Leading Lights is a philanthropic funding initiative designed to enable emerging and diverse practitioners to attend AIDC for the first time and participate in a customised professional development program.

Leading Lights eligibility spans a range of backgrounds and contexts, including emerging and early-career, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse, regional and remote, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) nonfiction practitioners.

The program provides vital assistance to industry newcomers in establishing themselves as part of Australia's documentary, factual and nonfiction practitioner community.

All Leading Lights recipients receive a Sessions Pass to attend AIDC and are eligible to participate in the Leading Lights professional development program.

Who can apply?

The Leading Lights Program accepts applications from Australian citizens or permanent residents with an interest in documentary and factual content, who have never attended AIDC before, and who identify with one (or more) of the following groups:

• emerging/early-career (0 to 5 years experience in screen or interactive media production)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• LGBTQIA+
• d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse regional and remote
• and/or from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.

The Program may also accept applications from individuals who reside in Australia and meet the requirements above apart from citizenship or permanent residency.

Individuals only may apply.  Applicants must be 18 years of age or over. 

• Email: info@aidc.com.au