by FIlmInk Staff
Screen Australia has today released the Private Investment Toolkit, a free interactive digital platform, built by and for the sector, designed to help producers to unlock private investment opportunities for screen projects and support a deeper shift towards a more sustainable, market-led sector.
Commissioned by Screen Australia and developed in consultation with a taskforce of experts across finance, tax, investment, philanthropy, legal, education and production, the Private Investment Toolkit delivers a set of practical, adaptable resources. These resources empower both producers and potential investors to work together with confidence, transparency, standardisation and deal readiness.
Recognising that investors come with varying motivations, including commercial return, social and cultural impact and philanthropic outcomes, the Toolkit provides tailored approaches and investment structures to align with investment intent.
Screen Australia Chief Operating Officer Grainne Brunsdon said, “The Private Investment Toolkit unlocks the true investment potential of our screen industry. By helping investors understand the opportunities and giving producers the tools to present projects and manage relationships with clarity, confidence and commercial rigour, it opens the door to more constructive dialogue around screen projects, setting the stage for more confident and successful partnerships.
“Importantly, it also shows investors exactly where, how and why they should engage, highlighting that the screen sector can deliver influence, ownership and cultural impact as well as returns – a combination that many traditional investments simply can’t deliver.”
Producer, investor and taskforce member Deanne Weir said, “Screen Australia’s Private Investment Toolkit is an absolute gift to both producers and investors, it will help bridge the significant knowledge gaps that currently exist between those with capital and those who need it. Screen stories have fallen off the radar as an investment opportunity, but we can offer a fun and fulfilling experience to funders who believe that storytelling can both entertain and also help all of us better understand the world we live in. I hope the Toolkit will make it easier to attract and retain the new funding partners critical to the future of the Australian screen industry.”
For screen practitioners, the Toolkit creates clear pathways to private investment by providing resources and tools that:
• Support the preparation of projects with a market-informed mindset that complements public funding with private capital.
• Strengthen the attractiveness of screen investment through transparent, consistent and market-ready approaches to finance partnerships.
• Guide how projects are pitched and communicated to private investors, using clear language to set value, risk, timelines and expectations.
For potential investors, the Toolkit creates clear pathways for investment by providing resources and tools that:
• Help to understand the sector, navigate the investment process and make informed, goal-aligned decisions.
• Support investment approaches tailored to commercial return, social and cultural impact, and philanthropic motivations.
• Identify different ways to invest in screen projects with varying risk and return profiles.
The Private Investment Toolkit was launched under the Enrich Pillar of Screen Australia’s Corporate Plan. The pillar delivers projects that build a strong, inclusive industry by fostering screen businesses and developing talent. The Toolkit is free to use, requires no registration and is available via the Screen Australia website.
