Toni Collette's Directorial Debut Among 75 Screen Australia Projects

Screen Australia will back 75 film, television and short projects with AUD16.9 million ($11.7 million) in production and development funding, the agency announced Tuesday.

The marquee project is Toni Collette's feature directorial debut, "The Best Of." Collette, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, directs from a screen adaptation of Graeme Simsion's bestselling novel about two ex-lovers who reunite decades later. Christopher Simon produces. Screen Australia invested alongside Screen NSW. Kismet will distribute locally; Cornerstone holds international sales.

What does the slate include?

The round leans on literary adaptations and true stories, with room for comedies from established ensembles. Five projects worth flagging:

• "The Dark Lake" comes from Brouhaha Entertainment, maker of "Boy Swallows Universe." The series adapts Sarah Bailey's novel. Tonkin plays a rural detective reopening a former classmate's killing. Becca Johnstone writes and executive produces. Screenwest and Screen NSW partner, with Troy Lum and Andrew Mason producing.
• "Bull" (working title) is Jeffrey Walker's feature based on a true story. George Pullar plays a prisoner joining a debating team in Tasmania's toughest jail. Pullar co-writes with Taylor Danworth. Cast: Richard Roxburgh, Robyn Malcolm, Teresa Palmer, Thomas M Wright and Harrison Gilbertson. Screen Queensland partners; Kismet and Cornerstone handle sales.
• Sooshi Mango's untitled debut follows three obstinate Italian immigrants defending their social club from a mysterious wellness club. Nick Kozakis directs; Joe Salanitri, Carlo Salanitri and Andrew Manfre write with Declan Fay. Roadshow handles local distribution; VicScreen partners.
• "The Caretaker," Goalpost Pictures' series adapted from Gabriel Bergmoser's novel, follows a woman hiding as a caretaker at an off-season ski resort. Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk, both 2026 Talent Gateway members, write.
• "Desi Down Under" turns Mithila Gupta's audio series into a romantic comedy about three misfits traveling from Kerala to Coogee for surf-lifesaving skills. Gupta writes and produces with Nina Aujla, Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp.

What is the documentary-grade project?

Rodd Rathjen directs "No Friend But the Mountains," adapted from Behrouz Boochani's acclaimed memoir about Kurdish journalists intercepted at sea and sent to Manus Island, where they document the gradual breakdown of the men held there. Rathjen co-wrote with Boochani. The New Zealand Film Commission, Screen Queensland and VicScreen partner; Madman distributes locally.

How did Screen Australia frame the round?

Louise Gough, the agency's director of narrative content, treated the announcement as sector resilience rather than breakthrough.

"Australian storytellers continue to captivate audiences with their creativity, originality and distinctive perspectives," Gough said. "Screen Currency 2026 found that local stories matter deeply to Australians, and these projects will deliver on the authenticity and ambition that audiences have come to expect."

Gough did not specify how the AUD16.9 million splits between production and development, nor whether the figure outpaces prior rounds in real terms.

What does this change for producers?

Practically, more entries now sit in Screen Australia's queue, and additional financed projects should surface alongside the ABC Media Showcase on Oct. 21. Full production, development and short-film lists live on the agency's website.