Screenrights has announced two New Zealand projects among six total will be supported by the 2026 round of its annual Cultural Fund, to total $293,400 in funding for this year’s focus of Learning Through Story.
The two successful kiwi initiatives elected are: ‘Māori & Pasifika Impact Producing Lab’ will provide training in impact producing for up to eight Māori and Pasifika screen practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand, provided by Nine Islands Media and supported by a $50,000 grant; and ‘He Kōrero Tuku Iho - Stories Carried Forward’ will see Film Bay of Plenty deliver a place-based screen storytelling series of workshops and story labs supporting diverse communities to translate lived and cultural stories into screen narratives, with $44,000 in funding from the Screenrights Cultural Fund.
A $50,000 grant will support ‘The Writers Lab for women screenwriters over 40’ to select female and non-binary writers over 40 from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to participate in a script development intensive brought to Australia by Brooke Hemphill and based on a successful model rolled out in the USA, Canada, the UK and Europe.
In Australia, Young Yarnz will build a classroom focused digital platform with interactive, curriculum aligned learning modules around screen content featuring First Nations knowledge holders, with a grant of $50,000. Brock Casting Services’ ‘Lights On: Story-Led Learning for Disabled Creatives’ will receive $49,400 for their disability-led screen training initiative to remove the structural barriers that prevent disabled creatives from accessing real pathways into the screen industry. And Studio Gilay will receive $50,000 for ‘Animation as Living Story’, a series of culturally safe online modules designed to transform industry production methodologies, addressing the underrepresentation of Indigenous practitioners in Australian animation.
“This year’s focus, ‘Learning Through Story’, attracted an exceptional calibre of applications. From culturally safe classroom tools to mentorship for emerging storytellers, the six selected projects will help diverse screen stories reach and empower communities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Screenrights Board Director and Cultural Fund Working Group Chair Tom Alegenourias. “The Screenrights Cultural Fund continues to be a vital springboard for initiatives that break down barriers and build lasting sector capability.”
The Screenrights Cultural Fund makes a difference by supporting people with exciting and innovative new initiatives that foster the creation and appreciation of screen content in Australia and New Zealand. Including this year’s funding round, the Cultural Fund has now provided over $2.2 million in funding for projects since it was launched in 2018. Applications were assessed by a panel of professionals with both local and international expertise in screen, media and education.
For more insight into the two New Zealand projects, see below.
Māori & Pasifika Impact Producing Lab
Activity: An 8-week professional development programme for up to eight Māori and Pasifika screen practitioners across Aotearoa New Zealand, the lab provides training in impact producing for film and series, focusing on how stories can be designed to reach, engage, and influence audiences and communities. Delivered entirely online, the programme combines live workshops, applied strategy development, and facilitated feedback sessions. Delivered by Māori, Pasifika, and international impact experts and produced by Nine Islands Media, the lab responds to a clear gap in the New Zealand screen sector, where impact producing is not yet widely taught or formalised, particularly in ways that centre Indigenous and community-led storytelling approaches. The programme is supported by Ngā Aho Whakaari and Pasifika TV / PCBL, strengthening reach, participation, and dissemination of outcomes across Māori and Pasifika screen communities.
Location: Auckland, NZ and online across New Zealand
Amount Funded: $50,000
Recipient Quote: “There’s incredible Māori and Pasifika storytelling coming out of Aotearoa, but there are still very few opportunities for practitioners to learn how to build impact around that work. This Lab is about giving people practical tools to think beyond the screen - to build partnerships, reach the communities and decision-makers who matter, and create strategies that can help our stories have a longer life and greater effect. We’re really grateful to Screenrights for backing us to create that opportunity and invest in a growing area of practice for Māori and Pasifika storytellers.” – Cleo Fraser (Te Arawa), Nine Islands Media
He Kōrero Tuku Iho - Stories Carried Forward
Activity: A place-based screen storytelling learning programme delivered across the Bay of Plenty, supporting diverse communities to develop the skills and confidence to translate lived and cultural stories into screen narratives through a combination of workshops and story labs. The programme focuses on learning rather than production, creating space for participants to explore story, voice, and perspective in a supported environment. Key sessions will be captured and developed into a digital learning resource, extending the programme’s impact beyond immediate participants and supporting ongoing access for educators and emerging creatives.
Location: Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand
Amount Funded: $44,000
Recipient Quote: “We're incredibly excited and grateful to receive support from the Screenrights Cultural Fund. It gives us the opportunity to bring He Kōrero Tuku Iho - Stories Carried Forward to the Bay and support local storytellers to develop stories grounded in place, identity and lived experience. We can't wait to bring everyone together and get started.” Jade Kent, Film Bay of Plenty