2024 AACTA Pitch: Focus

AACTA Pitch: Focus in partnership with Sony is a national short film development and production initiative. Now in its fourth year, Focus challenges student filmmakers to form teams and pitch an original production to be assessed by a panel of esteemed industry judges. The initiative offers emerging creatives an opportunity to be mentored throughout the development and production process, and is a great way to break into the industry and build a supportive network.

Teams can be made up of directors, writers, producers, editors, and/or cinematographers with at least one member of the team actively pursuing studies in film or screen. Teams are asked to submit their creative ideas for a short fiction film (4 – 10 minutes). The top five teams will be provided with state-of-the-art Sony equipment kit on loan (valued at over $2,500) to shoot a short proof of concept.

This year’s recipients will receive $15,000 in production funds toward their short film, a loan of Sony equipment kit (valued at over $20,000) to shoot their short film and receive complimentary AACTA Award consideration, invaluable feedback and guidance throughout the production process, ongoing mentoring opportunities, and tickets to the 2025 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group.

Projects that demonstrate the following are likely to be the most successful:

• New, creative and unique ways to engage audiences;
• Strong characters that resonate with audiences;
• Ideas that bend genres and break new ground.

Round one calls for a 3-minute video pitch outlining the short film idea. A longlist of 10 projects will be determined by a judging panel of leading short film industry figures and representatives of Sony and AACTA who will be required to submit additional materials supporting their project. A shortlist of 5 projects will be determined by the judging panel and the five finalist teams will be provided Sony equipment and given two weeks to shoot a proof of concept short. The teams will be invited to present their films in front of the judging panel and industry experts.

AACTA encourages teams comprised of new, emerging, and student content creators to enter, particularly those from diverse and under-represented backgrounds. Entry is $50 for teams that have at least one AACTA member and $90 for teams comprised of non-members. AACTA recently introduced a youth membership for people under 25. For $25, youth members can view and vote on the AACTA Awards, access to AACTA TV (our exclusive member streaming service), invitations to our year-round programming, with industry events showcasing some of Australia’s incredible talent, screen community networking opportunities, and discounted entry to AACTA’s development initiatives, aimed at discovering and supporting emerging screen talent. For more information on AACTA membership, click here.

Initial entry requirements include:

• Title and logline
• 500 word synopsis
• Three minute pitch video, and
• Résumé of the team.

ALTER

Peter Majarich, Sophia Le Ray, Breah Sands – QUT, Macquarie University

A loving husband tries to implant an artificial memory in his wife’s mind before she dies.

ALTER

Peter Majarich, Sophia Le Ray, Breah Sands – QUT, Macquarie University

A loving husband tries to implant an artificial memory in his wife’s mind before she dies.

EMPTY CHAIRS

Kristoffer Lucia, Angus Rawson, Lauren Jones, George Graetz, Liam D’Silva – Flinders University

A quirky, socially awkward young woman struggling with loneliness hires actors to play friends for a single evening, but as the night unfolds and the boundaries between performance and reality blur, she must confront the profound difference between fabricated connections and the authenticity of true friendship.

BOY ON THE ROOF 

Robin Kalus, Catherine van der Rijt, Annapurna Mukherjee, Ruby Elliot, Kenneth King – AFTRS

When a near-fall causes an eight-year-old boy to lose access to his beloved rooftop, the traumatised child is suddenly confronted with uncomfortable truths about his domestic life and falls mysteriously ill as he struggles to overcome his fears.

LIFE AS USUAL

Lianne Mackessy, Devamanikandan Kannaya Somu, Adisha Bansal, Sarah Johnson – AFTRS

Mila seeks to reclaim a sense of normalcy and connection with her husband during his weekend release from prison, only to face the harsh reality of his trauma and her own helplessness as she prepares to return him to custody.

BETWEEN MOUNTAINS AND OCEANS

Tandin Phubz, Kezang Dechan Choden, Karan Gurung – Edith Cowan University, Curtin University

Between Mountains and Oceans is an exploration of displacement and belonging. It follows three Bhutanese migrants in Australia as they grapple with their identities, dreams, and the distance that separates them from home.

		BONNIE MOIR Bonnie Moir is a filmmaker driven to tell unique stories with a focus on complex characters. She possesses a strong cinematic sensibility and has an already established reputation for her collaborative approach with actors, drawing out riveting and frequently surprising performances. Bonnie began her career collaborating with some of Australia's most celebrated directors, including Garth Davis, Glendyn Ivin and Mark Molloy. This led to a deep appreciation for detail oriented, highly cinematic, and actor-focused work. In 2022, Bonnie directed season 2 of LOVE ME, starring Hugo Weaving and Heather Mitchell, for Warner Brothers Australia and Foxtel. Bonnie’s short film NOT DARK YET achieved recognition with a nomination for the 2024 AACTA Award for Best Short Film, and premiered at the 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival, where she was selected to be a part of the MIFF Accelerator program. Her latest project, the six-part television series EXPOSURE, commissioned by Stan and distributed by All3Media International, was released in 2024, premiering at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival. The series was produced through THIRDBORN by award-winning producers Nicole O'Donohue, Shaun Grant and Justin Kurzel.
		SCARLETT KOEHNE Scarlett is a Melbourne-based producer dedicated to leading authentic and high-quality scripted projects that inspire conversation and change. Her most recent project was Jessica Smith’s limited series, ‘Videoland’, which was awarded Best Series in the Comedy Competition at Series Mania 2024. ‘Videoland’ is now available on Netflix in Australia and New Zealand and Canal+ in France.   Currently Scarlett is producing an animated comedy ‘Deadbeat Ends Meet’ by popular online comic artist, Evie Hillier, for LateNite Films where she is undertaking a VicScreen supported Producer Placement. Scarlett previously produced Libby Butler’s rom-com series, Loving Captivity, which was supported by the City of Melbourne and Screen Australia. As a creator, she was selected in 2023’s SPA Pitch On Demand competition and Sydney Film Festival’s writer’s incubator, Platform: Lab, in 2024. Prior to producing, Scarlett completed a law degree then developed her screen career in the Production Management department on large-scale television series such as Clickbait (Netflix), La Brea (Universal), and Books That Made Us (Blackfella Films). Also a mother of two, Scarlett is committed to promoting access to meaningful careers for woman in screen and is proud to be participating as a mentor in WIFT’s ElevateUs program. She is also passionate about producing stories that encourage inclusivity for people with disabilities in devotion to her totally-blind toddle
		JEFFREY WALKER Jeffrey Walker is a multi-award winning film and television director, whose projects include Modern Family, Lambs of God, The Portable Door, Ali’s Wedding, The Artful Dodger and The Clearing. For the past two decades, Jeffrey has helmed major international projects working with some of the biggest names on the planet. He has been awarded three Australian Academy awards, six Directors Guild awards, and a further seventeen nominations for his directorial works. His debut feature, Ali’s Wedding won major prizes in both Sydney and Melbourne International Film Festivals, and the Grand Jury Prize at CinefestOz.   Jeffrey has served as Executive Producer/Director on Amy Poehler’s Difficult People for Hulu, Dwayne Johnson’s Young Rock for NBC, the psychological thriller, The Clearing, and the period adventure, The Artful Dodger, both for Disney+/Hulu. Releasing 2025 is Apple Cider Vinegar. Produced by Oscar Winner Emile Sherman, Jeffrey sole-directed and co-executive produced this six part dark comedy series for Netflix.  Jeffrey latest film, produced by The Jim Henson Company, The Portable Door is a wildly creative fantasy film starring two-time Oscar winner, Christoph Waltz, and Sam Neill.
		OSAMAH SAMI. OSAMAH SAMI is an Australian stage and screen actor, writer, and stand-up comedian, born in Iran of Iraqi origin. He is known for his book GOOD MUSLIM BOY and the film ALI'S WEDDING. GOOD MUSLIM BOY was the winner of the 2016 NEW SOUTH WALES PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD and was commended at the VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS that same year.

July 25 – Call for Entries Opens (Round 1) 

Entrants are asked to submit a Title, Logline, three minute video pitch, 500 word synopsis, and resumes of the team members.

August 26 – Round 1 Entries Close

Entries are due by 9am AEST, Monday August 26 2024.

August 30 – Longlist of Top 10 Confirmed & Start of Round 2

The Top 10 teams are asked to submit a pitch deck, first ten pages of a screenplay and budget.

September 16 – Round 2 Materials Submissions Closes

Submissions are due by 9.00am AEST, Friday September 16, 2024.

September 20 – Top 5 Finalists Confirmed

The top five teams will be provided Sony gear on loan to shoot a proof of concept.

w/c September 23 – One on One Meetings with Judges

The judges will provide advice on finalists’ project/POC shoot. 

w/c September 23 (TBC) – Top 5 Finalists Announced at Sony’s Catchlight Film Festival

Top 5 finalists will be announced at Sony’s Catchlight Film Festival.

October 14 – Proof of Concepts to be Delivered

October 22 – Final Pitch to Judges, and Recipient Confirmed. 

Late October – Winner Announced

Finalist’s proof of concepts are screened as part of Sony’s Scene Festival, and winner is announced.