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SAFC unveils updated funding program guidelines
13 January 2026
Following a comprehensive review and industry and stakeholder consultation, the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is pleased to share our refreshed suite of funding programs.
These programs will deliver on the SAFC’s new 2025-28 Strategic Plan, which has set a clear direction to empower world-class screen production and connect our state’s diverse voices, stories, artistry and identity to audiences in Australia and around the world.
In line with the new strategy, the updated program guidelines translate the SAFC’s high-level goals into clearer, more targeted and more accessible funding settings that maximise SA production, increase opportunities for diverse practitioners and voices, and strengthen support for local producers.
The SAFC’s refreshed suite of film and TV funding programs is also supported by the introduction of a new development grant fund for video games, designed to boost the development of original, innovative SA digital games, help local game development studios to grow their businesses, and increase the number of SA video games in the global marketplace.
The SAFC’s program updates are the outcome of a rigorous review including a scan of best practices across industry and current sector needs, followed by a targeted industry consultation process.
The SAFC would like to thank all who participated in this process for their feedback and thoughtful contributions, with all industry insights given careful and thorough consideration.
You spoke, we listened
We are pleased to report industry feedback showed support for the majority of program updates, with survey respondents supporting 80% of proposed guidelines changes.
Other proposed changes have undergone further amendments in line with feedback received.
Proposed changes that did not receive broad support from survey respondents are not being progressed.
Key highlights
- As proposed, and with the support of the sector, the SAFC confirms its commitment to support 100% of eligible SA led applications with Screen Production Funding in 2025/26, subject to available funds.
- The SAFC will reopen the Export Market Travel Fund for international market travel, supporting eligible practitioners to take finance-ready projects to the international marketplace.
- The Matched Market Development Grant will continue to support development of SA led productions, providing uncapped matched funding to eligible SA led projects with secured third-party funding from the market, subject to available funds.
- The Revolving Loan Fund will remain open in 2025/26. The SAFC will consult with the sector on future opportunities for this fund to drive production outcomes in the state.
- Guidelines have been strengthened across SAFC programs to ensure more development funding is spent in SA, with reshaped development programs such as the Matched Market Development Grant and Diversity Development Grant creating greater opportunities for diverse South Australian writers and directors.
- In line with the SAFC’s commitment to support greater diversity and inclusion in the SA screen sector, programs have been reshaped to better support and foster the growth of a diverse South Australian workforce, with new development funding opportunities for practitioners from under-represented groups.
- The SAFC has boosted crew development through increased attachments on funded productions, and created more opportunities for SA writers and key creatives across programs, expanding their networks and making them more attractive to external production companies.
- A range of updates have been implemented to streamline processes, lighten applicant workloads and improve efficiency by aligning program timelines more closely with Screen Australia funding guidelines, reducing unnecessary application stages and data requirements, and extending submission windows.
- Program guidelines now specify decision timeframes to ensure SAFC accountability and provide clarity and certainty for applicants.
The SAFC remains committed to ongoing review and continuous business improvement, and will keep refining our programs to align with industry needs and expectations, and continue delivering strong support for South Australia’s screen sector.
For a full rundown of changes, jump to the changes summary and click the headings for each program.
Further updates to specialist and partner programs will be announced prior to program launch.
Program guidelines
The full suite of current SAFC funding programs, including updated guidelines, can be found on the new Funding & Support Programs page.
Applications and Key Dates
All former SAFC program guidelines have now closed for applications to support the transition to the new guidelines and accompanying application forms.
Programs will reopen for applications via the SAFC’s online SmartyGrants portal with updated guidelines in effect on the dates listed below.
During the interim period, applicants are invited to contact the SAFC’s Production team with any questions. Contact details for each program can be found in the relevant guidelines.
|
Program |
Applications Open Date |
AIDC 2026: Conference subsidy |
Tuesday, 13 January, 2026 |
|
Export Market Travel Fund |
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026 |
|
Professional Crew Attachments |
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026 |
|
First Nations Practitioner Development Fund |
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026 |
|
Screen Production Fund |
Tuesday, 27 January, 2026 |
|
ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund |
Tuesday, 27 January, 2026 |
|
Revolving Loan Facility |
Tuesday, 27 January, 2026 |
|
SA PDV Rebate |
Tuesday, 27 January, 2026 |
|
Matched Market Development Grant |
Tuesday, 9 February, 2026 |
|
Diversity Development Grant |
Tuesday, 9 February, 2026 |
What’s changed – key points per program
Overall – all guidelines
- The SAFC prioritises SA-led projects.
- SA-led projects are those where:
- the rights holder is a South Australian Resident (as defined in the SAFC’s Terms of Trade) producer, or where the underlying IP is from, and/or creative control is held by, a South Australian Resident writer and/or director.
- All other projects are Inbound.
- SA-led projects are those where:
- Application and assessment processes have been streamlined to lighten applicant workloads and improve efficiency, with most funds now operating a two-stage assessment process to reduce required application materials at initial eligibility stage.
- SAFC decision timeframes have been tightened and streamlined across all programs. Program guidelines now specify decision timeframes to ensure SAFC accountability and provide clarity and certainty for applicants.
- Separate SmartyGrants applications are now required for SAFC production funding and the SA PDV Rebate.
Screen Production Fund
- 100% of eligible SA-led applications will receive funding in 2025/26, subject to available funds.
- Eligibility criteria for Inbound productions widened to include the attachment of at least one South Australian resident writer or director, and/or Deaf and/or disabled key creatives (regardless of their residency status).
- Projects seeking funding over $125,000 must engage South Australian Professional Crew Attachments, with one week of attachment for each tranche of $25,000 SAFC funding.
- Streamlined application processes and decision timelines:
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage One (eligibility assessment) decision within 10 business days of receipt of application.
- Applications under $1.1 million can be made at any time, with applicants notified of a Stage Two (funding) decision within 20 business days of receipt of application.
- Applications over $1.1 million must be made no later than six weeks prior to an SAFC Board meeting, with applicants notified of a Stage Two (funding) decision within three business days after the relevant meeting.
- Projects must commence production within nine months of application submission.
- Virtual reality (VR) will no longer be an eligible format.
ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund
- For SA-led projects producers can receive up to 16.5% of Qualifying SA Expenditure, while for Inbound projects producers can receive up to 12.5% of Qualifying SA Expenditure, subject to available funds.
- Grant funding for Inbound projects will calculated as 10% of Qualifying SA Expenditure to a maximum of $500,000, with any additional funds to be provided as an equity investment.
- Eligibility criteria for Inbound productions widened to include the attachment of at least one South Australian resident writer or director, and/or Deaf and/or disabled key creatives (regardless of their residency status).
- Projects seeking funding over $125,000 must engage South Australian Professional Crew Attachments, with one week of attachment for each tranche of $25,000 SAFC funding.
- Streamlined application processes and decision timelines:
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage One (eligibility assessment) decision within 10 business days of receipt of application.
- Applications under $1.1 million can be made at any time, with applicants notified of a Stage Two (funding) decision within 20 business days of receipt of application.
- Applications over $1.1 million must be made no later than six weeks prior to an SAFC Board meeting, with applicants notified of a Stage Two (funding) decision within three business days after the relevant meeting.
SA Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Rebate
- The SA PDV Rebate can be applied retrospectively to projects that receive SAFC grant funding, providing PDV Rebate criteria is subsequently met.
- Clarification that any expenditure included in an application already approved for SAFC grant funding will not qualify as SA PDV expenditure.
- For projects involving multiple parties, applicant eligibility has been clarified that the SA PDV Rebate may only be claimed once for the same PDV activity.
- Qualifying spend no longer needs to be calculated net of related party investment.
- Related party costs will be independently assessed, and SAFC reserves the right to adjust if they are assessed as non-QAPE.
- Overheads for any single project are capped at 2% of the total Production Expenditure, or $500,000, but must be separately apportioned to post-production costs if a production grant is also being claimed.
- Productions funded under the SAFC’s Film Lab: New Voices program are not eligible for the PDV Rebate.
- Streamlined application processes and decision timelines:
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage One (Provisional Approval) decision within 15 business days of receipt of application.
- For applications seeking up to $2 million, applicants will be notified of a Stage Two (Final Approval) decision within 20 business days of receipt of application.
- For applications seeking above $2 million, applicants will be notified of a Stage Two (Final Approval) decision within three business days after the relevant SAFC Board meeting.
Matched Market Development Grant
- SAFC will provide uncapped funds matching third-party development contributions for projects with confirmed development funding from a Recognised Third-Party Market Entity, subject to available funds.
- Producer fees and overheads are capped at 20% of development costs.
- Eligible projects will be SA-led.
- Non-SA applicants may apply if they meet certain criteria, including attachment of an SA resident writer and/or having at least one SA Key Creative who identifies as Deaf and/or disabled.
- Streamlined application processes and decision timelines:
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage One (eligibility assessment) decision within 10 business days of receipt of application.
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage Two (funding) decision within 15 business days of receipt of application.
Diversity Development Grant
- This program reshapes the former Targeted Development program to refocus it on diverse applicants.
- Projects must have an attached South Australian writer/and or director from a group under-represented in the SA screen industry, with priority given to applications with an SA writer and/or director who identifies as Deaf and/or disabled.
- Applications from experienced and commercially successful non-SA producers may be considered for projects that are intended to be filmed, produced and post-produced in SA, subject to meeting all other eligibility criteria.
- Evaluation criteria expanded to include potential for selection in A-list festivals and professional career pathway opportunities for SA Resident Key Creatives.
- Funding cannot be used for non-SA Resident director fees, non-SA Resident producer fees or overheads, and cannot be used to cover in-kind or deferred fees.
- Funding will be open per rounds and will be determined by a panel of industry and SAFC staff. SAFC staff will ensure the evaluation criteria have been followed and will not be involved in the creative assessment.
- Streamlined application processes and decision timelines:
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage One (eligibility assessment) decision within 10 business days of receipt of application.
- Applicants will be notified of a Stage Two (funding) decision within five business days after the panel meeting.
Export Market Travel Fund
- This program has been reopened for practitioners across film, TV, and video games, to support international market travel.
- Applicants who have not commenced production after three development or market funding awards within three years will be ineligible.
- Evaluation criteria has been expanded to include assessment of project stage evidenced by secured elements in the finance plan, plan for securing the remaining funds and timeframe to production.
- Streamlined application processes and decision timelines:
- Applicants will be notified of a decision within 10 business days of receipt of application.
- Acquittal report has been extended from one month to three months after completion of market travel.
- Applicants must respond to a follow-up survey sent out within one year.
Professional Crew Attachments
- To maximise clarity, transparency, and consistency for all applicants, the number of weeks of attachments on a project now directly aligns to the amount of SAFC project funding received. (See further details in the Screen Production Funding and ABC SAFC Content Pipeline Fund guidelines)
- Applicants are not required to have credits on professional film and television projects.
- A requirement for a two-week probation period has been removed.
- The production company must ensure that the attachment agrees to respond to a follow-up survey within one calendar year on their progression in the industry including further credits.
Revolving Loan Facility
- Changes to contact details.
Digital Games Fund
- Changes to contact details.
SA Video Game Development (VGD) Rebate
- Changes to contact details.
Payroll Tax Exemption
- Changes to contact details.
First Nations Practitioner Development Fund
- Changes to contact details.