It is always an awesome thing when we can write about good news like this. Screen Australia has and continues to be supportive of diverse stories which are original, authentic and do not play on negative racial stereotypes. Just earlier this month, Screen Australia released the results of their story development funding for 26 projects amounting to almost $900,000. It includes 9 online projects, 9 feature films and a podcast. I have gone through the list and identified projects which are created, produced, features and/or directed by Asian Australians which have scored some of this funding! Here they are (via Screen Australia):
LUCKY LEE (Premium)
Easy Tiger Productions
Genre Comedy, Mystery
Writers Niki Aken, Melissa Lee Speyer, Lawrence Leung, Tristram Baumber
Producers Rob Gibson, Ian Collie
Synopsis A Chinese mystery. A girl without a clue. A detective without manners.
TALES FROM THE UNITED NONSENSE (Premium)
Emerald Films Pty Ltd
Genre Action adventure, Comedy, Drama
Writers Tamara Asmar, Penny Greenhalgh, Sami Shah
Story Consultant Sarah Lambert
Producers Sally Browning, Katey Grusovin
Executive Producers Sally Browning, Katey Grusovin, Monica O’Brien
Synopsis Tales from the United Nonsense is an 8 part series that follows the adrenalin fuelled dramatic tragi-comic adventures of the free spirited Janey Resnik, a 39-year-old Australian woman with an undiagnosed white saviour hero complex who – at a tipping point in her life – realises her life-long dream when she is posted to South Asia as a communication consultant for the UN in the politically charged years following 9/11.
SCIENCE+ (Generate)
Town by the Sea Productions Pty Ltd and Spaceboy Pty Ltd
Genre Comedy, Science fiction
Writer Seaton Kay-Smith
Director Leela Varghese
Producers Seaton Kay-Smith, Yingna Lu
Synopsis When salt-of-the-Earth handyman and Youtuber, Matt, scores a contract making ‘How to’ videos for ‘sci-fi-esque’ consumer goods, it seems like the perfect fit, until things inevitably go wrong, turning his dream job into an emotionally exhausting, psychologically tormenting, physically dangerous nightmare.
FLUNK (Generate)
Lilydale Films Pty Ltd
Genre Drama
Writers Ric Forster, Mekelle Mills, Phoebe Williams, Helen Le, Luke McCarthy
Producer Melanie Rowland
Executive Producer Ric Forster
Synopsis Teen drama Flunk tells the story of sixteen-year-old Ingrid, who starts to explore her sexuality whilst struggling to cope with the pressures of a country high school and her conservative Chinese-Australian family.
MASC. (Generate)
Six Sisters Pictures
Genre Comedy, Drama, Horror, Romantic comedy
Creators Madeleine Gottlieb, Laura Nagy
Writer/Directors Madeleine Gottlieb, Laura Nagy, Renée Marie Petropoulos, Hyun Lee, Imogen McCluskey, Shari Sebbens
Producers Yingna Lu, Rachel Argall, Georgia Gilbert
Executive Producers Madeleine Gottlieb, Laura Nagy, Martha Coleman, Rob Gibson
Synopsis A 6-part anthology series created, written, directed and produced by women… all about men.
THE TROUBLE WITH UNICORNS (Generate)
1959 Productions Pty Ltd
Genre Comedy, Drama
Writers Chris Pahlow, Grant Scicluna, Holly Alexander, Marieke Hardy
Directors Grant Scicluna, Michelle Savill, Greta Nash, Chris Pahlow
Producers Chris Pahlow, Daphne Do
Executive Producers Richard Kelly, Hayley Adams, John Molloy
Synopsis A couple in their early-30s begin their first non-monogamous adventure, only to find that open relationships aren’t always as liberating as you might think.
EMPTY EMPIRE (Premium)
Corrie Chen
Genre Drama
Director Corrie Chen
Writers Corrie Chen, Penelope Chai
Synopsis After the death of her mother, a biracial woman travels to a mysterious city in China to track down her long-absent father. Instead, she finds an emerald metropolis inhabited by only a handful of guardians, all waiting for the great and powerful wushi to turn the city into a home.
TIME TRAP – (Generate)
Hopscotch Features
Genre Action adventure, Comedy, Science fiction
Writer/Director Michael Shanks
Producers Andrew Mason, Maeva Gatineau, Troy Lum
Synopsis When an intergalactic traveller becomes stranded on the long-abandoned Earth, he joins forces with a teenage girl also lost in time, as they both try to return home.
All of these projects sound awesome and can’t wait to talk to those involved with it and get some report backs here! Keep an eye out for these awesome projects!
To read the original and to see the entire list, please click on: SCREEN AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES STORY DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FOR 26 PROJECTS