SBS, NITV and Screen Australia have announced six series that will receive further development funding through the joint Digital Originals Initiative.
The selected series was drawn from 10 finalists at the end of last year, with the team taking part in exclusive workshops. Up to three projects from this cohort will be selected for production funding and commissioning.
The 2025 digital original application is also currently open and will be closed on July 17th. The finalists were then invited to the workshop in October, followed by a pitch day in November, with some projects providing further development funding.
“It was extremely difficult to participate in six developments as we are a group of exciting and ambitious projects like this in our digital original workshop. We are excited to work closely with this talented creative cohort to develop the project.”
“For emerging creatives with killer stories, we recommend that the resources, platforms and pathways to the industry that this initiative offers are applied to industry unparalleled worldwide.
Today’s announcement will feature three latest digital originals (Moonbird, Warm Props and Moni) premiere on SBS On Demand and NITV Weekly starting June 19th.
The six selected projects are:
Banana Milk Shake (NSW)
When Oliver Chan, a budding high school filmmaker, is tied up to intimidate his teachers to save his cousin from expulsion, he finds himself too deep and deep in the face of a moral choice he thought would only exist in the film.
Producer: Georgianoe (photo of floating leaf)
Authors: David MA and Johnathan Lo
Director: David MA
Mostly wall flowers (Vic)
As the blind novelist infiltrates in her best friend’s flower shop with a desperate bid to save her writing career, her cynical views on love are tested by the spirit of Valentine’s Day and her own romantic complications.
Producer: Scarlett Koehne (Pikelet Pictures)
Author: Olivia Muscat
Author/Director: Jessica Smith
Her Body (QLD)
Two immigrant women, Vanessa, an architect at the height of her career, and Thelma, her modest housecrener, must face the cost of implicit sacrifice before it’s too late.
Author/Director: Rachel Maxine Anderson and Ray Choi
Mangrove Mansion (QLD)
When her estranged dad derails her wedding plans, Sunny and her fiance Alex command his houseboat and take him to the mainland. Crashing into mud and mangrove-smelling mess, they must survive and get stuck, surviving the sinking boats, the nation, and each other.
Author/Producer: Mary Duon (Superfruity)
Writer/Director: Rhianna Malezer
Nail it! (TAS)
After a welcome to the country, a culturally cut Aboriginal woman accidentally opens a passage into the spiritual realm. Now, the supernatural being wreaking havoc, forcing her to balance exorcism and entrepreneurial spirit and embark on a challenging journey of self-discovery.
Authors: Takani Clark and Cartany Maynard
Temptress (Vic)
Varsha is doing career-defining comedy gigs. So, when her best friend, Zief’s screaming toddler derail the night, she snaps and calls for their qualifications with anti-parent rants that become a virus, tilting their friendship into a bitter, life-changing feud.
Authors: Vidya Rajan and Sunanda Sachatrakul
Directors: Gemma Kotter and Vidya Rajan
Screen Australia, SBS and NITV will also be holding digital original information webinars on June 13th. Applicants are highly encouraged to hear from SBS Script Development Executive Zaina Ahmed, NITV Commissioning Editor, Joseph Meldrum, Screen Australia Investment Manager Manager Joanna Beveridge, Digital Originals history, SBS, NITV history, current history of SBS, and SBS history.
