SBS Operations

Television SBS
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SBS named as one of Australia’s most innovative companies for its digital language services

SBS has been recognised as one of Australia and New Zealand’s Most Innovative Companies, in the prestigious annual list published by the Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine, from over 700 nominated organisations. Ranked third on the Media and Marketing list, SBS was the only media company to make the list, recognised for its growing and evolving multilingual digital services, exemplifying SBS’s innovative culture and strategy.

SBS provides multiplatform services in more than 60 languages and in recent years has increased its focus on scaling its digital services to meet the diverse needs of the one in five Australians who speak a language other than English at home, finding innovative ways to make SBS’s distinctive content increasingly accessible to multilingual audiences. This has been informed by in-depth multilingual research, user testing and engagement with communities.

This strategy has seen SBS become the first media service in Australia to offer in-language login and navigation on its streaming platform, SBS On Demand, where it also provides a growing collection of SBS dramas, documentaries and current affairs with subtitles in six languages, enabling audiences to access and enjoy content in their preferred language.

It has also underpinned the delivery of essential services helping to keep multicultural communities informed and safe during the pandemic. In March 2020, SBS launched the SBS Multilingual Coronavirus Portal to provide Australians with access to news, critical updates and information in 64 languages, along with videos produced by SBS’s in-language teams explaining important public health messages, available across digital platforms. More than eight million Australians have accessed SBS’s digital multilingual COVID-19 content since the portal launched.

Earlier this year, SBS also launched a dedicated Chinese-language digital service - SBS中文 (SBS Chinese) - bringing together video, written and spoken Chinese languages in a mobile-first offering, providing news, information and entertainment for Australia’s Mandarin and Cantonese speaking communities.

SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said SBS is continuing to focus on innovative and meaningful ways it can respond to and meet the diverse needs of multicultural communities.

“As the most multilingual broadcaster in the world, including delivering news and content in more than 60 languages, the depth and breadth of SBS’s services are unmatched, and we’re proud to be recognised as a leading industry innovator – the only media organisation to be recognised in this way. Innovation is built into everything we do at SBS, from how we make, deliver and market our content, to how we build products, to the ways in which we engage with diverse audiences across our multiplatform offering.

“Today, through SBS, people can read the news in their own language, listen to podcasts and stream audio in their language, watch subtitled documentaries, dramas, current affairs as well as login to SBS’s digital services in their language, all delivered in a way which considers the media habits and content preferences of different language communities. As digital consumption and linguistic diversity increase in Australia, SBS’s distinctive role and unique services are more relevant than ever, and we will continue to deliver dedicated content and find innovative solutions to meet our audiences’ specific needs.”

The full 2021 AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies Media and Marketing List can be viewed here. The ten industry lists rank the most innovative organisations in Australia and New Zealand.

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SBS announces winners of the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition 2021

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SBS today named the five talented writers who have been selected as the winners of the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition for 2021.

An initiative from SBS Voices, the competition - now in its second year - aims to uncover bold new voices that reflect the diversity of contemporary Australia by inviting aspiring writers to share their stories and providing a platform for their voices to be heard.

The 2021 competition saw significant growth, with SBS Voices receiving almost 4,000 entries – nearly double the number of entries from last year - on the topic of ‘Between Two Worlds: stories from a diverse Australia’.

Cat Yen was named as this year’s winning author with her submission, Minor Details . The first literary piece Yen has ever written, Minor Details is an honest and raw account of a marginalised woman who is so focused on survival that she doesn’t dare allow herself to chase her dreams. When she sees herself through the eyes of her middle-class boyfriend, it prompts her to re-examine not just her own life, but that of her migrant parents who came to Australia chasing their own dreams.

Yen, a 25-year-old data analyst from Melbourne, claims listening to hip-hop music inspired her writing style, saying “It’s attuned me to the rhythm of words.” Awarded $5,000 to support further development of her writing and knowledge, Yen said: “This is the nicest thing that has ever happened to me. I’m so grateful and lucky to win this award.”

Reflecting on the winning entry, judges and award-winning authors Tara June Winch and Behrouz Boochani described it as “masterly storytelling”.

The judges continued: “This story manages to wrap a story around a story, the outer incarnation is that of outsiders, of a mother and a father and the things that were broken in the process of creating a family, and the inner heart is a tale of that minor detail of love, of having hope and in being understood. There is an elasticity to the writing - allowing the reader to invest and journey in the story and at the same time be shaken by its truths, pulled back into the writer’s orbit.”

With the high standard of this year’s competition, the judges struggled to name a single runner up, instead awarding two submissions the title - Arky Michael’s Songbird and Maya Hodge’s bidngen - with both authors receiving $3,000 for further skill development.

There were also two highly commended entries with Miranda Jakich and Maya Skidmore, being recognised for their pieces, Coat of Stones and The End Is Green and So is the Beginning .

All winning pieces have been published on the SBS Voices website today.

More …

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According to The Australian, the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee yesterday announced it would conduct an inquiry into the “complaints handling arrangements” of SBS and ABC, following widespread concerns over the existing method of self-assessment of editorial content. The committee is due to submit its report by the end of February 2022.

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Nic Christensen is joining SBS in March next year as head of corporate communications. Currently head of corporate affairs at Nine Entertainment, he finishes up at Nine this month.

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And the current SS director of TV is leaving.

https://forums.mediaspy.org/t/foxtel/638/2601?u=tv.cynic

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Celebrate Lunar New Year 2022 with SBS

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All Australians are invited to mark Lunar New Year with a distinctive content line-up across the SBS network

SBS is encouraging all Australians to celebrate the Year of the Tiger, wherever they are across the country, with a range of programming and activities on offer across the network in the lead up to and throughout Lunar New Year commencing 1 February. With a line-up including documentaries, dramas, movies, food programs and recipes, an expanded subtitled collection of programs on SBS On Demand, extensive coverage across SBS Radio, and much more, SBS will help bring people together at this important time of year marked by thousands of Australians.

SBS Radio ’s language programswill deliver a wealth of content across platforms, engaging with audiences to hear how Australians are celebrating Lunar New Year in 2022, including interviews, videos, podcasts, competitions and articles, as well as social engagement and talkback with SBS’s diverse language communities. To get in the celebratory spirit, SBS Radio will also be bringing audiences an hour of Lunar New Year festive music every morning from 6am, kicking off next Monday 31 January until Tuesday 15 February.

Lunar New Year 2022 will mark one year since the launch of SBS中文 (SBS Chinese ), a digital service for Mandarin and Cantonese-speaking Australians. This milestone will be celebrated with a raft of content about Lunar New Year including a VoxPop video asking people how they celebrate, fun facts about the festival and an article about celebrities born in the Year of the Tiger. SBS Radio’s Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan, Filipino, Samoan, Khmer and Mongolian language programs, will also mark Lunar New Year with content across radio and digital platforms, highlighting the breadth and diversity of celebrations across communities.

SBS Director of Audio and Language Content , David Hua, said, “Lunar New Year is a special time that is celebrated by many cultures and communities across Australia and around the world, welcoming a new year and wishing good fortune to others, and we are excited to be marking the occasion with themed content right across the SBS network. Particularly at this time of ongoing challenges for communities throughout the country, SBS is pleased to be inviting all Australians to come together to experience, learn about and welcome the Year of the Tiger, celebrating Australia’s rich diversity and one of our many significant multicultural events.”

Highlights of SBS’s curated Lunar New Year content include the Australian television premiere of documentary The Great Wall of China: The Making of China, a breathtaking aerial journey travelling along the Great Wall from the Yellow Sea to the Gobi Desert, uncovering 3,000 years of history, to broadcast on SBS on Sunday 30 January at 7.30pm, and available on SBS On Demand.

SBS VICELAND will showcase a range of themed programs and films including the premiere of action hits Shockwave and Shockwave 2 . SBS Food is marking the occasion with Lunar New Year-inspired travel food shows, including Adam Liaw’s Destination Flavour , as well as sharing dedicated recipes, videos and articles online.

SBS World Movies will celebrate with a curated collection of films, placing a spotlight on Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean movies, including Parasite , the Korean movie awarded Oscar winner for Best Picture. While SBS On Demand will offer an expanded collection of programs available with subtitles in Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, and feature curated content including a selection of movies and television shows handpicked by Australian writer and broadcaster, Benjamin Law.

SBS Voices will publish a series of first-person accounts about Lunar New Year including an exploration of the different signs of the Chinese zodiac, and SBS Learn – SBS’s dedicated website for teachers - has teamed up with artist and educator Freda Chiu to create an art activity to encourage children, families and teachers to celebrate Lunar New Year in the classroom and at home. This activity will be available in six languages including English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Mongolian and Korean.

While the ability for communities across Australia to come together in person has been hampered across the country in the last two years, SBS is supporting a number of community festivals taking place in 2022 around Australia, including events in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Launceston.

Visit sbs.com.au/LNY22 for more Lunar New Year content from SBS.

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Shock Wave premiered last Wednesday night (January 19) and is available on SBS on Demand.
Shock Wave 2 will be shown tomorrow night (January 26) at 11.25pm.

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SBS will receive $953.7 million, including an additional $37.5 million in ongoing funding to support its long-term sustainability. This is an increase of $56.7 million over the current triennium.

ABC and SBS will also receive additional funding for audio description services for blind and vision impaired Australians.

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Statement regarding Federal Government triennium funding announcement

SBS welcomes the funding announcement from the Federal Government today, committing to SBS receiving $953.7 million over the 2022-2025 triennium funding period.

It’s an outcome that recognises the value that SBS delivers to Australians, and follows additional funding that SBS has received in past two budgets for the expansion of our language services.

We welcome the certainty it provides as we continue to deliver essential and evolving services to meet the needs of communities.

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SBS supports multicultural communities with Rapid Antigen Test information in more than 50 languages

SBS is continuing to support Australia’s multicultural communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, publishing a series of infographics explaining how to correctly use a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), which will be made available in more than 50 languages.

Four separate infographics have been produced clearly outlining the steps involved to correctly undertake a RAT, including guides to taking a sample, extracting that sample, testing the sample and reading the results. They have been shared and continue to be available on SBS’s social media channels for each language.

These latest resources are part of SBS’s ongoing work in serving Australia’s diverse multicultural communities during the pandemic, ensuring vital information that they may not otherwise be able to access in their language of choice, is easily available and tailored to their needs.

SBS Director of Audio and Language Content, David Hua , said, “We hope that this will be a useful resource for individuals, businesses, schools, and organisations large and small. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and there is a growing need for self-monitoring and self-testing through Rapid Antigen Tests, it is crucial that the testing process is clearly understood and carried out correctly. With many test instructions only available in English there is a risk that they can be misunderstood which can affect the health of the whole community. SBS is proud to continue playing a key role in ensuring vital information is available and accessible for culturally and linguistically diverse communities by producing these latest infographics in more than 50 languages, helping to keep all Australians informed and safe.”

Since the start of the pandemic, SBS has been delivering an extensive range of COVID-19 services across its platforms, supporting the many Australians who speak a language other than English and providing access to information in their preferred language. This includes the SBS Multilingual Coronavirus Portal, which curates SBS’s COVID-19 news and information in more than 60 languages in one, easily shareable destination: SBS.com.au/coronavirus . Since its launch in March 2020, over 11 million unique visitors in Australia have accessed the website and its resources.

David Hua added, “Over the course of the pandemic, SBS has continued to introduce new initiatives and services for audiences – from live translating daily COVID-19 press conferences, to producing videos sharing critical health information at every stage, and busting myths and misinformation. Our role in being there for communities, across our more than 60 language services, continues to be critical. We are part of the communities we serve and we’re proud to continue to respond to meet their needs and adapt and expand our offering.”

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New SBS guidelines and reporting commitment for representation on and off screen

Supporting pathways and driving change in the Australian screen sector

SBS is elevating its commitment to reflecting and exploring the diversity of today’s Australia in the distinctive programs it commissions, and expanding its accountability through new reporting, with the introduction of new guidelines for a more inclusive screen sector.

Released today, the SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines build on SBS’s multicultural and multilingual content reporting each year, and its range of investments in initiatives providing pathways for creatives under-represented in the sector. The guidelines outline commitments for representation of people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations, people with disability, LGBTIQ+, and women, in roles on and off screen, with genre-specific targets across documentaries, drama, entertainment and food programming commissioned by SBS.

SBS Managing Director, James Taylor , said: “Australians have trusted SBS for more than 45 years to reflect the cultures and experiences that shape who we are as a nation. Our commitment to inclusion underpins our unique programs, from New Gold Mountain to Australia Uncovered , The Cook Up to Eurovision , and the compelling and courageous 2022 content slate SBS has revealed today. We connect audiences in powerful - and empowering - ways, making sure diverse and under-represented voices are heard.

“We believe the Australian screen sector can be lifted to even greater heights when everyone who wants to participate has equal opportunity to succeed. It takes deliberate focus, leadership and accountability to continue to improve and drive ongoing change, and that’s why our commissioning guidelines are the most ambitious, nuanced and comprehensive in our industry. They also demonstrate our commitment to audiences: as Australia grows more diverse, all Australians will continue to recognise themselves and their communities on SBS.

“The guidelines, along with the range of inclusion initiatives we deliver, reinforce our ever-growing commitment to pursuing innovations in delivering the SBS Charter. Our funding and production partners are an essential part of our ability to showcase our distinct purpose through great Australian content, and we are grateful for their support.”

The multi-year targets outlined in the guidelines are designed to remove barriers when casting on-screen talent or hiring off-screen crew, with a focus on increasing representation of people from five key under-represented groups, recognising intersectionality and diversity reflected in other ways. They also complement existing SBS screen sector initiatives and investment, including the Diversity Talent Escalator, Digital Originals, the Emerging Writers’ Incubator, Curious Australia, the AFTRS Graduate Program, the R.I.D.E (Respect, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality) Fund and many more, providing meaningful opportunities for under-represented talent and enriched storytelling.

SBS Content Industry Diversity Manager, Michelle Cheng , said: “The new guidelines represent SBS’s commitment to creating a level playing field for practitioners from under-represented backgrounds. As Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster, we’re leading the conversation about representation in the media and building a way forward, supported by our equity and inclusion targets and guidelines.

“We are excited to work with our production partners to meet our goals over the three-year reporting period. SBS will provide practical support to production companies, including funding, training, initiatives and connections to talent from under-represented backgrounds.”

The guidelines apply to SBS, not individual productions, or production companies, for commissions and internal productions across programming in its scripted and unscripted slates.

A new SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines portal has also been launched to support producers and production companies working with SBS. The portal will contain a suite of equity and inclusion resources which are publicly available.

The Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines are part of the SBS 2022-2024 Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Strategy , which builds on SBS’s previous diversity and inclusion plan, with key focus areas and goals aligned to SBS’s vision for inclusive content, business operations and a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The strategy and guidelines have been developed and informed by industry research and engagement, including with SBS’s stakeholders, and SBS values their support. They include Screen Australia and state and territory screen agencies, Screen Producers Australia, Casting Guild of Australia, the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA), as well as SBS production partners including Blackfella Films, CJZ, Endemol Shine Australia, Blink TV, Warner Bros Australia, ITV Studios Australia, BBC Studios, and more.

SBS Head of Scripted Julie Eckersley, SBS Head of Unscripted John Godfrey, and SBS Industry Diversity Manager Michelle Cheng, sat down with Eyes on Gilead podcast host and Head of Curation for SBS On Demand, Fiona Williams, to discuss how the SBS Commissioning Equity & Inclusion Guidelines were developed in consultation with industry partners, how the targets will lead to better storytelling, and the role of SBS as Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster in contributing to a more inclusive future for the screen industry

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Screen Queensland is proud to present Meet the Broadcasters: SBS and NITV on Thursday 7 April, 2022.

The FREE industry event gives attendees the opportunity to hear from key decision makers at SBS and NITV, featuring a presentation and Q&A session followed by industry networking drinks. Screen Queensland welcomes the SBS and NITV team to Queensland.

Chris Irvine – Acting Director, Television and Online Content
Tanya Denning-Orman – Director, Indigenous Content
Kyas Hepworth – Head of Commissioning & Programming, NITV
Marissa McDowell – Commissioning Editor, NITV
Julie Eckersley – Head of SBS Scripted
Loani Arman – Commissioning Editor, SBS Scripted
Joseph Maxwell – Head of Documentaries, SBS
Emily Griggs – Head of Food & Entertainment
Michelle Cheng – Content Industry Diversity Manager

**EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR PITCHING TO SBS AND NITV

As part of this event, SBS and NITV are offering a unique opportunity for screen practitioners to participate in a speed pitching event, with key decision makers from their teams. Pitch meetings will occur from 2.30-4pm and allow 15 minutes per candidate.

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The first Asian Australian woman appointed to the Board of an Australian media organisation.

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Inaugural winner of Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition announced

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Australia for UNHCR and SBS are delighted to announce former Yugoslav refugee, Danijel Malbasa as the inaugural winner of the Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition.

The award, sponsored by SBS, recognises an outstanding former refugee who is raising awareness of the plight of forcibly displaced people, and is named after beloved sports broadcaster Les Murray AM, himself a former refugee from Hungary.

“SBS is so very proud to sponsor the Les Murray award. This award pays tribute to Les’ legacy, but importantly also continues his work in driving awareness of the many ways that refugees make positive contributions to Australia’s multicultural society,” said James Taylor, Managing Director of SBS.

Australia for UNHCR National Director, Naomi Steer congratulated Mr Malbasa and thanked him for his work supporting refugees.

“I know that Les Murray would be delighted with Danijel as the inaugural recipient of the Les Murray award. Danijel has overcome many personal challenges and trauma to carve out a successful legal career and now uses his advocacy skills to help other refugees,” said Ms Steer.

Danijel Malbasa was seven years old when his father was killed after stepping on a landmine. Young Danijel, his mother and three siblings spent six years in camps for Internally Displaced People.

“I can honestly say, hand on heart, that UNHCR was there for us and they saved our lives,” said Mr Malbasa.

The family came to Australia on a humanitarian visa when Danijel was 12 years old; he was malnourished and traumatised and spoke no English.

More than 20 years later, he is an industrial relations lawyer who in his spare time works to highlight the plight of refugees. Mr Malbasa is also a talented storyteller who has written extensively about his experience as a refugee. His writing has been published in books and leading newspapers.

Mr Malbasa said he was delighted to have won the Les Murray award.

“SBS and Les Murray were a constant presence in my life as an ethnic kid growing up in Australia,” he said. Les Murray taught Mr Malbasa that “you can have a career that has nothing to do with refugees and displacement, but still have a sense of responsibility to refugees and people seeking asylum.”

“Our father’s passion for the plight of refugees in Australia and around the world equalled his more recognised devotion to football. He saw refugees not as burdens but as contributors whose diverse backgrounds, perspectives and abilities deeply enrich Australia’s cultural landscape. On behalf of Les, we congratulate Mr Malbasa on this very special recognition,” said Les’ daughters, Natalie and Tania Murray.

Mr Malbasa sits on the steering committee of the National Refugee-led Advocacy and Advisory Group. He volunteers as a migration agent with Refugee Legal, where he helps asylum seekers apply for Temporary Protection Visas. He is also the Deputy Chair of the Forcibly Displaced People Network – Australia’s first LGBTIQ+ refugee network.

The judges of the Les Murray award include former Ugandan refugee Ann Odong, SBS Director of Language and Audio Content David Hua, UNHCR Multi-Country Representative Adrian Edwards, and Australia for UNHCR Deputy Chair Kate Dundas.

Mr Malbasa will be appearing at Australia for UNHCR’s World Refugee Day event on Thursday 16 June.

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Six emerging screen creatives announced for 2021 Emerging Writers’ Incubator initiative

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Successful writers in 2021 (top, L-R) Sebastian Chan, Lâle Teoman, Nicholas Lin, (bottom L-R) Ansuya Nathan, Alberto Di Troia, Cassandra Nguyen

Six screenwriting creatives from across Australia have been selected as the inaugural participants in the Emerging Writers’ Incubator, an initiative from SBS in partnership with Screen Australia, state and territory agencies Film Victoria, Screen Canberra, Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, Screenwest and the South Australian Film Corporation, and with the assistance of the Australian Writers’ Guild.

The Emerging Writers’ Incubator is a nationwide program launched earlier this year to bring the industry together to support the ongoing development of underrepresented writing talent telling Australian fiction stories for the screen. The initiative provides significant work experience in drama production in leading Australian production companies for emerging writers from backgrounds and with lived experience currently underrepresented in the sector. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; people who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; those who are living with disability; are female or trans/gender diverse; identify as LGBTQIA+; and people located in regional and remote areas.

The six successful candidates chosen this year will each be employed for 12 months in one of six award-winning production companies around the country, acclaimed for their delivery of Australian drama.

The successful emerging writers selected for 2021, and the production companies they are working with, are:

  • ACT: Sebastian Chan joins Bunya Productions, supported by Screen Canberra
  • NSW: Lâle Teoman joins Goalpost Pictures, supported by Screen NSW
  • QLD: Nicholas Lin joins Ludo Studio, supported by Screen Queensland
  • SA: Ansuya Nathan joins Closer Productions, supported by the South Australian Film Corporation
  • VIC: Alberto Di Troia joins Tony Ayres Productions, supported by Film Victoria
  • WA: Cassandra Nguyen joins Komixx Entertainment Australia, supported by Screenwest.

Over the next 12 months, they will each gain valuable work experience, further developing their skills, knowledge, and networks, while working across the production companies’ slate of drama productions. They will also be supported by the Australian Writers’ Guild, with access to creative and training workshops, to further develop their skills.

The six successful writers for 2021 were selected by SBS, Screen Australia and state and territory agencies from a national shortlist from hundreds of applicants, which included:

  • ACT: Laura Dawes and Zayaan Jappie
  • NSW: Renee Marie Petropoulos, Shane Salvador and Jess C Wheatley
  • QLD: Connor Bowman, Siobhan Domingo, Future Fidel, Katrina Irawati Graham and Tianna Roberts.
  • SA: Travis Akbar and Alies Christina Sluiter
  • VIC: Meaghan Palmer, Hannah Samuel and Alex Wu
  • WA: Penelope Harrold and Sukhjit Khalsa.

Co-funded by SBS, Screen Australia with participating state and territory screen agencies, the Emerging Writers’ Incubator will continue in 2022 and 2023, with six successful candidates partnered with production companies around Australia each year. Over three years, the initiative will support the careers of 18 emerging writers, further contributing to diversity in the pool of professional talent in the sector.

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Donna Chang, Commissioning Editor, SBS Scripted , said: “The Emerging Writers’ Incubator is a really special and important initiative which SBS is incredibly proud to be working with our partners in the sector to deliver. There is an extraordinary pool of writing talent across Australia who have uniquely Australian stories to share, and through this program we’re excited to be supporting the development of the next generation of distinctive writing voices and contributing to a more inclusive industry.

“Thank you to the award-winning production companies who are also joining us in this initiative, and congratulations to all of the candidates who took part in interviews during the competitive selection process, especially the successful writers - we look forward to going on this journey with them.”

Melissa Lee Speyer, Development Executive, Screen Australia , said: “Screen Australia are dedicated to supporting emerging creatives as they enter the screen sector and we are incredibly proud to support these six writers as they embark on the next stage in their careers. We were blown away with the quality of writing amongst the applications we received and the strength of the national shortlist. It is a testament to the high level of undiscovered talent we have in Australia from our underrepresented communities. Along with SBS, our partners at the state and territory screen agencies and the Australian Writers’ Guild, we are sure the participants will gain invaluable experience working at some of the leading production companies in the country.”

Susie Hamilton, Professional Development Manager, Australian Writers’ Guild, said: “It’s been a privilege to work with SBS, Screen Australia and our other state-based partners on this important initiative. The standard of writing talent we have seen through the selection process has been nothing short of extraordinary. We know that the successful writers and the participating production companies are going to reap enormous benefits from this program.”

Caroline Pitcher, CEO, Film Victoria , said: “Congratulations to Alberto Di Troia and all of the Victorians shortlisted from an incredibly strong field our most talented writers. Tony Ayres Productions is one of Australia’s leading production companies with a proven track record for telling diverse screen stories and elevating new voices. We can’t wait to see Alberto’s career journey as part of this initiative and beyond.”

Monica Penders, CEO, Screen Canberra , said:“We are so pleased that Sebastian Chan from the ACT has been chosen to work with Bunya Productions. This will be a fantastic opportunity for Seb to get more experience as a writer and grow those all important networks. We’re excited to follow his journey and see him back in the ACT with a suite of experiences under his belt.”

Jo Dillon, Chief Creative Officer, Screen Queensland , said “For early-career screenwriters, the opportunity to build networks and receive valuable mentorship via a year-long paid placement is immense. The shortlisted Queensland writers were outstanding, and we wish recipient Nicholas Lin all the best during his placement at Brisbane’s Ludo Studio, creators of the global sensation Bluey .”

Grainne Brunsdon, Head of Screen NSW, said: “As our home-grown film industry develops and grows it is imperative that we continue to support our creative workers and writers, and I am excited to see how this opportunity will propel Lâle Teoman’s career forward as she learns from the best at Goalpost Pictures.”

Rikki Lea Bestall, CEO, Screenwest, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be supporting Cassandra Nguyen as part of this unique opportunity – it’s fantastic to have such a significant nationwide investment in our emerging writing talent. The number of competitive applications we received in WA exceeded our expectations, and I can’t wait to see the initiative continue in 2022 and 2023.”

Kate Croser, CEO, South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), said: “The SAFC has been pleased to support this initiative as part of our ongoing commitment to grow and diversify the pool of credited South Australian key creatives. We congratulate South Australian writer Ansuya Nathan on being selected to work and collaborate with Adelaide’s award-winning Closer Productions.”

About the 2021 Emerging Writers’ Incubator successful candidates:

Sebastian Chan (ACT)
Sebastian is a prolific and ambitious writer/producer from the Australian Capital Territory. Sebastian graduated from the University of Canberra in 2015 with a Bachelor of Media Arts & Production. He has since gone on to earn an Advanced Diploma in Producing (Story, Audience, Finance) from AFTRS. An experienced filmmaker, Sebastian has a growing list of accomplishments and accolades including his award-winning short, Bus Trip (Focus on Ability Festival 2018), the ACT’s first IGTV series, The Red Thread (Where You Are Festival) and most recently winner of the ABC iView ‘Best Pitch’ award for his project, The Family at the 2020 Melbourne Webfest.

Lâle Teoman (NSW)
Lâle recently won the 2019 Australian Writers’ Guild Monte Miller Award for her mystery thriller pilot, The Black Tulip, and was then funded by Scripted Ink to write the rest of the series. Lâle was also sponsored by Scripted Ink to work at Studiocanal, writing coverage on over 70 feature scripts for the European Film Market, 2021. In 2018. Lâle’s pilot script, Blue Mountain, won Best Sci-Fi Screenplay in the Los Angeles Film Awards and Best Short Screenplay in Red Carpet Film Awards NYC. Lâle’s first short film script, The Palace That I Live In, was produced in 2013 and had its world premiere at Palm Springs International Short Fest in 2014 . In 2015, the film also screened in NYC Independent Film Festival, the Edinburgh Short Film Festival, and in 2016 at the Tasmania BOFA Film Festival. The film was directed by Aimèe-Lee X. Curran and features Hunter Page Lochard ( Cleverman), herself, and her real life mother, Diana Jeffrey. Lâle also production/costume designed for the film and has designed and acted in shorts, commercials, music videos and mini series including Foxtel’s Let’s Talk About (2017), and ABC’s Lessons From The Grave (2014), with Matilda and Bryan Brown.

Nicholas Lin (QLD)
Nicholas is a passionate emerging writer/director based in Brisbane. His scripts and short films are largely influenced by his Chinese-Italian upbringing and centre around telling Australian stories through a multicultural lens. He has interned with the Asian Pacific Screen Awards, worked at the Brisbane International Film Festival, and he directed his graduate short film while completing his Bachelor of Film and Screen Media Production at Griffith Film School. Since graduating, Nic has spent the past two years working within broadcast news as an editor and transfers operator.

Ansuya Nathan (SA)
Ansuya trained as an actor at NIDA at the turn of the century, and has since studied and worked in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Not particularly good at waiting around for acting gigs after drama school, she was company producer and co-Artistic Director of Tamarama Rock Surfers - the resident independent theatre company at the Old Fitzroy Theatre in Sydney. Her time developing new Australian work there, and the countless scripts she has read as an actor, has helped her cultivate an innate sense of story and structure, which she is now applying to the screen. Her interest as a creator lies in taking the familiar – genres, narrative styles and character tropes - and infusing it with her ‘otherness’, whether that be her Indian culture, female perspective, Australian sensibility, or all three. After many years away she is excited to be back on home turf and finally unpack her model minority leanings.

Alberto Di Troia (VIC)
Alberto is a writer, filmmaker and graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film & Television) and the Master of Writing for Performance at the VCA. He is the co-founder of award-winning performance company Stage Mom, whose work includes his plays Love You Bitch (Theatre Works 2021) and Truly Madly Britney (Theatre Works 2019, Max Afford Playwrights Award shortlist 2018), as well as participatory, immersive pieces I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Cooking For (2019, Melbourne Fringe) and Love Me (Bar)Tender (2020, Darwin Festival). Alberto has also presented writing with Melbourne Theatre Company, Australian Theatre for Young People, ABC Radio National, and Critical Animals. Prior to this he worked in film editing and post production, and in 2018/19 he ran the community filmmaking initiative, Into The Limelight . Most recently, Alberto was funded by Film Victoria to work as Script Coordinator on the Tony Ayres Productions series, Fires.

Cassandra Nguyen (WA)
Cassandra is an emerging screenwriter and director based in Boorloo/Perth, Western Australia. Her first short film, Play Lunch , received international acclaim at numerous film festivals winning the “Jury Prize for Best Short Film” at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival in 2011. Her follow up project, Visiting Mum , screened at various festivals including the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and won “Best Director” and “Best Actor” at the Asians on Film Festival in 2015. She was selected to attend the inaugural AFTRS Talent Camp in WA and underwent a week-long storytelling intensive lead by Kath Shelper and Brita McVeigh. In 2019 she joined the writing team of The Heights (ABC TV & Matchbox Pictures) for season two, penning an episode. Her short film, Hold Up , was awarded Screenwest’s Elevate 30 grant, and had its world premiere at CinefestOZ 2021.

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SBS, NITV and Screen Australia’s successful short-form drama initiative gets underway with creative teams taking part in exclusive industry workshop this week.

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South Australian Digital Originals series, A Beginners Guide to Grief, will premiere on SBS On Demand in 2022

SBS, NITV and Screen Australia’s successful short-form drama initiative gets underway with creative teams taking part in exclusive industry workshop this week.

Twelve teams of emerging creatives from under-represented backgrounds will have the chance to pitch their drama projects to SBS, NITV and Screen Australia as the Digital Originals initiative gets underway for 2022, with a week-long workshop for the first round of selected teams kicking off today.

A partnership between SBS, NITV and Screen Australia, Digital Originals aims to develop exciting, innovative and risk-taking short-form drama projects to premiere on SBS On Demand and NITV, from emerging screen creatives who are currently under-represented in the sector. This includes people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations Australians, people with disability, female and gender diverse, LGBTQIA+; and those who are located in regional and remote areas.

Following a call out for applications in January, 12 creative teams from across Australia have been chosen to take part in an exclusive workshop run by Screen Australia, SBS and NITV this week. The workshop features sessions focusing on a range of short form content creation skills and will also include case studies of past Digital Originals and other dramas.

Facilitated by filmmaker Rosie Lourde (Starting From Now), over the course of the workshop, teams will also have access to a host of guest presenters and industry figures including Sierra Teller Ornelas (Rutherford Falls), Leah Purcell (The Drover’s Wife), Michael McMahon (Nowhere Boys), Kodie Bedford (Firebite) and Corrie Chen (New Gold Mountain).

The workshop will culminate in teams pitching their projects to Screen Australia, SBS and NITV on 14 June, with a selection of teams chosen to take their projects into further development. From those, up to three will be chosen for production funding and commissioning with SBS, NITV and Screen Australia.

They’ll follow previous successful Digital Originals including Tasmanian murder mystery The Tailings and Western Australian comedy Iggy & Ace which both premiered on SBS On Demand last year, as well as Robbie Hood and Homecoming Queens produced under SBS’s Short-Form Content Initiative which evolved into Digital Originals. The next Digital Originals set to premiere is South Australian drama A Beginner’s Guide to Grief , dropping on SBS On Demand later this year.

Director and Screenwriter Corrie Chen, one of the presenters across the week, said that Digital Originals is an important platform for the next generation of Australian creatives.

“Having gotten my start in short form filmmaking, it is extremely important to me that the industry continue to support initiatives like Digital Originals. An opportunity like this not only provides a space for exciting voices to share their unique stories, it’s a chance to learn and access valuable support along the way."

Commissioning Editor, SBS Scripted, Loani Arman, said: “We were so impressed by the quality of applications for Digital Originals this year that we decided to add two additional places in the workshop. In preparation for pitching to SBS, NITV, and Screen Australia, the workshop will support the teams to interrogate their stories and further develop their projects. Not only will they have the chance to gain insight from incredible industry practitioners, but also learn from each other, building connections with some of the most exciting new talent in the country."

NITV Commissioning Editor, Marissa McDowell, added: “Digital Originals is set to continue its impressive legacy with this year’s cohort – there is a diverse range of projects in the mix from across Australia, with a large First Nations contingent of creatives showcasing unique perspectives on classic genres. I look forward to sseeing how the teams further develop their projects throughout the workshop.”

Screen Australia’s Head of Online, Lee Naimo, said: “In this third year of Digital Originals, we’re again seeing how valued this initiative is, with over 170 applications from across Australia. I couldn’t be more excited for these 12 projects to develop their work and take this next step in their careers, and to continue this strong partnership with SBS and NITV to take distinctive and exciting stories to Australian audiences.”

The creative teams taking part in the 2022 Digital Originals workshop this week, and their projects, are:

Borroloola (NSW)
Description: After her grandmother passes away, a bush girl goes through Sorry Business with her extended family and discovers her grandmother had a secret life.
Genre: Drama
Team: Julia Moriarty (writer), Judi McCrossin (producer)

Confinement (QLD)
Description: A new migrant mother must battle postpartum depression and a tyrannical confinement nanny with seemingly nefarious intentions.
Genre: Thriller
Team: Jacqueline Lim (writer), Lark Lee (producer)

Dark Matter Don’t Matter (NT)
Description: After the mass evacuation of Earth, a small Aboriginal community is left behind and decide to take matters into their own hands… by launching themselves to the stars.
Genre: Comedy, science fiction
Team: Tamara Whyte (writer), Isaac Lindsay (writer), Warren Milera (writer), Philip Tarl Denson (producer)

Earshot (WA)
Description: When a seemingly happy Indian-Australian actress is asked to record the last messages of a missing immigrant woman for a true crime podcast, embodying one of the justice system’s forgotten victims causes her to obsess over the case - and finally acknowledge the invisible violence in her own life.
Genre: Drama, thriller, crime
Team: Vidya Rajan (writer), Alistair Baldwin (writer), Renée Marie Petropoulos (writer/director)

Fully Receivable (VIC)
Description: When a corporate leadership trip in a national park starts off horrifically with the white facilitator dead, it’s up to Sheila Phounpadith, the Accounts Receivable Manager, to prove she isn’t the murderer.
Genre: Comedy, crime, mystery
Team: Michelle Lee (writer), Tahnee McGuire (director)

Karaoke Kingdom (NSW)
Description: In a haunted karaoke parlour at the heart of Sydney’s Chinatown, overworked millennial Cherry Wong starts to fall in love – but she’s too busy untangling the problems of her eccentric patrons and the three ghosts that haunt the halls.
Genre : Drama, romance, magic realism
Team: Claire Cao (writer), Debbie Zhou (producer), Bruce Koussaba (director)

Let’s Break Up (QLD)
Description: Anisa Nandaula, is hiding a secret life of dating and comedy from her conservative Muslim mother. When her first time having sex lands her in hospital with a life-threatening mystery illness, she must face the past in order to heal herself and her relationships before it’s too late.
Genre: Comedy, drama
Team: Anisa Nandaula (writer), Sara Taghaode (producer), Tilly Towler (producer)

Moni (NSW)
Description: Moni, now in his mid-30s, still single, Samoan, and gay, is alone. Truly alone. That is until his parents return from the dead as their 20-something selves, to help their son make peace and seek the life he kept hidden from them.
Genre: Comedy, drama
Team: Taofia Pelesasa (writer/creator), Eliorah Malifa (producer), Alana Hicks (director)

Moonbird (TAS)
Description: An 11-year-old pakana boy takes on the responsibilities of an adult when his father drowns on a remote Mutton Bird Island in Bass Strait.
Genre: Coming of age, psychological drama.
Team: Nathan Maynard (writer), Adam Thompson (writer), Matthew Newton (producer), Catherine Pettman (producer), Courtney Gibson (producer)

Ned (NSW/VIC)
Description: An awkward serial killer becomes entwined in a revenge plot against a religious cult that are brainwashing the youth of Hobart.
Genre: Comedy, drama, horror
Team: Samuel Paynter-Nuggin (writer), Andrew Arbuthnot (producer)

Red Dress Woman (WA)
Description: A teenage Aboriginal girl must take down a racist superhero terrorising her town, before she becomes its next victim.
Genre: Drama, horror
Team: Gary Hamaguchi (writer/director/producer), Brooke Collard (producer)

Warm Props (WA)
Description: 8 hour call. 40 degree heat. Culturally clueless crews and locals who haven’t spoken to each other in decades. What could possibly go wrong with this casting call?
Genre: Comedy, drama
Team: Jub Clerc (writer/director), Jodie Bell (producer)

Digital Originals must align with the SBS Charter and be in the format of 6 x 10 minute episodes, which form a one hour program for broadcast.

The initiative is one of the many delivered by SBS designed to improve diversity and inclusion in the screen industry. Read more about this work here.

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SBS launches its Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan strengthening its commitment to First Nations stories, knowledges, cultures and languages

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Connecting the newest Australians with the Custodians of the oldest continuing culture on Earth through content in more than 60 languages.

SBS has today released its Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2022-2026 , during National Reconciliation Week, outlining its commitment to increasing the prominence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories and perspectives, including delivering more First Nations content in more than 60 languages, across the network.

In its fifth RAP, and its first Elevate RAP, SBS’s vision is to contribute to greater recognition that the knowledges and stories of First Nations peoples are enriching to everyone in a thriving, multicultural Australia. SBS is accelerating its reconciliation journey through strengthened commitments involving all parts of the organisation, with a focus on utilising its unique position as Australia’s dedicated Indigenous and multicultural broadcaster to connect the newest Australians with the Custodians of the oldest living culture on Earth.

There are only 20 organisations in Australia who have been recognised with an Elevate RAP, the highest available status from Reconciliation Australia for those with a proven track record of championing initiatives to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and create societal change, and who are ready to take a leadership position to advance national reconciliation. SBS is one of two media organisations, alongside the ABC, to have an Elevate RAP.

Over the next four years, among its commitments, SBS will implement activities and initiatives that increase the visibility and presence of First Nations perspectives across SBS’s platforms in multiple languages, every day. These include further embedding Indigenous news and perspectives as part of SBS audio and digital services in more than 60 languages, through SBS’s TV news coverage in English, Arabic and Mandarin, and through landmark programming which amplifies national issues from an Indigenous lens.

James Taylor, SBS Managing Director , said SBS’s ability to bring communities together to acknowledge, reflect, and celebrate First Nations cultures and achievements sits at the heart of our network’s distinctive offering, and underpins its Elevate RAP.

“Australia is home to the world’s oldest continuing culture, alongside people who have come here from every country around the world. Every day at SBS we witness the positive impact of connection across such a diversity of cultures.

“We are investing further in bringing communities together in a deliberate, innovative and unprecedented way through our Elevate RAP, which outlines our strongest commitment to date to advance reconciliation. We’re proud to be among a select group of organisations in Australia recognised for our capacity to create change which contributes to a more inclusive Australia. We will use our position and influence to encourage other organisations to join us as we continue on our RAP journey.”

Karen Mundine, a Bundjalung woman and CEO of Reconciliation Australia , said, “On behalf of Reconciliation Australia, I congratulate SBS on its formal commitment to reconciliation, as it implements its first Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), its fifth RAP overall.

“SBS has identified a strong desire within Australia’s multicultural communities to build connections and solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It recognises that by leveraging its unique connections and purpose to build understanding between multicultural communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, SBS can fulfill a crucial role in creating a richer, fuller expression of Australian nationhood.”

Tanya Denning-Orman, a Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, added that SBS will continue to build on its legacy of breaking new ground in the way it shares First Nations stories with all Australians.

“SBS has a proud history of championing Indigenous voices – from Australia’s longest running Indigenous current affairs TV show, to landmark documentaries like First Australians , and upcoming programs like True Colours and The Australian Wars, which SBS is subtitling in multiple languages for more Australians to experience . Across SBS, and with NITV as a critically important part of the network, we provide a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to be heard, for our history to be truthfully examined, for our challenges to be explored, and our achievements to be celebrated.

“As we progress our Elevate RAP, you’ll see more Indigenous stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities shared with multicultural communities in their language, including further embedding these perspectives in news coverage across the network. We’re also increasing our investment in First Nations content and the Indigenous production sector, and in turn, the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytellers who will elevate our stories to new heights,” Denning-Orman added.

Developed through a First Nations-led and informed process, the SBS RAP will also see SBS elevate First Nations languages, provide greater access to content in-language for Indigenous communities, as well increase its investment in free education resources in First Nations languages through SBS Learn . It will also undertake a first-of-its-kind culturally-led research project which will provide comprehensive insights into the content preferences of First Nations peoples across Australia.

The RAP also includes actions designed to support SBS staff, including opportunities for career development for First Nations employees and the implementation of industry-leading policies that reflect First Nations cultural practices.

Playing a leadership role in the community more broadly, SBS will also work with Reconciliation Australia on projects and partnerships that propagate stronger ties between First Nations and multicultural communities.

The launch of this RAP comes as SBS prepares to celebrate NAIDOC Week across the network in July, as the Principal Media Partner for the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony and Official Education Partner for National NAIDOC Week. In December, SBS will also mark ten years since NITV joined the network and became available free-to-air to all Australians for the first time.

SBS’s Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan June 2022 – June 2026 is available here.