Screen Australia has announced over $1 million of development funding for 15 television dramas, 11 feature films, and five online projects. These include science fiction drama Immersion from Lion director Garth Davis; a queer family drama from writer/director Sophie Hyde called Jimpa; plus successful online series Girl, Interpreted expanding into television, and a unique comedy from the Northern Territory, The Hairy Marys.
Louise Gough, Screen Australia’s head of development said, “Screen Australia is delighted to be able to support such a fantastic mix of originals and adaptations from established and new talent. We’re pleased to see a diversity of themes and genres, from coming of age, to gripping thrillers, queer quests and absurdist comedy, that have the potential to connect with a wide range of audiences.”
“Now five months into the job as the new Head of Development, it’s thrilling to see the stories that are being developed, the hands they are in, the formats being written for, and the audiences these stories seek to connect with. We look forward to continued engagement with talent and the content they are developing,” Gough continued.
Of the 31 projects, 22 have been funded through the Generate stream and nine have been funded through the Premium stream.
The Projects Funded For Development Include:
Immersion: An eight-part television series from director Garth Davis (Lion) and writer Matt Vesely (Aftertaste). When an investigation into his daughter’s illness leads to signs of a shadowy government agency experimenting with the subconscious, a police detective becomes trapped in an immersive reality.
Jimpa: An inter-generational queer family drama from award-winning writer, director and producer Sophie Hyde (Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, 52 Tuesdays). The film follows non-binary teenager Frances who joins their parents on a life-changing trip to Europe to visit their gay Grandpa Jim, or ‘Jimpa’.
The Hairy Marys: A six-part comedy online series set in the remote Northern Territory town of Nhulunbuy, where sassy and intelligent single mums Queen Nwa and Revolution roll through the punches of their chaotic lives as carers to their children on the spectrum.
Agrippina: A feature film from writer/director Amanda Blue (Deep Water – The Real Story) and producers Darren Dale and Erin Bretherton (Total Control) of Blackfella Films. Set in the 1980s, this coming-of-age drama follows a teenage girl who escapes the restrictive confines of her migrant suburban community to discover love, her sexuality and acceptance in Kings Cross.
Girl, Interpreted: A six-part television series based on the AACTA Award-nominated online series of the same name. Girl, Interpreted centres on a Chinese graduate with an expiring visa who picks up work as a Mandarin interpreter to stay in Australia.
Bruny: A six-part series adapted from the best-selling novel by Heather Rose, Bruny is a political thriller about love, loyalty and the new world order. When the massive almost completed Bruny Island bridge is blown up, Astrid returns home to Tasmania after 20 years working as a UN negotiator to help damage control for her politician brother.
Snack: A six-part online comedy about a depressed and socially anxious Banana who tries to win back their human ex-girlfriend by going to therapy with an unorthodox psychologist. The series sees the Banana accidently confronting their fears, letting go of the relationship they thought made them whole, and acknowledging the uncomfortable truth that the best version of themselves might still be a bit shit and maybe that’s okay.
Sweet Milk Lake: A darkly comedic feature following 27-year-old Jake, a soft-spoken trans-man, who is mistaken by his estranged and dying father for his hyper-masc twin brother Sam, a cis-man, upon returning to the rural town where he spent his childhood summers.
For the complete list of development funding approvals refer to television, online and feature film breakdowns.