Fund Overview

The Fund is a closed end investment vehicle that provides long-term funding for the Australian screen industry on a low-risk financing basis for investors. It’s an alternative investment that offers investors a return profile uncorrelated with traditional asset classes.

As a ‘Made in Australia’ Fund, it has been established to provide a funding source and access to global markets for feature films and television series to be produced primarily in Australia for global audiences.

It is intended to be a five-year fund, with a two-year wind down, capped at producing 40 original productions and increasing up to 55 total projects including sequels and continuing series. The Fund aims to produce screen content in excess of A$1.7 billion, which will primarily be spent in Australia.

AEP intends to source potential production projects by working with the major streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon and Disney+, as well as the major studios, including Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.

The Fund, through a number of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), intends to acquire production projects to be commercialised through one of the following two screen financing investment structures:

Type 1 investments – Contracted Projects

Projects where the production costs are fully covered by government rebates/incentives and contracts with streamers, studios and other established buyers, prior to (or soon thereafter) commencement of principal photography.

Type 2 investments – Original Productions or Co-Productions

These are projects which are not contracted projects, and are subject to budgetary targets, minimum levels of pre-sales and qualified sales estimates and/or, in the case of straight distribution, approved distribution arrangements.

Both Type 1 and Type 2 investments are subject to stringent investment criteria. Over the life of the Fund, Type 1 investments will make up not less than 85% of forecast production expenditure, with Type 2 investments making up the remainder.