A promotional image for "Social Enterprise for Screen" presented by Creative Plus Business and Screenrights. The text is in bold, white font against a dark background with a partially visible, out-of-focus film camera illuminated in blue and red light on the right side. The logos for "creative +plus business" and "screenrights" are at the bottom left.

Announcing the 2025 Social Enterprise for Screen Recipients

May 5, 2025 | Blog

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: