Shorts newsletter - 8 July 2021

Today we have published the information for applicants intending to make a funding application to the Scripted or Factual streams of the NZ Media Fund or Industry Development Fund for the September round.

Please read the full September 2021 funding round information for applicants here.

The September round is focused on production applications intended to reflect and/or appeal to targeted audiences. It is the round where most of our funding for Children’s content for both HEIHEI and other platforms is committed.

Production applications will be considered as follows:

Factual – the focus for this round is for applications for targeted audiences that will deliver to all genres of factual content (including Children).

• Children’s factual content applications supported by platforms that are not HEIHEI on TVNZ OnDemand should apply through this stream.
  • There is a separate application process for producers intending to make factual HEIHEI video content specifically for HEIHEI on TVNZ OnDemand. The round information for that application process is available here.
• These applications are most likely to deliver to the Many Perspectives and Fresh Opportunities streams of the Factual Roadmap.
• Approximately $17m has been allocated for factual content in this round.

Scripted – the focus for this round is for applications for Premier and Sustainable streams of our Scripted Roadmap.

• Children’s scripted content applications (including games for the HEIHEI games platform) supported by platforms that are not HEIHEI on TVNZ OnDemand should apply through this stream.
  • There is a separate application process for producers intending to make scripted HEIHEI video content specifically for HEIHEI on TVNZ OnDemand. The round information for that application process is available here.
  • Information for HEIHEI games applications is available here.
• Approximately $18m has been allocated for scripted content in this round.

Development – both Content (including Diverse Development) and Industry development applications will be considered. However, funding for both streams is very limited and applications will have to reach a high bar to be successful. Please see the Development Roadmap.

• Factual development applications will only be accepted for projects that require significant research and have co-funding from the supporting platform.
• Further information on Industry Development and Cultural Sector Capability Funding can be seen in paragraphs F and G of the round information.

Important dates

8 July 2021, 4 pm - Funding round opens.

5 August 2021, 4pm - Application deadline. Round closes.

22 September 2021 - Decisions confirmed, applicants notified the following day.

This date may be extended at NZ On Air’s sole discretion.

Last week NZ On Air, the New Zealand Film Commission and Te Māngai Pāho announced that 19 screen projects have been offered a total of $1.5 million of development funding in the first round of Ara ki Te Puna Kairangi – The Premium Development Fund.

The successful projects represent a broad array of ideas with the potential to engage both local and international audiences, and include two feature films, 11 drama series, two documentary and four animation projects. You can read all the details in our media release here.

A further $500,000 is available in the second round of Ara ki Te Puna Kairangi – Premium Development fund, which will open on 23rd August with an application deadline of 14th September 2021. Development round 2 guidelines are available on the NZFC website here.