Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund

The Community Film Festival Opening Night Fund offers grants of $5,000 to community-driven film festivals to enhance their Opening Night events and bring communities together through diverse screening experiences. New and established film festivals with experienced delivery teams are eligible to apply.

Grants can be used to cover costs such as venue hire, interpreters, marketing and promotion of the event, hospitality and entertainment, transport costs and additional expenses.

The aims of the program are to:

• Support film festivals right across the state via their Opening Night event
• Ease the financial burden on small and medium film festivals that demonstrate a strong community origin and base
• Complement existing funding available for NSW-based film and community festivals
• Impact audiences and communities in NSW through increasing access to diverse screening experiences
• Support underrepresented communities to tell their stories
• Showcase the rich cultural diversity of NSW.

To be eligible for funding applicants must: 

• Be an Australian organisation, including:
  • Companies and not-for-profit incorporated bodies
  • Co-operatives, trusts or local government authorities
  • A consortium or group of organisations working collaboratively* 
•  Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• Be legally constituted, financially solvent, and able to provide proof of legal status
• Have demonstrated experience in delivering film festivals
• Adhere to the general eligibility requirements under the Screen NSW Terms of Trade.