by FilmInk Staff
Creative Plus Business has announced the nineteen successful screen practitioners and organisations who will participate in the inaugural Social Enterprise for Screen program, supported by the Screenrights Cultural Fund.
The first ever opportunity of its kind in Australia, Social Enterprise for Screen (SEFS) is a national masterclass program designed to empower under-represented filmmakers who want to use the power of screen to make the world a better place.
Over thirteen weeks, the participants will undertake a rigorous online program designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge required to build a sustainable screen organisation using the organisational model of social entrepreneurship.
They will be guided by SEFS designer Monica Davidson, who brings over 30 years of screen industry and business education experience to the program. Participants will also have the opportunity to be personally mentored by Creative Plus Business’ impressive mentor and advisor network, and to learn from industry leaders including Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM (Bus Stop Films), Pauline Clague (Winda Film Festival), Kate Croser (Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network), Ben Steel (Screen Well), Georgina Cohen (Social Traders), Felicity Blake (The Dove Media), Georgia Moore (Culture Counts), and Rosie Lourde (Gender Matters Taskforce).
The program experienced an overwhelming response from screen creatives from all corners of the country, and the final selection was made more difficult by the outstanding quality, creativity, and social impact vision of the applicants.
The program designer and Director of Creative Plus Business, Monica Davidson, said “We were delighted by the incredible responses to this program, and the large number of applicants really shows that there is a growing need for new and innovative approaches to our screen sector. We are looking forward to working with the final nineteen selected participant groups, and we can’t wait to see what amazing and impactful projects and businesses they create.”
Project highlights include a collaborative screen hub on the Gold Coast focused on virtual screen production technology; the next-stage development of a Western Sydney film ecology enterprise; the expansion of a leading peak body for female film makers; establishment of a regionally-based LatinX screen production company; and new projects from Māori, Pacifika, and First Nations storytellers.
Monica continues “Of our final selection, 55% identify as female, 15% are First Nations screen practitioners, 45% are People of Colour, and 35% represent the LGBTQIA+ community. More than half are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse filmmakers, one-quarter are regional or remote, and 35% are living with disability and/or neurodiversity. It’s a wonderfully diverse group of talent.”
Throughout the program, participants will develop a social enterprise strategic plan to guide the next stage of their project or business, including systems of measuring their social impact, and how they plan to use their screen enterprise to showcase compelling stories that contribute to diversity and social change, both on-screen and off.
At the conclusion of the program in August 2025, a screening of the participants’ project pitches will be held online and shared with the public via the Creative Plus Business website and a dedicated Vimeo Channel.
The 2025 Social Enterprise for Screen participants are:
- Clarice Would like a Word (SA)
- Dingo Drama (SA)
- Eva Justine Torkkola (VIC)
- Generate Crew (NSW)
- Gold Coast Screen Hub/Chrysaor (QLD)
- GuniBina (NSW)
- Henry Simmons and Geneva Gilmour (NSW)
- Joy House Productions (NSW)
- Liquid Heart – Kevin Luk (VIC)
- Made in the West Creative (NSW)
- Mount Lofty Studios – Yogi Devgan (SA)
- Mana Film Productions (QLD)
- Nastasha Henry (NSW)
- Rebecca Kirwan (NSW)
- The Great Aboriginal People (QLD)
- Tuldi Media (SA)
- Two Dog Films (NSW)
- Ver Mas Media (QLD)
- Warrior Tribe Films (VIC)
https://sefs.creativeplusbusiness.com/
ABOUT CREATIVE PLUS BUSINESS
Creative Plus Business is a social enterprise dedicated to helping creative practitioners and arts professionals develop their entrepreneurial skills. This includes learning and developing practical abilities in small business, financial literacy, planning, strategy and marketing, while always keeping wellbeing at the core. Since 2016, they’ve helped thousands of individual practitioners and creative organisations finesse their entrepreneurial nous, overcome challenges, and thrive in business. Their focus is on providing peer support for practitioners to help them build capacity and self determination for their professional careers. Powered by a stellar team of experts who possess real-world experience when it comes to running a creative business, they know what it’s actually like to carve out a career in the creative industries. They foster self-sufficiency through self-employment and entrepreneurialism.
Creative Plus Business is passionate about giving creatives the tools they need to self determine their professional career and become less reliant on external funding. The training they provide builds capacity and increases commercial success within the creative industries, and all programs are designed to foster self-sufficiency through self-employment.
With previous and current government and industry partners as diverse as Service NSW, Creative Australia, Screen NSW, the South Australian Government, Regional Arts Australia, Accessible Arts, and an extensive network of local government and peak bodies across the country, they are one of the most trusted program development and coordination enterprises in Australia.
