UPDATE: AIDC 2025 LEADING LIGHTS APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
Are you an emerging, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled or neurodiverse, and/or culturally and linguistically diverse screen creative, and/or live in regional or remote Australia? Do you have an interest in documentary, factual or unscripted screen content production, but haven’t been to AIDC before?
Leading Lights is a philanthropic funding initiative designed to enable emerging and diverse practitioners to attend AIDC for the first time and participate in a customised professional development program.
Leading Lights eligibility spans a range of backgrounds and contexts, including emerging and early-career, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse, regional and remote, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) nonfiction practitioners.
The program provides vital assistance to industry newcomers in establishing themselves as part of Australia’s documentary, factual and nonfiction practitioner community.
Thanks to the contributions of industry donors, 258 emerging and diverse screen creatives have been able to attend AIDC and participate in Leading Lights since the program’s launch in 2018.
All selected Leading Lights recipients receive a Sessions Pass to attend AIDC 2025 and are eligible to participate in the Leading Lights professional development program, thanks to the support of our program partners, AFTRS and ECU.
Presented By
We’d like to welcome 48 Leading Lights participants from across Australia thanks to the generous donations of 21 organisations and individuals from our screen sector.
Thanks to the support of our Leading Lights Program Partners AFTRS and Edith Cowan University (ECU), the 2025 Leading Lights program includes a suite of professional development opportunities to help participants establish themselves as vital screen voices in our industry.
All 2025 Leading Lights recipients receive a Sessions Pass as well as the opportunity to take part in tailored sessions and events designed to fast-track their careers in the nonfiction screen sector with the support of dedicated mentors and Leading Lights alumni.
Congratulations to all our 2025 Leading Lights recipients!
- Alfred D Pek
- Ali Haider
- Amelia Ducker
- Angela How
- Aprille V Asfoura
- Ava Grimshaw-Hall
- Becca Richardson
- Celyren Leckie
- Chloe Black
- Chris Cook
- Colleen Tighe Johnson
- Dylan Nicholls
- Dylan Nyerges
- Ebony ten Broeke
- Eleanor Somerville
- Emmett Aldred
- Flore Vallery-Radot
- Goyma GONDARRA
- Hugh Humphreys
- Jack Steele
- Jackson Hayat
- Jarryd Dobson
- Jason King
- Jasper Caverly
- Ji Li
- Kellie Baxter
- Kenny Ang
- Kerinne Jenkins
- Kerri Clarke
- Laura Apelt
- Lily Drummond
- Liz Cattermole
- Lucy Appleyard
- Michelle S Kaldy
- Nadine Torney
- Nazareth Alfred
- Nicole Hutton
- Rachael Morrow
- Robert Magell
- Rose J Lamont
- Ruby J Kammoora
- Shane Cook
- Shirin Barghnavard
- Star Sandford
- Thomas Wood
- Yasemin Sabuncuoglu
- Zebedee Parkes
Who can apply?
Applicants must be Australian citizens / permanent residents with an interest in documentary and factual content, who have never attended AIDC before, and who identify with one (or more) of the following groups: emerging/early-career*, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse, regional and remote, and/or from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
*early-career = 0-5 years experience in screen or interactive media production
How many recipients are chosen?
The number of recipients chosen is dependent on the level of support provided by our generous Leading Lights donors. Each donation of $695 subsidises one emerging and/or diverse nonfiction practitioner to experience AIDC.
How are recipients selected?
An industry committee of experienced industry professionals will assess applications and create a shortlist.
Fill out an application form on the link below.
UPDATE: LEADING LIGHTS APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
2025 Leading Lights applications close Sunday 8 December 2024.
“THE TEAM AT AIDC WEREN’T LYING WHEN THEY SAID TO WEAR YOUR LEADING LIGHTS BADGE WITH PRIDE AND THAT THE OTHER DELEGATES WOULD WELCOME US WITH OPEN ARMS… BEING A FIRST-TIME DOCUMENTARY MAKER AND FIRST-TIMER AT AIDC I FELT INCLUDED, SUPPORTED AND WELCOMED INTO THE VIBRANT WORLD OF DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS WHO WERE ALL SO APPROACHABLE AND EAGER TO POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND HELP ME START MY CAREER OFF ON THE RIGHT TRACK.”
– KAYLENE LANGFORD, LEADING LIGHTS RECIPIENT 2024
AIDC believes that inclusivity and diversity in documentary and factual storytelling is vital to a healthy and sustainable nonfiction screen industry.
Want to help usher in the next generation of emerging and diverse storytellers? AIDC is now calling for industry donors as part of our 2025 Leading Lights campaign.
With your support, AIDC can continue to provide vital assistance to industry newcomers in establishing themselves as part of Australia’s documentary and factual community.
Any Australian screen company or individual can make a tax-deductible donation to our Leading Lights Fund.
AIDC is committed to delivering an exclusive, bespoke program that provides maximum opportunities for our Leading Lights but can only do this with your donation.
Donation Tiers*:
- $695 – 1 x Leading Lights recipient
- $1,390 – 2 x Leading Lights recipients
- $2,085 – 3 x Leading Lights recipients
- $2,780 – 4 x Leading Lights recipients
- $3,475 – 5 x Leading Light recipients
*Additional donations are welcome in increments of $695.
Leading Lights donors are acknowledged across AIDC platforms and at the conference including:
- AIDC 2025 program guide acknowledgment
- AIDC website acknowledgment
- On-screen acknowledgment before every conference session/screening at AIDC 2025
- Donor and Application communications campaigns
AIDC is a registered charity with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status. All donations are tax-deductible.
To make a donation at any time, please visit our DONATE page, or contact accounts@aidc.com.au
AIDC gratefully acknowledges our 2025 Leading Lights donors:
Funds pledged for 5 x Leading Lights recipients
Funds pledged for 3 x Leading Lights recipients
Funds pledged for 2 x Leading Lights recipients
- CJZ
- Darkwave
- Documentary Australia
- Paul Wiegard
- Nagle Accounting
Funds pledged for 1 x Leading Lights recipient
“WE LOVE THAT LEADING LIGHTS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SO MANY FILMMAKERS TO ATTEND THE MOST IMPORTANT ANNUAL DOCUMENTARY CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA, AND IT’S PARTICULARLY FANTASTIC TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE BEING INCLUDED FROM THE REGIONS AND DIVERSE AREAS OF OUR COUNTRY.”
– RACHEL CLEMENTS & TRISHA MORTON-THOMAS, BRINDLE FILMS