Small Body - Piccolo Corpo by Laura Samani - Festival de Cannes

FIRST CUT LAB AUSTRALIA

First Cut Lab is a comprehensive consultancy and training program dedicated to feature films in the editing phase.

First Cut Lab Australia is a new partnership between Screen Australia‘s Narrative Content Market & Audience and TATINO, opening the lab to early to mid-career Australian teams (Producer/Writer/Director) working on scripted narrative feature projects with a production budget under AUD $8,000,000. It offers Australian films entering post-production, before rough cut stage, an exclusive opportunity to join First Cut Lab’s international network.

Selected teams are offered a creative framework, both protective and challenging, in which to open up and explore new artistic perspectives for their films. Participants receive expert feedback on their rough cut from international film industry advisors, as well as tailor-made advice from a consultant editor. They are also provided with a written review that can serve as guidance for further editing.

Consultant editors and industry advisors are selected according to the specific needs and profiles of the chosen projects. Internationally recognised editors working with the lab include Benjamin Mirguet, Cătălin Cristuțiu, Agnieszka Glińska, and Maya Maffioli, among others. An overview of First Cut Lab’s regular industry advisors is available at firstcutlab.eu/people/.

First Cut Lab Australia is made in cooperation and with the financial support of Screen Australia, notably allowing the absence of a tuition fee for participating projects. It aims to strengthen the international potential of Australian features by supporting cuts that are both distinctively local and internationally resonant.

Note: this initiative does not provide development or production funding — it funds participation in the First Cut Lab workshop only.

GUIDELINES

Apply
re-act logo - First Cut Lab Re-act 2021

DATES

  • Applications open: Thursday, 2 July 2026
  • First Cut Lab Australia will accept submissions on a rolling basis until four projects are approved based on competitiveness of the applicant against the publicly available assessment criteria. Up to four (4) projects will be supported through this initiative.
  • Decision & notification: within 7 weeks of the “moved to assessment” email

Applicants are encouraged to apply at the time that best suits their post-production schedule.

SUBMISSIONS

Applications via Screen Australia’s SmartyGrants portal: screenaustraliafunding.smartygrants.com.au

Guidelines: Market & Audience First Cut Lab Initiative Guidelines

Enquiries: audience.narrativecontent@screenaustralia.gov.au

GUIDELINES
1. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submission should be made through Screen Australia portal: SmartyGrants

Through the application form, applicants must:

  • provide all the information requested and answer the application questions;
  • address all eligibility criteria and assessment criteria; and
  • include all required supporting materials.

Applicants must provide footage: a complete rough cut or assembly of the film OR at least 15 but no more than 130 minutes of edited material OR at least 15 but no more than 130 minutes of dailies.

More materials are required, for full required materials list please refer to the attached guideline documents. 

2. SELECTION

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Creativity (25%)

  • The creative strength and distinctiveness of the feature, including the concept and quality of filmed materials provided.
  • Does the feature film represent a growth in ambition for the creator(s) attached?

Audience potential (25%)

  • Does the project have the potential to resonate with specific or broad Australian and/or global audiences?
  • Is the intended audience appropriate for this project?
  • Will the project be better positioned for festival exposure and audience traction by participating in this initiative?

Viability (15%)

  • Is the proposal viable with respect to the budget and scale of the project?
  • Can the team execute changes to the rough cut with their budget and team?
  • Is the distributor able to support potential marketing strategies explored in the initiative?

Team and industry skills development (35%):

  • Does the track record of the team increase the likelihood that this program will demonstrably impact the success of the project and advance the skills and relationships of the team?
3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants and projects must meet the general eligibility requirements as set out in Screen Australia’s Terms of Trade, any general eligibility or other requirements listed on the agency’s website (see Information for Applicants and Information for Recipients), as well as the specific eligibility criteria set out in these guidelines.

Applicants must apply as a company. To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • be an incorporated company carrying on business in Australia, with its central management and control in Australia;
  • have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
  • be registered for the purposes of GST if required by law; and
  • control the rights necessary to carry out the project, meaning that it must have clear chain of title and must generally be party to any underlying rights agreements.

For full eligibility information, including further information about project eligibility and additional criteria, please refer to the attached guideline documents.

4. SPECIFIC CONDITIONS

Once a project has been selected, both director and producer should be available during the days of the Lab. The presence of the editor is recommended for the editing consultancy sessions.

Finished films that participated in First Cut Lab should mention First Cut Lab and display its logo in their credits. 

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