Screen Australia, ABC and NITV announce proper love up short film initative
12 December, 2024
Media releases
Thursday 12 December 2024: Screen Australia's First Nations Department, the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and National Indigenous Television (NITV) are calling for
applications from mid-career First Nations producers to apply with an emerging writer and director
team for Proper Loved Up, a new romantic comedy short film initiative.
In partnership with Screenwest, Screen Territory, Screen Queensland, Screen Tasmania, VicScreen,
the South Australian Film Corporation, Screen NSW and Screen Canberra, this initiative will support
up to eight First Nations teams, helping them bring fresh, exciting Indigenous stories to the screen.
It will also focus on building producers' business skills to develop projects for both local and global
markets.
Head of First Nations at Screen Australia, Angela Bates said, We have a proud history of
supporting Indigenous creatives to tell powerful and authentic stories that inspire and travel the
world. This program expands on the legacy of my predecessors and their work in creating the
Indigenous Producers program. It is designed to empower First Nations producers by providing them
with a practical and holistic experience of producing a short film, in addition to offering individual
seed funding to expand their project slate for local and international markets. It's bold and
ambitious, and we are thrilled to partner with the ABC, NITV and the state and territory agencies to
bring this to life.
We need to nurture and develop more First Nations producers. This is vitally important for cultural
safety and the creation of Intellectual Property in the evolving screen landscape. Our writers and
directors are in high demand with Indigenous content proving not just its cultural value but
commercial value. Developing our talent pool of experienced producers will enhance our
storytelling and broaden the reach of our creative voices.
We've had genre themed initiatives previously like Shock Treatment, which have been very
successful, so I'm excited to see what stories our mob will tell in the rom com genre space.
To be eligible, stories must be conceived by an Indigenous creative with the key roles of writer,
director and producer held by Indigenous Australians. No experience in screenwriting is required,
but applicants must demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in this field. Stories that include
the use of First Nations languages are encouraged.
ABC Head of Indigenous, Kelrick Martin said, ABC Indigenous is a proud participant of Proper
Loved Up, having partnered with Screen Australia's First Nations department to support career
pathways and creative opportunities for Indigenous screen practitioners for many years. It's a
commitment that is fundamental to the work we do every day. We love that this initiative is
focussed on the joyous, socially awkward fun of the rom-com genre, and can't wait to see what
these new producers and creative voices will deliver!
Head of Indigenous Commissioning and Production at NITV, Dena Curtis said, NITV is proud to
support the Proper Loved Up initiative, a new look short film program that provides a holistic
approach to developing Indigenous producers, writers, and directors. It is vital that we help foster
talent within the industry and we are excited to continue to support emerging Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander creatives. We can't wait showcase short romantic comedy dramas that celebrate
stories about black joy and black love.
More details about eligibility and how to apply can be found here.
Proper Loved Up will be delivered in two stages:
STAGE ONE:
Up to $5,000 in development funding for each project.
Intensive training program with three in-person workshops and four online masterclasses.
Following completion of the workshops, successful applicants will deliver a third draft script and be invited to apply for up to $80,000 in production funding to produce and deliver their short film. The film will have a 12-month festival holdback before broadcast on the commissioning platforms.
A First Nations Series Producer supported by NITV and ABC will work with producers throughout development and production.
STAGE TWO:
Focuses on slate development for local and international markets.
After completing the third workshop, creatives can apply for up to $15,000 in seed funding (from Screen Australia and relevant State Agencies) to develop a slate of projects.
Includes opportunities for First Nations Travel Grants to take their slate to a local or international market such as Cannes Film Festival or Screen Forever.
INFORMATION WEBINAR Applicants are encouraged to attend the webinar hosted by Head of First Nations Angela Bates. The session will provide an overview of the initiative and the application process with insights from Head of Scripted at Blackfella Films Penny Smallacombe and acclaimed writer/director Dylan River. A short Q&A will follow.
Date: Wednesday 18 December 2024
Time: 11am-12pm AEDT
Register: Click here
Accessibility: An Auslan interpreter will be made available for the webinar. If you would like to discuss this or other accessibility requirements, please contact FirstNations@screenaustralia.gov.au or call 1800 507 901.
A recording of this webinar will be made available on the Screen Australia website soon after.
Applications close 5pm AEDT Friday 14 February 2025.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
Download PDF
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
blueCORE standalone processors headline solutions designed to simplify the trans...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
The TV agency was one of the earliest adopters of Nielsen's local television...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Grass Valley today announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP to transform its newsroom produc...
02/06/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, announces its new Model 385 Mic/Intercom Beltpack. The Mode...
02/06/2026
The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 2...
02/06/2026
More signals, higher quality, and outstanding ingest and streaming flexibility deliver professional results in a small, all-in-one footprint...
02/06/2026
farmerswife will be featured on the Modena Media & Entertainment stand at this year's Mediatech Africa 2026, giving visitors an opportunity to explore the l...
02/06/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17 19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
01/06/2026
Designed to solve a common problem in broadcasting, the automated workflow detects, identifies, removes, and documents copyrighted music
AudioShake has introdu...
01/06/2026
The sports-analytics company combines its data with proprietary AI to help leagu...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
1 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Com...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Marshall Electronics is showcasing a comprehensive lineup of next-generation POV cameras, purpose-built to power today's connected AV environments, at InfoC...
01/06/2026
Adobe Announces Concept to Vector
Deepa Subramaniam June 1, 2026
0 Comments
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from designers is how difficult it...
01/06/2026
Vampire Feature Night Patrol Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton June 1, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist shapes dark, gritty tone for horror thri...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Agentic AI is getting physical.
At COMPUTEX on Tuesday, NVIDIA announced NVIDIA JetPack 7.2 and NVIDIA NemoClaw support on NVIDIA Jetson.
JetPack 7.2 brings a...
01/06/2026
Financial institutions have spent years building AI: fraud models, credit models...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
31/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Wins 15 Awards at the Canadian Screen Awards - See Pho...
31/05/2026
Taiwan is home to more than 500 NVIDIA ecosystem partners. More than 1 million N...
Screen Australia, ABC and NITV announce proper love up short film initative 
