The Market & Audience Impact & Insights Initiative is a joint initiative of Screen Australia and Danish agency Publikum, designed for established practitioners working on scripted narrative feature film projects with a production budget over $8,000,000 AUD.

Publikum help to create a deeper connection between creative projects and audiences. Through a combination of anthropological research and data analysis, they provide filmmakers, distributors, and other cultural professionals with precise and deep insights into their audience in both domestic and international territories.

The Market & Audience Impact & Insights Initiative is open to scripted narrative feature film projects from Australian teams consisting of producers, writers and directors. If the project is an anticipated or approved official co-production, only projects where the Australian co-producer is the majority party are eligible. Successful applicants will be supported by Screen Australia to participate in the Publikum audience research workshop. The Market & Audience Impact & Insights Initiative does not provide development or production funding.

The Market & Audience Impact & Insights Initiative aims to:

• support filmmakers and market partners with a proven track record to gain deeper audience insights on their title in development (where applicable) or post-production (where applicable);
• increase the value and discoverability of Australian feature films;
• equip and enhance scripted feature film practitioners and the Australian industry with discoverability skills, development skills and audience testing strategies and insights;
• inform creative, marketing and distribution decisions to strengthen feature film positioning;
• ensure that storytellers and stories being told reflect the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia, and promoting their importance - culturally, creatively and economically.
• elevate experienced teams, enabling the production of higher budget, market ready projects designed to scale audience reach and stronger market penetration.

What you can apply for:

• Projects can apply at either late-stage development or at post-production rough-cut stage;
• Up to three (3) development and five (5) rough cut projects will be funded under this initiative.

Late-Stage Development Projects

Approved applicants with projects at late-stage development will have their scripted feature film script put through several workshops particular to the project. Publikum will provide data-driven research into the intended audience and provide a bespoke audience strategy booklet upon completion. Applicants are expected to be mid-career to established. 

Rough Cut Projects

Approved applicants with a post-production rough cut will have their scripted feature film project audience tested with a large global audience and will be provided with survey results. Publikum will provide data-driven research to inform the best marketing approaches for the project. Applicants are expected to be mid-career to established.

It is expected that Development and Rough Cut projects have a producer/s, director/s, writer/s, animator/s (if applicable) forming the team.

Applicants and projects must also meet the general eligibility requirements as set out in Screen Australia's Terms of Trade, any general eligibility or other requirements listed on the agency's website (see Information for Applicants and Information for Recipients), as well as the specific eligibility criteria set out in these guidelines.

Applicants must apply as a company. To be eligible, the applicant must:

• be an incorporated company carrying on business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia;
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
• be registered for the purposes of GST if required by law; and
• control the rights necessary to carry out the project, meaning that it must have clear chain of title and must generally be party to any underlying rights agreements.

For full eligibility information, including further information about project eligibility and additional criteria, please refer to the attached guideline documents.

• Email: audience.narrativecontent@screenaustralia.gov.au