Dust Off Those Drafts! Screen Australia Open Its Doors to Writers

16 March, 2010

The Australian Writers Guild welcomes the announcement by Screen Australia on the revisions to its eligibility criteria for ‘experienced writers’.
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In a watershed decision, the wealth of talent and expertise among Australian television series writers has been acknowledged, with prime time television series credits now considered eligible experience when applying for feature film funding.

This is a huge win for writers, and the AWG congratulates Screen Australia for this recognition of the role Australian television plays in our industry, and its continued success in reaching Australian audiences.

The threshold for feature film, telemovie and mini-series eligibility has also been reduced from three writing credits to two, recognising what a career achievement these credits are in such a small marketplace, and narrowing the previous disparity in defining experienced producers (1 credit) and writers (3 credits).

These changes to the guidelines dramatically increase the number of talented Australian writers eligible to access script development funding without a producer already attached, providing experienced writers the opportunity to develop their script before taking it to the marketplace and choosing a suitable producer.

Rewarding talent and experience with opportunity is a principle the AWG fights hard to achieve for writers and today’s announcement marks an important milestone in that endeavour.
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