MIFF Premiere Fund

The Premiere Fund provides co-financing to assist the production of new quality Australian feature films (narrative-drama and documentaries) which then premiere at MIFF. Films supported by the Premiere Fund are “Stories That Need Telling” and have been selected for Berlin, Cannes, London, Rotterdam, Sundance and Toronto film festival and include Balibo, Bran Nue Dae, Buoyancy, Electric Boogaloo, H is for Happiness, Paper Planes, Putuparri & the Rainmakers, These Final Hours, The Song Keepers and The Turning.

The MIFF Premiere Fund Executive Producer is Mark Woods, a former CEO of both Screen Ireland and Ausfilm as well as having served as Head of Content Investment & International Acquisitions at Showtime Australia. Prior to MIFF, Woods co-invested in and/or Executive Produced many quality productions, including Golden Globe-nominated Rabbit Proof Fence, Cannes-selected Japanese Story, Somersault, Golden Globe-nominated Breakfast on Pluto, Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Wind that Shakes the Barley, and the Oscar-winning Six Shooter.

As a strategic minority co-financier of a range of films, the Fund deepens MIFF’s relationship with filmmaking talent and builds a pipeline of quality Australian content for the festival. Now in its second decade, the Premiere Fund has a proud history of assisting the telling of a diverse range of stories from a diverse range of talent and voices; view the Premiere Fund highlights clip here.

Of the almost 90 films co-financed thus far by the Premiere Fund:

  • Some 29% had female directors (versus Screen Australia-reported industry average of 16%)
  • 62% have had female producers (versus industry average of 32%);
  • 42% included youth themes (including Paper Planes and H is for Happiness);
  • 30% had elements portraying Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALDs), with 8% having CALD creative principals (director and/or producer(s));
  • 16% included Indigenous themes and/or characters (including Bran Nue Dae), with 8% having Indigenous creative principals;
  • 15% included LGBTIQ characters and/or issues, with 23% involving LGBTIQ creative principals
  • 45% involved regional themes and/or regional shoots
  • Some 49% of Premiere Fund movies are helmed by first time directors, with 22% of the overall tally being directed by alumni of the MIFF Accelerator Lab emerging director program and 47% securing part of their financing from MIFF 37ºSouth Market.

 

Other key milestones include: