Content initiatives & opportunities
Across SBS and NITV, we invest in career pathway and content initiatives designed to support and elevate under-represented screen creatives, and contribute to a more inclusive screen sector. Read more about current opportunities below.
Talent Escalator
The SBS Talent Escalator is a nation-wide initiative focused on creating opportunities for creatives from historically under-represented communities within the television production sector. The Talent Escalator is a partnership between SBS and state and territory screen agencies.
The Talent Escalator supports career development opportunities for emerging and mid-level screen practitioners through opportunities for participants to work with production companies of SBS-commissioned programs across unscripted and scripted, in roles that are a step up from their existing level of experience.
Since 2017, SBS has supported more than 30 Talent Escalator positions including Associate Producer, Production Manager, Assistant Editor, Director’s Attachment and other roles.
Talent Escalator participants have worked on a wide variety of programs across our documentary, factual, food, entertainment, and drama slates. Examples include unscripted shows Mastermind, Lost For Words, Come Fly with Me, and scripted shows Hungry Ghosts, New Gold Mountain, and The Tailings.
SBS and the state and territory agencies collaborate with production companies working on SBS-commissioned programs to secure flexible, on-the-job, paid learning and immersion opportunities.
Talent Escalator roles become available on a rolling basis throughout the year on various programs. To submit an expression of interest, please contact diversity@sbs.com.au.
SBS UNSCRIPTED
Learn more about initiatives and opportunities at SBS in factual, documentaries, food, and entertainment.
AIDC Leading Lights
SBS supports the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) Leading Lights Program for practitioners from under-represented backgrounds.
Leading Lights is AIDC’s philanthropic funding program dedicated to creating a more inclusive and diverse screen industry. Designed to enable early career, Indigenous, and/or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) nonfiction practitioners to attend AIDC for the first time, the program assists industry newcomers to establish themselves as part of Australia’s screen community.
Since the launch of Leading Lights in 2018, over 180 emerging and diverse screen creatives have been able to attend AIDC for the first time and participate in the Leading Lights professional development program. In 2024, SBS is once again sponsoring five positions in the program. For more information read here.
AFTRS Graduate Program
SBS is a host organisation in the AFTRS Graduate Program, a 13-week paid industry internship program for a third year AFTRS student from a historically under-represented background. In 2021/22, Raquel Cuevas joined SBS to work across a number of programs, followed by Alan Dan in 2022/2023 who has worked across programs The Cook Up with Adam Liaw and Mastermind. In 2023/24, SBS is delighted to have Ashwini Kangatharan join the team.
Screen Producers Australia Practitioner Program (Early Career)
In 2023, SBS is sponsoring seven places for early career producers from under-represented background to participate in the year-long Screen Producers Australia Practitioner Program (Early Career). The package includes 12 months of SPA Associate Producer membership, access to masterclasses, networking and training and free access to the Screen Forever Conference in March 2022, Gener8 and more inclusions. This follows the inaugural cohort of six practitioners in 2022.
Createability Internship Program
SBS has been a host organisation in the Createability Internship Program for people with disability. This program is a partnership between Create NSW and Accessible Arts and a range of NSW based arts/culture/screen organisations, with the purpose of developing more pathways for people with disability to have successful careers in these areas. In 2024, SBS hosted a Createability intern to work as a Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator in the TV and Online Content Division. In 2022, SBS hosted a Createability intern to work as a Diversity and Inclusion Research Assistant in the TV and Online Content Division. For more information read here.
SBS SCRIPTED
At SBS Scripted we want to hear pitches for TV series that thrill us.
We are looking for great stories, brilliantly told. Stories that are entertaining, culture defining, fresh and unique. Stories that our audiences will love, binge and want to tell their friends about.
Our shows have new types of heroes. Hero’s that represent Australia as the home to the world’s oldest living continuous culture and richly diverse and multicultural country that we are. Stories that reflect the SBS Charter which is key to all we do.
Bring us a show we have not seen before.
Bring us a show from exciting writing talent that has a fresh point of view.
Bring us a show that will make its mark on the zeitgeist, both here in Australia and around the world.
Bring us a show that is brilliantly crafted; a show that has characters that audiences will fall in love with; a show with a propulsive narrative that starts with a bang and keeps audiences deeply engaged.
We will back new voices, but you need to prove to us you have the craft and courage to deliver on your idea. We take pitches directly from writers and we can help partner you with a producer if we love your idea.
Our recent Prime Time content includes, Safe Home, While the Men Are Away, Erotic Stories, Swift Street, Four Years Later, Safe Harbour and True Colours.
Check out our SBS Scripted Pitch Deck here
Contact Us:
And when you are ready, you can pitch to us at: scripted@sbs.com.au
Digital Originals
SBS commissions short form scripted series through the Digital Originals initiative - a partnership between SBS, NITV and Screen Australia, which aims to develop exciting, innovative and risk-taking short-form drama projects (6 x 10 min) to premiere as a single hour-long episode program on SBS On Demand, SBS VICELAND and NITV, from emerging screen creatives who are currently under-represented in the sector. This includes people who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, First Nations Australians, people with disability, female and gender diverse, LGBTQIA+; and those who are located in regional and remote areas.
Each year, applications open for projects and a shortlist are selected to take part in an exclusive industry workshop providing an opportunity to work on narrative writing skills and develop their projects to align with the SBS Charter, SBS Commissioning Equity and Inclusion Guidelines, and SBS and NITV platforms –culminating in a pitch to Screen Australia, SBS and NITV. A further shortlist of projects are chosen for further development, and up to three will then be chosen for production funding and commissioning with SBS, NITV and Screen Australia.
Series commissioned through the Digital Originals initiative include Night Bloomers (2023), Appetite (2023), Latecomers (2022), A Beginner’s Guide to Grief (2022), Iggy and Ace (2021), and The Tailings (2021).
Digital Originals is an evolution of SBS’s Short-Form Content Initiative which funded original projects including the critically acclaimed Robbie Hood (2019) and Homecoming Queens (2018).
Applications for the next round of Digital Originals are now open and will close at 5pm AEST August 15 2024. Apply through Screen Australia here
Learn more at our Digital Originals Information Webinar featuring key figures from SBS, NITV, and Screen Australia. The webinar will be held from 10am to 11am July 19 2024. Register here
Emerging Writers' Incubator
The Emerging Writers’ Incubator is a nationwide initiative to support the development of under-represented screenwriting talent in Australia.
Launched in 2021, with Screen Australia and state and territory agencies, and with the assistance of the Australian Writers’ Guild, the Emerging Writers’ Incubator provides a 12 month paid placement for six emerging writers in leading Australian production companies acclaimed for their delivery of Australian drama. Through their placement they further develop their skills, knowledge and networks while working across the production company's slate of drama productions. They are also supported by the Australian Writers’ Guild with access to creative and training workshops.
The six screen creatives selected to take part in the initiative in its third year, joining production companies during 2024, are:
- NSW: Siobhan Domingo, joining Endemol Shine Australia, supported by Screen NSW
- QLD: Rhianna Malezer joining Orange Entertainment Co, supported by Screen Queensland
- SA: Emily Steel joining Kojo Studios, supported by the South Australian Film Corporation
- TAS: Shauna O’Meara joining TAP (Tony Ayres Productions), supported by Screen Tasmania
- VIC: Michael Hudson joining Kindling Pictures, supported by VicScreen
- WA: Lata Periakarpan joining Curio Pictures, supported by Screenwest.
Details of the writers and production companies who took part in the initiatives in previous years, are available below:
- 2022/23: Becki Bouchier (Sweetshop & Green), Elena Carapetis (Highview Productions), Kelli Cross (Easy Tiger), Patrick Hogan (Brindle Films) Skye Leon (Jungle) and Aven Yap (Hoodlum Entertainment). Read more.
- 2021/22: Sebastian Chan (Bunya Productions), Lâle Teoman (Goalpost Pictures), Nicholas Lin (Ludo Studio), Ansuya Nathan (Closer Productions), Alberto Di Troia (TAP) and Cassandra Nguyen (Komixx Entertainment). Read more.
Originate
SBS partners with VicScreen, Arenamedia and Screen Australia to deliver Originate Features - a dynamic development and production program designed to support and amplify feature film writers and writer/directors from traditionally under-represented backgrounds, from start to finish.
Devised in conjunction with internationally acclaimed story developer and facilitator Angeli Macfarlane, the multi-stage development program seeks to elevate projects from early-stage concept to low budget production-ready screenplays, and is targeted towards people are culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, living with disability, LGBTQIA+ or are trans and/or gender diverse.
In June 2023, VicScreen announced four feature films being fully financed and greenlit - the four successful teams and their projects are:
- Into the Blue by Writer/Director, Katie Found and Writer, Markella Kavenagh.
- Sweet Milk Lake by Writer/Director, Harvey Zielinski and Producer, Rosie Lourde.
- Pasa Faho by Writer/Director, Kalu Oji and Producers, Mimo Mukii and Ivy Mutuku.
- Leviticus by Writer/Director, Adrian Chiarella and Producer, Hannah Ngo.
Participants have been mentored throughout the process by industry figures.
Originate Features applications are currently closed.
NITV
National Indigenous Television (NITV) supports career pathways focused on the development of First Nations creatives. Find out more about NITV commissioning here.
NITV also partners with SBS on initiatives including Digital Originals (see above).
SBS PODCASTS
Since the launch of the network's first podcast in 2008, SBS has continued to grow its podcast collection and currently produces podcasts in more than 60 languages. As Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster, SBS is committed to ensuring all Australians hear their stories reflected and on demand audio is a key opportunity to showcase this.
In 2021, SBS called out for Australian podcasters to submit ideas showcasing originality and diverse storytelling, for the opportunity to be a part of SBS's distinctive multilingual podcast offering across news, information and entertainment. Series commissioned through this call out include Bad Taste, New Home, My First Year on Aussie Soil, Our Deaf Ways, Noongar Wellbeing, Conversations on Country, Chinese-ish, Transitioning in Translation, Mother Country, and Harmful.
Following on from this success, SBS once again called out for submissions in August 2022, seeking more podcasts telling diverse stories and share new ideas.