Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Screen Australia announces development funding for 28 drama projects

26/07/2021

26 07 2021 - Media release Screen Australia announces development funding for 28 drama projects

Comedy duo Hot Department are developing online series HOME

Screen Australia has announced 12 feature films, 13 television dramas and three online projects will share in $975,000 of Story Development funding.

The projects include a television series inspired by the 1999 film Two Hands from director Gregor Jordan, and a family feature film from the producers of Bluey called Staycation.

Screen Australia's Head of Development Nerida Moore said, Screen Australia is really proud to be supporting this impressive mix of projects. This includes fresh genre-bending comedies HOME and Our Haunt, and beautiful romantic drama 10 Moments that will bring together 10 chapters from a great team of exciting creative voices. It's also wonderful to support more children's content with Big Serious Studios' Goo Zoo set to invite children into the world of microbiology as part of the company's aims to deliver more STEM content for kids.

This slate is the final development funding awarded in the 2020/21 financial year. During this period Screen Australia received 397 Story Development applications across the Premium and Generate Funds. In the last 12 months, Screen Australia has provided funds to a total of 83 projects out of a pool of 387 projects that were creatively assessed. This included 45 through the Generate Fund for lower budget projects, and 36 through the Premium Fund for higher budget projects from established creators. There were also two projects funded through the Premium Plus Fund for critical late-stage development funding to high-budget projects with firm market interest that were impacted by COVID-19 (note this fund closed in July 2020).

Moore continued, One year on it's great to see the success of projects that we were able to support during the initial impacts of COVID-19 through our Premium Plus Fund, including The Newsreader which is set to air on the ABC next month and New Gold Mountain which is coming to SBS later this year.

The latest projects funded for development include:

10 Moments: An anthology feature film telling the love story of Chris and Ben, two very different men who have a special connection. Ten key moments, from when they first meet through the years that follow, will be brought to the screen by 10 different writer/directors across a range of genres. The creative team currently includes writer/directors Neil Triffett (EMO The Musical), Roger Monk (The Unusual Suspects), Adrian Chiarella (Black Lips) and Brendon McDonall (The Dam). The film will be produced by Michael McMahon (Cut Snake) and Mat Govoni (Lone Wolf) and executive produced by Tony Ayres (Clickbait).

Goo Zoo: A 26-part animated children's series set in a petri dish, in a world populated by microbes. Following the fun and wacky adventures of Tina the Amoeba, this television series from Big Serious Studios will bring to life an amazing microscopic world. Goo Zoo will be directed by Charlotte Rose Hamlyn (Kangaroo Beach) and David Peers (Happy Feet 2). Hamlyn will also write alongside Bruce Griffiths (Spongo, Fuzz & Jalapena), Maria Lewis and Roshelle Fong, with ARIA Award-winning band Art Vs Science lending their musical talents. The series will be produced by Katrina Peers (Legend of the Guardians).

HOME: An eight-part series written by Patrick Durnan Silva and Honor Wolff of award-winning comedy duo Hot Department (featured on At Home Alone Together). HOME is a comedy series inspired by the classic 90's sitcom, set in an absurd and elastic universe. Whiplashing through a mixture of odd, horrendous and hilarious scenarios and characters, The Funkles nuclear family is pushed to the verge of implosion. HOME will be directed by Hot Department director Liam Fitzgibbon, and executive produced by Jono Mastrippolito (A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen).

Our Haunt: An eight-part television series about a hapless couple who buy an old Surry Hills terrace to do it up, but instead find their haunted house wants to do them in. Unable to afford to leave, they re forced to become bumbling investigators of the previous occupants murders - flashing back to the counter-culture 70s and razor-gang 20s. This horror-dramedy series will be written, directed and produced by Daniel Reisinger whose 2018 series Sideswiped, featuring the likes of Jason Sudeikis, has gained over 50 million views online. The creative team also features writer/directors Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke whose credits include Haunting Of Bly Manor and Cargo, as well as Romina Accurso (The Heights).

Remembrance: An interactive virtual reality (VR) project that will allow audiences to explore the memories of a shell-shocked World War I veteran, in a quest to find the source of his repressed trauma. This project sees writer/director Anna Brady team up again with producer Lester Francois, whose 2018 VR project RONE screened at South By Southwest Festival and Cannes NEXT.

Staycation: A family feature film from the producers of Bluey which follows the dysfunctional Moore family, whose dream holiday is cancelled so they try to survive their summer break at home on a staycation'. Tempted by the luxuries of the rich Smith family across the road, they begin living at their neighbours' house and impersonating the Smiths. But they soon discover the other family are under witness protection. The creative team features writer/director Daley Pearson (Bluey), writers Donick Cary (Parks and Recreation) and Kim Huffman Cary, and producer Charlie Aspinwall (Bluey).

Two Hands (working title): An action-charged comic revenge thriller for television inspired by Gregor Jordan's 1999 feature film of the same name. Writer/director Jordan (Ned Kelly) is developing the series with writers Melissa Bubnic (Shameless
LINK: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2021/07-26-dev...
See more stories from screenaustralia

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

19/08/2026

Imagine Communications Steve Reynolds on Kaseya Centers Hybrid IP Build and the Growth of ST 2110

As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...

19/08/2026

European Athletics Championships 2026: BBC, Event Organizers Bring Birmingham Action to Viewers in Style

A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...

19/08/2026

Filipiana Sets the Class Divide on a Golf Course in the Philippines

(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...

19/08/2026

MPG launch Save Our Studios survey

Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...

19/08/2026

Harrison unveil the Flex-10

Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...

19/08/2026

Minimal Audio release Lucid

Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...

19/08/2026

Audio Modeling open PolySWAM pre-orders

First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...

19/08/2026

FOX and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026 Success in Nielsen's June Gauge Reports

World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...

19/08/2026

The Gauge: Poland | July 2026

July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...

19/08/2026

Carr Calls ABC Suit 'Meritless

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Henry Alexander Joins BCE as Sales Director

Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...

19/08/2026

iWedia Announces Advanced Android DRAM Optimisation Proce...

iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...

19/08/2026

NTP Technology announces ST 2110-30-RAVENNA 128-channel A...

NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...

19/08/2026

ORF goes full IP with Net Insight in nationwide network o...

Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...

19/08/2026

Coventry City Trophy Parade Extends LiveU LIQ Beyond the...

LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...

19/08/2026

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton August 18, 2026 0 Comments Filming endangered turtles required camera...

19/08/2026

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control Basic

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...

19/08/2026

ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nielsen: Fox and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies At 93

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Study: NBA Ad Revenue Hit $2.1 Billion Last Season

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nexstar's WNCN Donates ENG Van for Training

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Riedel Brings Professional Live Production Into the Class...

Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...

19/08/2026

QuickLink Showcases New 4K Capabilities Across StudioEdge...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...

19/08/2026

EMAM together with PlayBox Neo and SNEWS launch combined...

Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...

19/08/2026

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen industry financing pathways

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...

19/08/2026

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdre Brennan

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...

19/08/2026

U&alibi re-commissions Bookish for Christmas Special and Series 3

There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...

19/08/2026

Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple live sports events simultaneously on the big screen for the first time

Wednesday 19 August 2026 Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...

19/08/2026

RT TO AIR HISTORIC KATIE TAYLOR FIGHT IN CROKE PARK

On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...

18/08/2026

SportStream 2026 Virtual Event Set for September 15-17

SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: BeckTV to Debut BeckFlow Documentation Platform

BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53). BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...

18/08/2026

IBC 2026: Boland Communications to Introduce ST 2110 Option for 4K Monitors

Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...

18/08/2026

Seattle Seahawks Integrate Dolby OptiView with Dolby Vision for Fan Streaming

Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...

18/08/2026

Insights from BMG's Graham Taylor on the Role of a Sports Producer in Live Broadcast Production

For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...

18/08/2026

TMRW Sports Names Rufus Hack as President of Golf

TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...

18/08/2026

SMT To Deliver Race Technology for Freedom 250 IndyCar Broadcast

SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...

18/08/2026

HMA's Creator Collective Pairs Digital Creators, Beat Writers in New Model for Local-Sports Coverage

The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...

18/08/2026

Behind The Mic: FOX Sports Shares Broadcast Lineup for 2026 NFL Season and College Football Season

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

18/08/2026

Miami Heats Ed Filomia on Rebuilding Kaseya Centers Video Infrastructure and 29 Years With the Heat

The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...

18/08/2026

Bill Rasmussen, ESPN Founder and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, Dies at 93

William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...

18/08/2026

DAZN Completes Acquisition of ViewLift

DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...

18/08/2026

American Association of Professional Baseball Adds SI TV as Broadcast Partner

The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...

18/08/2026

Esports Foundation Postpones Inaugural Esports Nations Cup to November 2027

The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...

18/08/2026

Diversified Launches Global Managed Services Practice

Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...

18/08/2026

Appear Completes REMI Proof of Concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions

Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...