CFAs: Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund Program (Australia)

Objectives

• The aims of the program are to:
  • Support film festivals right across the state via their Opening Night event
  • Ease the financial burden on small-medium film festivals that demonstrate a strong community origin and base
  • Complement the existing funding available for film and community festivals in the state, including Screen NSW’s Audience Development Fund and Destination NSW’s Regional Event Fund
  • Build audiences and community engagement
  • Have an impact on audiences and communities in NSW
  • Support impactful festivals which are also evolving to be relevant to future audiences and the screen industry
  • Support underrepresented communities to tell their stories
  • Showcase the rich cultural diversity of NSW.

Funding Information

• The maximum grant amount is $5,000 per applicant.
• Organisations applying for funding are expected to secure other sources of income or in-kind support wherever feasible. Income may be derived from sources such as sponsorships, grants or subsidies from other agencies, revenue from ticket sales, fundraising and other activities.

Eligible Projects

• Funding is available to support:
  • Venue hire
  • Interpreters (language and/or Auslan)
  • Cost associated with hosting a Welcome to Country ceremony
  • Marketing and promotional costs for the event
  • Culturally appropriate hospitality (e.g. catering) and entertainment (e.g. artist costs such as band/musicians)
  • Transportation Costs (including reasonable travel expenses for the Opening Night film’s key creatives to attend for a speaking opportunity)
  • Licensing fee for the Opening Night film
  • Equipment hire
  • Documentation (photography or videography)
  • Other event costs related to an Opening Night celebration.

Ineligible Projects

• Funding for the Community Film Festival Opening Night Program will not be available for:
  • Costs towards alcoholic beverages
  • Costs related to ongoing programming of the festival
  • Activities that have also received funding from Screen NSW or Create NSW for the same activity in the same financial year
  • Costs incurred before the execution of a Funding Grant Agreement
  • Development of production of screen content including festival trailers
  • Awards or competition component of a film festival
  • Operational costs
  • Costs towards ongoing/existing staff
  • Any other costs not related to the Opening Night event

Eligibility Criteria

• Funding for the Program is open to:
  • Organisations, including companies and not for profit incorporated bodies, co-operatives, trusts or local government authorities
  • A consortium or a group of organisations working collaboratively
• Applicants must be an Australian organisation with an ABN.
• To be eligible for funding, organisations must be legally constituted and financially solvent.
  Applicants need to provide proof of their legal status.
• Applicants must be an Australia-based organisation also adhere to the general eligibility requirements under the Screen NSW Terms of Trade.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applications for the funding will not be accepted from:
  • Individuals, partnerships or groups of individuals and unincorporated organisations
  • Government departments and agencies, primary and secondary schools, tertiary institutions and TAFE colleges
  • Previous Screen NSW or Create NSW funding recipients who have not fulfilled the conditions of the funding and/or who are overdue in acquitting prior funding
  • Festivals receiving a NSW Government contribution of over $150,000
  • Festivals with an annual budget of over $1,500,000
  • Multi-disciplinary or cultural festivals where screenings and screen culture account for less than 75% of programming activity.

For more information, visit Screen NSW.