The Nigel Buesst Grant

Further Information

• Overview

  The Nigel Buesst Grant (NBG) is an annual award, supporting emerging and established screen creatives in developing new, innovative, forward-thinking work that boldly pushes creative boundaries.

  In the spirit of its namesake’s influential legacy shaping Australian cinema, this grant will honour place and culture by helping develop original screen-based projects that meaningfully engage the City of Port Phillip’s (CoPP) vibrant community. 

  The NBG aims to:

  1. Support the development, production and presentation of a screen-based creative work.
  2. Strengthen the practice of emerging creatives, or to enable established practitioners to explore new forms or novel areas of practice.
  3. Produce work that contributes meaningfully to contemporary screen-based creativity.
  4. Deliver benefit to the City of Port Phillip by supporting a creative in creating a work that offers cultural, historical, social, or economic value to the community.
  5. Facilitate public exhibition of the funded work at the St Kilda Film Festival in 2027.
  6. Contribute a version of the completed work and/or associated documentation of creative practice to the City of Port Phillip Collection.

   

• Grant Value

  The NBG is an annual $15,000 award.

  This is a non-acquisitive award with shared non-exclusive usage rights granted to the CoPP and St Kilda Film Festival for exhibition and archiving.

• Key Dates

  Applications open	18/02/2026
  Applications close	8/04/2026
  Applications confirmed	18/05/2026
  Decision announced	4/06/2026 - 14/06/2026
  Funding agreements signed	20/06/2026

• Eligibility

  New, emerging or established practitioners branching into new practices are eligible for this grant. The NBG is for new screen work to be completed within the timeframe of a year – between Thursday 4 June 2026 and Thursday 8 June 2027. The work will have the opportunity to be exhibited at the 2027 St Kilda Film Festival.

  Applicants’ projects must meet at least one of the following criteria:

  1. The project is produced by an individual who lives, works or volunteers in the City of Port Phillip,
  2. The project is produced by a City of Port Phillip organisation,
  3. The project is set within the CoPP, such as being filmed, or principally developed at locations within the municipality,
  4. The project primarily utilises CoPP resources, which may include:
     i.    Local cast, crew, or collaborators
     ii.    Local venues, facilities, or council-run spaces 
     iii.    Local service providers, equipment, or production resources,
  5. The project is about the CoPP. This may include but is not limited to, exploring the CoPP’s people or communities, its culture or creative scene, its history or heritage, and its environments, neighbourhoods, and stories.

• Supported Screen Media Types

  Allowable screen-based forms include, but are not limited to:
  a)    Short Film 
  b)    Feature Film 
  c)    Pilot Episode 
  d)    Web Series
  e)    Music Videos
  f)    Digital Games
  g)    Interactive Screen-based Narrative Projects
  h)    Video Art
  i)    Mobile Apps (with a game, creative or narrative component)
  j)    Screen-Based Installation or Interactive Art
  k)    Other (provide outline of other screen-based media output)

• Full Grant Guidelines

  View the full grant guidelines here:

  Nigel Buesst Grant Guidelines 2026

• How to Apply

  The City of Port Phillip uses the SmartyGrants online grant application system.

  The form can be accessed through the link below:

  https://portphillip.smartygrants.com.au/2026NBGgrant

  Recommended Step-by-Step Process

  Recommendation 1: Read material thoroughly before you start

  Read the support material information in the application carefully.

  Review the ‘SmartyGrant’s Help Guide’ for an overview of how to use this submission platform. 

  Recommendation 2: Preview the online application form

  Open and scroll through the form to preview all sections.

   Use the on-screen hints to understand what is required in each part of the application.

  Recommendation 3: Draft your responses offline

   Begin with an initial draft in MS Word and save it to your drive.

  This helps you edit and review your responses before entering them online.

   As a backup, you may also save versions of your draft in a downloadable PDF version of the application for your records.

  Recommendation 4: Complete the online form and budget

  Type your answers directly into the online fields.

   For the budget page, do not cut and paste data into the fields; fill them in directly so the automatic addition functions work correctly.

  Recommendation 5: Save as you go and review your application before submitting

  When completing the online application, click SAVE at the end of each page to avoid losing data.

   When you have finished, review all sections of the form.

  Before final submission, save a PDF copy of your completed online application for your records.

  Recommendation 6: Check for confirmation of submission

  You should receive a confirmation email within 1 working day of submission.

  This email will include a final PDF copy of your application.

  Recommendation 7: If you experience problems, contact Council

  If you can’t access the online application or you do not receive a confirmation email, contact the Games & Screen Officer on 0403 259 082 or email james.shutt@portphillip.vic.gov

• Contact Us

  If you have any queries about navigating the online application or do not receive a submission confirmation email or to discuss a project idea, please contact the Games & Screen Officer at 0403 259 082 or james.shutt@portphillip.vic.gov.au