Screenwest is pleased to announce 11 projects will receive development funding through the latest Small Screen Scripted Development round.

Screenwest will offer a total of $156,736 of script development funding through the round, which will provide new, emerging and experienced Western Australian storytellers the opportunity to get their scripted television or web projects ready for market.

The funding initiative is split into two stages, with two projects previously funded through stage one Small Screen’s inaugural funding round moving through to stage two this round. The initiative’s long-term strategy is to generate more Western Australian scripted series, and showcase Western Australian stories and talent.

Screenwest’s Drama Development Manager, Barbara Connell said, “It was fantastic to see such a diverse and intriguing range of applications submitted to this funding round. The successful projects boast some incredible Western Australian talent and I look forward to seeing each of these unique stories develop in their various formats.”

Matthew Horrocks, Head of Screen Investment and Strategic Projects at Screenwest said, “The popularity of this initiative is growing.  The progression of two projects funded in the inaugural round to stage two demonstrates the opportunity provided to really ensure scripts can undergo a rigorous development process and ultimately deliver high-quality screen projects ready for market.”

Willie Rowe, CEO of Screenwest explained, “Now, more than ever it is important to ensure the WA screen sector is developing stories from a unique Western Australian perspective. We can foresee the successful projects selected have significant opportunity to develop and be ready to come off the shelf once the COVID-19 crisis subsides.”

Two major projects funded through the Stage 2 stream are yet to be announced, but both will develop exceptional Western Australian screen content. The following projects have been issued letters of offer through the Small Screen funding round:

Funding Recipients

Small Screen Script Development Initiative Funded Projects
Stage 1

Double 6

• Format: 10 x 15 minute animated comedy series.

• Key Creatives: Writer/Creator Heather Wilson, Cartoonist/Story Room Michael Nicholas, Story Room Aaron McCann, Story Room Ceinwen Langley

• Synopsis: Twins A.J. & JAXX, are super-secret action heroes who work to defeat the evil workings of DOCTOR Z as he tries to take over the world.

What Would Suki Do?

• Proposed Format: 6 x 24 minute Television Series

• Key Creatives: Writer/Producer Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa , Executive Producer Tania Chambers, Producer: Ana Tiwary, Story Consultant Marieke Hardy.

• Synopsis: Comedy series based on the life of Sukhjit, the adventures of a Sikh girl growing up in Perth.

Murders on the Dance Floor

• Format: 6 x 10 minute web series

• Key Creatives: Creator/Writer/Director Kaleb McKenna, Creator/Actor Jonny Hawkins

• Synopsis: An over-the-top DJ and an uncool cop must join together to solve the mystery of a dance floor death.

Madame Brussels

• Format: 4 x 1 hour Television Series

• Production Company: No Thing Productions

• Key Creatives: Creator/Development Producer/ Writer Penelope Harrold, Producer Brooke Silcox

• Synopsis: A series about Madame Brussels, Australia’s richest women in 1874, who gained her riches through defying convention and opening a brothel.

Old Mate

• Format: 5 x 6 minute Web Series

• Production Company: Pink Pepper in association with Galactic Baby

• Key Creatives: Producer Taryne Laffar, Executive Producer Lauren Elliott, Writer Clarence Ryan, Writer Renato Fabretti, Writer/Script Coordinator Clare Toonen

• Synopsis: Old Mate is a 47,000 year old Indigenous Australian super hero, replete with the requisite mysterious powers and a long-suffering butler. But he’s not your run-of-the-mill super hero. He is super old and Aboriginal and quite possibly more of a menace to his society than he is any kind of saviour-type elder.

Small Screen Script Development Initiative Funded Projects
Stage 2

A Wolf Amongst Dingoes

• Format: 4 episode television series

• Production Company: Mary G Enterprises

• Key Creatives: Producer Ewan Burnett, Executive Producer Jerome Frewen, Concept Creator Mark Bin Bakar and Story Consultant Greg Tait.

• Synopsis: A Wolf Amongst the Dingoes is a redemptive story that shines a light on how Aboriginal people come to terms with injustice.

Buffa

• Format: 6 x 10 minute web series

• Production Company: Veerhuis Pictures

• Key creatives: Producer Katherine Marmion, Writer/Director Emma Vickery, Co-writer Claira Prider

• Synopsis: Diagnosed with a dream-shattering form of cystic fibrosis, Josie must find meaning in a life without opera before she completely self-destructs.

The Burn-over

• Format: 8 x 60 minute TV Series

• Production Company: WBMC

• Key Creatives: Producer Aidan O’Bryan, Producer Janelle Landers, Writer Gerald Lilywhite

• Synopsis: The Burn-Over is the story of Constable Izzy Winton, the seemingly indestructible de facto sheriff of a small town thrown into crisis when a murder victim is discovered in the aftermath of a bushfire.

The Edge of the Woods

• Format: 8 x 1 hour TV Series

• Production Company: Lake Martin Films

• Key Creatives: Producer Kate Separovich, Producer Rachel Higgins, Creator Ceinwen Langley

• Synopsis: In an isolated town, which has closed its borders to protect its citizens from a deadly plague, 17-year-old Emma is more interested in boys and status than questioning her place in a puritan like society. But when her father dies and she’s reduced to social pariah, Emma has to discover the strength to fight to free her people from their restrictive traditions… and to resist the dangerous magic calling to her from the woods.

Untitled TV Series

• Proposed Format: 6 x 60 minute TV Series

• Production Company: Screentime

Parallax

• Proposed Format: 5 x 10 minute mobile series

• Production Company: Komixx Entertainment

About the Small Screen Scripted Development Initiative

Small Screen is a development initiative that offers new, emerging and experienced Western Australian storytellers the opportunity to get their scripted series ready for market.

The initiative is designed as a precursor to Screenwest’s Matched Development fund and is part of Screenwest’s overall strategic objective to increase the number of dramas and comedy series commissioned from Western Australia for the small screen (television, streaming service or web content).

The initiative has two stages/funding streams:

• Stage One: Concept Development

• Stage Two: Series Development

Media Contact

For more information about this program, please contact:

Alex Biddle, Head of Communications
Screenwest
T: + 61 8 6169 2106
E:  alexandra.biddle@screenwest.com.au

 

Contact Screenwest

T: +61 8 6169 2100
E: info@screenwest.com.au

www.screenwest.com.au
www.filminwesternaustralia.com.au

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with Screenwest.

Listen to our podcast – In Conversation with Screenwest for a behind the scenes look at the world of screen production as world-class film, television, documentary and digital media practitioners share their experiences, insight and expertise.

View the WA Screen Industry Calendar to see what’s happening in the screen industry in Western Australia.