop in October 2023, run by Screen Australia, SBS and NITV. The workshop will focus on narrative writing skills, as well as developing the projects to align with the SBS Charter and SBS On Demand platform, culminating in a pitch to Screen Australia, SBS and NITV. Teams outside of Sydney will receive flights and accommodation for up to three team members to attend the workshop. Teams of either two or three members are eligible to apply and must include one writer.
From these teams, up to six will be chosen to take their projects into further development, and from these up to three will be chosen for production funding and commissioning with SBS, NITV and Screen Australia.
Submissions should include an up to three-page pitch document outlining the details of the series and more information on the creative team; an up to three-minute pitch video outlining the creators' personal connection to and reason for wanting to develop the project; and an up to 10-page script sample of previous work. For more information on eligibility and application guidelines click here.
Download PDF
Media enquiries Maddie Walsh | Publicist
61 2 8113 5915 | [email protected]
Ted Rose | Senior Publicist
61 2 8113 1091 | 61 456 558 679 | ted.rose@screenaustralia.gov.au
All other general/non-media enquiries
Sydney 61 2 8113 5800 | Melbourne 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
22/05/2025
SBS and Screen Australia showcase the next wave of Australian storytellers with ...
22/05/2025
Rune Pedersen unpacks How Humans Talk in new SBS Audio podcast
22 May, 2025
Media releases
Ever caught yourself using baby talk with your pet and wondered ...
22/05/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
22/05/2025
L3Harris breaks ground on new production facilities in Orange County, Virginia, ...
22/05/2025
Calrec fuels young talent by backing local students in the F1 in Schools programme...
22/05/2025
Sports fans can now seamlessly go between platforms and content types to follow favorite sports teams, live games and related content with Gracenote Nexus Auto
...
22/05/2025
TNT Sports and Eurosport have announced details of their coverage of the French Open, the year's second grand slam event on the professional tennis tour, ta...
22/05/2025
With tornado season in full force, and hurricane season just on the horizon, National Weather Services (NWS) offices across the country are managing a series of...
22/05/2025
Secure integrated multi-orbit network (SIMON ) delivered by SES Space & Defense ...
22/05/2025
Berklee Online Holds Annual Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 30-31 Kamilah Marshall, a backing vocalist for Taylor Swift, will give the keynote presentatio...
22/05/2025
Broadcast Management Group (BMG), a U.S.-based video production company is integrating Grass Valley solutions integrated across operations at BMG's new cent...
22/05/2025
NEW YORK and EL SEGUNDO, Calif. DirecTV has announced a new partnership with the Tribeca Festival to launch the Tribeca Festival Hub, a new destination celebrat...
22/05/2025
LONDON New data highlights how important TV and film content has become for YouTube, with a new Ampere study finding that four in 10 (38%) of YouTube's glob...
22/05/2025
Shutterstock Tips and Tricks
Brie Clayton May 21, 2025
0 Comments
Shutterstock is a vast stock content website with a lot to offer. It boasts a librar...
22/05/2025
Music Marketing: 5 Practical Strategies for Independent Artists Five ways help you build visibility, engage your audience, and grow your fanbase-including one...
22/05/2025
May 22nd, 2025 Press Materials Available Here
Tribeca Festival 2025 Announces ...
22/05/2025
PWHL Wraps Up Sophomore Season With Focus on Storytelling, Graphics Presentation...
22/05/2025
MSG Network's XR Studios Heat Up Manhattan as Knicks Heat Up the NBA Playoff...
22/05/2025
The triangle: Bringing the International Northwest 200 motorcycle race to BBC Sp...
22/05/2025
SVG College Summit 2025: Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 1 By SVG Staff
Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 12:15 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlight...
22/05/2025
2025 Sports Emmys: NBC Sports' Chad Hudson & Wade Echer on the 2024 Paris Ol...
22/05/2025
2025 Sports Emmys: FOX Sports' Bardia Shah-Rais on FOX MLB: The Postseason By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 1:08 pm
...
22/05/2025
2025 Sports Emmys: NBC Sports' John Jelley on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Thursday, May 22, 2025 - 1:14 pm
...
22/05/2025
2025 Sports Emmys: UFC's Craig Borsari on For Mexico, For All Time with Noch...
22/05/2025
SVG College Sports Media Awards 2025: Outstanding Social Media Video, Outstandin...
22/05/2025
Zurich Instruments and Rohde & Schwarz to back the National Quantum Computing Te...
22/05/2025
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Day 2025: Connecting the world with New Space...
22/05/2025
Wuppertal May 22, 2025
Riedel Premieres Easy5G and RefCam Live Systems in High...
22/05/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Unleashed: Mercy For None' Trailer Reveals a Cold...
22/05/2025
Back to All News
Press Play on Summer! Experience Netflix On and Off the Screen...
22/05/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 22, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that t...
22/05/2025
Introducing RedNet TNX We're pleased to introduce RedNet TNX, the latest addition to the RedNet range and our first Thunderbolt interface specifically de...
22/05/2025
In line with the published New Direction strategy, RT has launched a commissioning process that will see all Christian Worship content on RT 's video platf...
22/05/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
As a strategic partner in helping Malaysia achie...
22/05/2025
Prime Time speaks to Charleen Murphy, an influencer whose online harassment turned into a real-world attack
Tonight, Prime Time hosts a special programme focus...
22/05/2025
RT 's Today show, in conjunction with Ireland's oldest publishing house Mercier Press, have announced Ireland's newest published author. Rebecca M...
22/05/2025
GeForce NOW is turning up the heat this summer with a hot new deal. For a limited time, save 40% on six-month Performance memberships and enjoy premium GeForce ...
21/05/2025
When CMA Fest springs to life in Nashville each year, Spotify House is always one of the top destinations-and 2025 will be no different. For the sixth year, Spo...
21/05/2025
Marking a first, Spotify has launched the Upcoming Releases hub-a destination so...
21/05/2025
At todays Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of SGL Carbon SE discharged the Board of Management and Supervisory Board for the 2024 fiscal year and approv...
21/05/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
21/05/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
21/05/2025
The seventh annual report uncovers how marketers are adapting to market trends a...
21/05/2025
During April, streaming's share of TV viewing in Mexico showed a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous month, accounting for 24....
21/05/2025
Streaming Accounts for 44.3% of TV viewing in April, vs. 45.3% for Broadcast and...
21/05/2025
The April 2025 data is in line with the seasonal trend observed in previous years. As in April last year, there was a decline in viewership associated with impr...
21/05/2025
NEW YORK Comcast Advertising has launched a new AI creative platform that will make it much easier for small businesses and local advertisers to market and prom...
21/05/2025
Streaming solutions provider Zeam Media is launching ZeamCast, a marketplace that enables streamers to add local content to their lineup and offers local statio...
21/05/2025
Baris Zavaroglu Appointed as the New CEO of Zero Density
Brie Clayton May 21, 2025
0 Comments
Zero Density, a global leader in virtual studio producti...