SBS Digital Originals shine on the global stage

Two of the latest short form series from the Digital Originals initiative – a partnership between Screen Australia, SBS and NITV – have been selected in two major international television festival competitions, showcasing distinctive Australian stories and creative talent, and continuing the success of the initiative. 

Appetite has today been announced as one of 10 series in the Short Form Competition at Canneseries 2023. It is the only Australian production to be in the Official Selection at the major international television festival taking place 14-19 April, ahead of its premiere on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand on 22 April. 

Appetite is the latest Digital Originals series set to launch on SBS platforms following Latecomers which premiered on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand in December 2022 to widespread acclaim, and also recently received international recognition as the only Australian project selected for Series Mania in Lille, France. Taking place last week. Latecomers was among six series featured in the Short Forms Competition at the prestigious international TV series festival. 

SBS Scripted Commissioning Editor, Loani Arman, said, “We’re so proud to see these creative teams showcasing their talents to a global audience, and to see these exciting and distinctive Australian stories alongside the world’s best drama – exactly as they should to be.

“Digital Originals continues to not only produce uniquely entertaining and innovative stories that connect with audiences, but also continues to provide a platform for underrepresented voices in our sector that are part of the tidal wave of talent we have here in Australia.”

SBS Scripted Commissioning Editor, Donna Chang, added: “Congratulations to everyone involved on this wonderful and well-deserved recognition for both series.

“Digital Originals provides a vital platform for emerging creative talent and keeps delivering series that raise the bar every year. Our proudest achievement is its success as a career pathway – the teams behind Latecomers and Appetite join an incredible Digital Originals alum, and we look forward to opportunities to work with them in the future.”

Screen Australia’s Head of Online, Lee Naimo, said: “We are immensely proud of these engaging series’ that have been developed through our Digital Originals initiative with SBS and NITV. It’s fantastic to see them recognised on a world stage which I have no doubt will help inspire the next wave of Digital Originals creators.”

In Appetite, when a food delivery rider dies on the streets of Sydney, an unlikely trio of fellow riders find themselves entangled in a mystery to uncover the truth and expose a multinational food delivery behemoth, ‘Appetite’. The 6 x 10 series is created by writer/director Mohini Herse (Hair) who produced the project under Fell Swoop Pictures in association with Photoplay, with set up director Neil Sharma (Heartbreak High), writers Neilesh Verma (Letters Home) and Grace Tan (Lucky Peach), producer Karen Radzyner (Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo), and executive producers Sleena Wilson (Chicken), Elise McCredie (Stateless) and Jomon Thomas (Monkey Man). Principal production funding was provided by Screen Australia in association with SBS, and with support from Screen NSW.

The drama includes performances from Shirong Wu (Neighbours), Gabriel Alvarado (The Winter’s Tale), Raj Labade (Back Of The Net) and Kabir Singh (The Tourist), with Marta Dusseldorp (Janet King) as the voice of Appetite.

Comedy-drama Latecomers follows two strangers with cerebral palsy, Frank (Angus Thompson) and Sarah (Hannah Diviney) who, after watching their carers hook up at a bar, become determined to explore their own relationships with sex, and each other. Bold, hilarious, and at times heart wrenching, the series is both an expression and representation of the intricacies of sex and disability.

Written and created by Emma Myers, Angus Thompson, and acclaimed comedian, actor, and writer Nina Oyama (The Angus Project, Tonightly with Tom Ballard, Utopia), Latecomers draws from the trio’s lived experiences, from both Nina’s perspective as a carer and Emma and Angus as individuals with cerebral palsy. The 6 x 10 series was directed by Madeleine Gottlieb (You and Me, Before and After) and Alistair Baldwin (writer on The Weekly, Hard Quiz) and produced by Hannah Ngo (Iggy & Ace, Tribunal) and Liam Heyen (Top End Wedding, New Gold Mountain). Principal production funding was provided by Screen Australia in association with SBS, and with the assistance of Screen NSW.

A partnership between SBS, NITV and Screen Australia, Digital Originals aims to develop exciting and innovative short-form drama projects from screen creatives who are historically 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.

Appetite and Latecomers follow an impressive and award-winning slate of Digital Originals including Tasmanian murder mystery The Tailings, West Australian comedy Iggy & Ace, and South Australian drama A Beginner’s Guide to Grief, as well as Robbie Hood and Homecoming Queens produced under SBS’s Short-Form Content Initiative which evolved into Digital Originals. Digital Originals continues to be a proven career pathway for creatives with alumni including Dylan River (Mystery Road: Origin), Corrie Chen (New Gold Mountain), and Stevie Cruz-Martin (The Tailings)  directing SBS and Screen Australia’s new drama series, Safe Home.

The successful initiative continues in 2023, with three new Digital Originals projects announced as being selected for further development funding from the seven teams who received initial development funding in 2022. Up to three projects will be chosen to move into production, to be revealed later this year.  More information about entries for the next round of the initiative will be shared in the coming months.

Appetite will premiere at 9.30pm on 22 April, on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand. Watch the trailer here.

Latecomers is available to watch now on SBS On Demand. Watch the trailer here.

 

For a PDF version of this media release, click here.