Oscar Wilde animated short story gets Screen Australia funding

Three animated Australian films have been given a combined $350,000 worth of funding through the Screen Australia Short Animation Production Program.

Screen Australia’s head of development, Martha Coleman, said, “Each of these animations is evocative, emotional and innovative, driven by exciting, strong voices at different stages in their career. The diverse range of teams and projects in this round continues to reflect the breadth and calibre of talent in the Australian film and animation industries.”

The Nightingale and the Rose is a collaboration between two-time Archibald-winning artist Del Kathryn Barton and Brendan Fletcher, both of whom will co-direct and write.

A reworking of Oscar Wilde’s short story, Angie Fielder, Brendan Fletcher and Polly Staniford will produce the film and animators Liz Ellis and Richard Swan will also be part of the creative team. The team are partnering with Method Studios who will create innovative animation techniques in order to bring Del Kathryn Barton’s artwork to the screen.