New screen fellowship aims to boost Jewish Australian stories
A new fellowship aimed at strengthening Jewish Australian representation on screen has been launched by Jump Street Films as part of its growing Jewish Australian Screen Fund.
The Jewish Australian Screen Fellowship, announced in Variety, will provide $20,000 and a year of mentorship from Jump Street Films to one Jewish Australian filmmaker whose work advances authentic Jewish Australian storytelling.
New fellowship launched to support Jewish Australian screen storytellers (Photo: Cottonbros via Pexels)
Open to both emerging and mid-career creatives working across film, television and digital media, applicants must demonstrate how their project or body of work will deepen the portrayal of Jewish Australian identity on screen.
The fellowship forms part of a broader initiative launched in 2024 by Jump Street director Jamie Bialkower, aimed at strengthening Jewish representation in Australian screen storytelling while creating opportunities for emerging talent. Since its launch, the fund has supported 10 projects and produced four short films documenting Jewish life in Australia after the October 7 attacks.
Bialkower explained, “We launched the Jewish Australian Screen Fund with a dual focus on authentic Jewish Australian storytelling and using screen representation as a tool against antisemitism while creating pathways for emerging creatives.”
Jamie Bialkower (Jump Street Films founder)
Funding may support the writing of a screenplay or television pilot, the production of a short film or web series, or the development of other screen-based projects aligned with the fellowship’s aims. Projects will be assessed on creative merit, commercial potential, professional development value and the applicant’s capacity to deliver the proposal within the available funding.
Postproduction support for projects already underway will not be provided, and feature film production will only be supported where additional finance is already secured.
The fellowship was announced alongside Jump Street Films’ 2026 development slate, which includes several Jewish-themed projects and collaborations with international talent.
Applications at the Jump Street website for the Jewish Australian Screen Fellowship close on 17 April 2026, with the inaugural fellow to be announced on 11 May.
