Australia – Screen Australia has announced development funding for seven feature films and one high-end television project; production funding for three digital series and one virtual reality (VR) project and talent development funding for writer/director Lucy Gaffy who will be the first Australian invited to observe Masters students during a 10-week placement at the prestigious Juilliard School of Drama in New York City.

The Wedding Officer, a WWII drama based on the best-selling novel by Anthony Capella and adapted by Andrew Knight. The Martha Coleman produced Revlover Films feature has also secured matched funding from eOne. Gender Matters: Brilliant Stories funded project Relic, directed by Natalie Erika James ,would be James’ feature debut. Drama Fruit Pickers from writer/director brothers Sam and Tom McKeith whose debut feature Beast screened at Toronto International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and Adelaide Film Festival. And New Zealand author Kate de Goldi’s adaptation of her novel From The Cutting Room of Barney Kettle – a coming-of-age story about a brother and sister whose attempts to make a film are side-tracked by a catastrophic earthquake.

The digital projects that have received production funding include, Awake – First Contact from Start VR, an innovative virtual reality film about ordinary people who are visited in their dreams by aliens from another reality. Mememe Productions live-action children’s series Get Grubby,  which won an International Emmy in 2013 will be shot in the NSW Northern Rivers and will be available on both ABC KIDS and iview.

Last Frame Productions’ supernatural lesbian drama Jade of Death from producer Taylor Litton-Strain and writer/director Erin Good. The series was one of 10 projects selected for the 2016 Berlinale Talents project lab and will be distributed internationally by French outfit Rockzeline. It is slated to feature in the 2018 Queer Film Festival program after being a recipient of Queer Screen’s 2017 Completion Fund.

Self-released comedy series Method from Fire Sky Films and Blonde Skye Productions, which is based on the lives of two struggling actors who work a wide array of obscure and amusing side-jobs to pay the bills and take every opportunity to hone their craft. Created and performed by Jerome Velinsky and Tawni Bryant who also produce and direct, the series was written by Velinsky and produced by Kristin Skye Sargent.