ABC, Screen Oz choose female creators

Australian public broadcaster the ABC and local funding body Screen Australia have selected the films for their forthcoming season focusing on young girls.

Michael Carrington

A season branded as ‘Girls’ is set to premiere on ABC Me, the ABC Me app and ABC iview on October 11 to celebrate the International Day of the Girl.

The pubcaster put out a call earlier this year to receive submissions for projects to which it would award money as part of a joint funding initiative with Screen Oz.

Production has started on two dramas and three documentaries, each of which will receive A$80,000 (US$63,000).

The producers are also receiving mentoring from experienced industry filmmakers and editorial guidance from Jan Stradling and Libbie Doherty of ABC Children’s TV and Nerida Moore from Screen Australia.

Summer’s Day is produced by Di Robertson and written and directed by Hattie Dalton, while First Day is produced by Kirsty Stark and written and directed by Julie Kalceff.

The Funny Ones is created and produced by Belinda Dean and directed by Genevieve Bailey; Shame is created, written and directed by Karla Hart and produced by Paloma Bartsch; and A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year-Old Girl is produced by Katrina Lucas and written and directed by Tilda Cobham-Hervey.

“Their proposed film ideas not only capture the heart of what it’s like being a 12-year-old girl in Australia today but also represent the incredibly wide-ranging spectrum of diversity of Australian children, which was a key part of this proposition,” said Michael Carrington, ABC head of children’s television.

The Girls season is part of the ABC’s plan to contribute to the diversity, quality and innovation of the Australian film and television industry, as well as Screen Australia’s target of achieving gender equality.