What Cinespace Inc. does

Cinespace Inc. (CINESPACE Incorporated, ABN 52 689 410 229) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered at Suite 1, 19-29 Leeds St, Footscray, Victoria, Australia. It operates a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse), BIPOC, and First Nations filmmakers in Victoria. The flagship offering is a quarterly 3-month Residency Program that provides selected filmmakers with private studio workspace, production equipment (Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K cameras, lighting, grip, and sound gear), Mac Studio edit suites running Davinci Resolve, and structured mentorship from industry experts (film lawyer, casting agent, publicist, sound engineer, script consultant). Surrounding the Residency are capacity-building programs including Holding Space (a three-stage community-to-bootcamp-to-residency pathway with Business Victoria), the Writers' Room Training Program (five-weekend intensive led by showrunner Osamah Sami), Smartphone Stories and Pocket Cinema workshops, and the Screen/Film & Acting workshops with Oz Malik.

The business model is philanthropic and grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams comprise tax-deductible donations to the Production Fund (with a 5% admin fee retained and an independent Public Fund Committee overseeing awards), government grants (VicScreen, Creative Victoria, Department of Families Fairness and Housing, Maribyrnong City Council Triennial Arts Partner funding, Casey Council, VicHealth), and corporate sponsorships (Blackmagic Design, Angelbird, IDX, Bendigo Bank Community Bank Seddon, VCA School of Film and Television). Programs are delivered free of charge to eligible filmmakers, with Writers' Room participants receiving a stipend. Marketing is community-led through Eventbrite, FilmFreeway, a Substack newsletter, and partnerships with multicultural community organizations.

Cinespace serves primarily individual emerging screen practitioners, with secondary segments including culturally diverse young people (18-25), community members across all ages, and South-East Melbourne residents. The organization employs 22 staff and is governed by a Board led by President Steve Pereira and Director/CEO Baris Ulusoy. As a registered not-for-profit, it has no equity owners, no funding rounds, and no parent company; operations are independently funded through the donation, grant, and sponsorship streams described above. Notable program alumni include Blacksand Pictures ('Salma's Season'), Dos Hermanas Productions ('Lady Priest'), and Near Dark Productions & Danae Grieef Films ('CYPHER SESSION'), with Lady Priest winning Best Pilot at Melbourne WebFest 2023.

Name

Cinespace Inc.

Legal name

CINESPACE Incorporated

Website

https://cinespace.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cinespace Inc. is a Victorian not-for-profit that runs a portfolio of programs (Residency, Holding Space, Writers' Room, Smartphone Stories, Production Fund) providing equipment, studio space, mentorship, and grant funding to CALD, BIPOC, and First Nations filmmakers across Melbourne, Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Footscray

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Production Fund Donations: Tax-deductible donations (100% tax-deductible in Australia for gifts of $2 or more) flowing directly to residency filmmakers' production budgets. Annual pool where donations (less 5% admin fee) are shared equally between resident projects. Independent Public Fund Committee oversees awards.
2. Government Grants and Funding: Funding from Victorian government bodies including VicScreen, Creative Victoria, Department of Families Fairness and Housing (DFFH), Maribyrnong City Council Triennial Arts Partner funding
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships and support from organizations like Victoria State Government, VCA School of Film and Television, Blackmagic Design, Angelbird, and Bendigo Bank Community Bank Seddon

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cinespace delivers a not-for-profit ecosystem of programs supporting CALD, BIPOC, and First Nations filmmakers in Victoria, Australia. The flagship 3-month Residency Program provides studio workspace, Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K production equipment, Mac Studio edit suites with Davinci Resolve, and industry mentorship. Surrounding pathway programs include Holding Space, Writers' Room Training Program, Smartphone Stories: Pocket Cinema, and screen/acting workshops, complemented by a tax-deductible Production Fund and industry Toolkit resource aggregator.

Product overview

Cinespace Inc. is a not-for-profit that operates as a platform of interconnected programs supporting CALD, BIPOC and First Nations filmmakers in Victoria, Australia. The core offering is the RESIDENCY Program—a 3-month production residency providing studio space, Blackmagic production equipment, Mac Studio edit suites with Davinci Resolve, and industry mentorship. Surrounding the Residency are complementary programs: Holding Space (a three-stage pathway program with community conversations and boot camps), the Writers' Room Training Program (five-weekend intensive), Smartphone Stories: Pocket Cinema (smartphone filmmaking workshops), and the Screen/Film & Acting Workshops with Oz Malik. Additional offerings include the Production Fund (tax-deductible donation pool for filmmakers), the Toolkit (resource aggregator connecting filmmakers to partner tools), and past programs like Training Grounds and the South East Project. The portfolio forms a comprehensive ecosystem from emerging grassroots development through to completed screen productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Holding Space: A program designed to give emerging and grassroots community filmmakers an understanding of the skills and resources required to package and pitch their projects to approach the Australian media marketplace.
• Residency Program
• Production Fund
• Writers' Room Training Program
• Toolkit

Products and services

• Residency Program Flagship 3-month residency offering CALD, BIPOC and First Nations filmmakers exclusive access to studio workspace, Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K production equipment, Mac Studio edit suites with Davinci Resolve post-production, and industry support including consultations with film lawyers, casting agents, publicists, career mentors, script consultants, and sound engineers. Free for eligible participants.
• Holding Space Three-stage capacity-building program for emerging grassroots community filmmakers comprising Community Conversations with industry producers, Boot Camp webinars covering screen business basics, packaging and pitching, and a pathway into Residency applications. Developed with Business Victoria's Multicultural Business Chambers & Trader Groups (MBCTG) program.
• Writers' Room Training Program Five-weekend writers' room intensive in Footscray teaching real-world skills in creating a season of television or streaming drama, with collaboration on original web serial concepts and Hollywood insights via Australians in Film's Insider Sessions. Participants receive a stipend.
• Smartphone Stories: Pocket Cinema Three-Sunday filmmaking workshops where participants use smartphones as primary cameras to create short films. Designed for storytellers and curious beginners exploring humanistic film, culminating in a premiere at the Altona Beach Film Festival.
• Screen, Film & Acting Workshops with Oz Malik Eight selected participants engage in weekly in-person group sessions over five weeks learning storytelling, character construction, and filmmaking fundamentals, with mentorship and guest industry creatives. Supported by Casey Council.
• South East Project Filmmaking and acting workshop series in South-East Melbourne suburbs (Narre Warren) supported by Casey Council. Participants learn storytelling techniques and apply them in practical settings through proof-of-concept short film projects.
• About Us, For You: A Festival of Stories Collaboration with SXSEA providing workshop series for culturally-diverse young people (18-25 years) in film, music, and theatre storytelling. Participants created artistic pieces showcased at The Bowery Theatre. Funded through VicHealth's Everyday Creative Partnerships project (2020-2022) reaching 400+ people.
• Production Fund 100% tax-deductible donation program providing direct cash support to Residency filmmakers' production budgets. Annual pool with 5% admin fee, overseen by an independent Public Fund Committee, with donations (less 5% admin fee) shared equally between resident projects.
• Toolkit Resource aggregator connecting filmmakers with tools and templates from partners including VicScreen, Business Victoria, Screen Australia, Auspicious, Arts Law, Ausfilm, Screenrights, MEAA, and Channel 31, covering business documents, legal services, industry standards, and film festival strategy.
• Smartphone Stories Partnership program empowering individuals to become filmmakers using smartphones, delivered across 50+ locations reaching 500+ participants including community centers, schools, seniors, youth, people with disabilities, and First Nations communities. Delivered in partnership with 30 local councils led by City of Port Phillip and funded through the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) Multicultural Communications Outreach Program.
• Training Grounds Trainee production program providing emerging culturally diverse creatives with holistic understanding of screen production and first screen credits; produced the 'No Waiting' pilot season. Funded through the DFFH Multicultural Communications Outreach Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ participants trained through Smartphone Stories program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• VCA School of Film and TelevisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing support to residency filmmakers through the VCA School of Film and Television
• Blackmagic DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment sponsor providing Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K camera kits for residency program participants
• AngelbirdsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment sponsor providing Camera Cards for residency filmmaker productions
• IDXsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment sponsor providing batteries for residency program production equipment
• VA HiresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquipment hire partner offering 50% discount on additional equipment hire for residency participants
• Business VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Multicultural Business Chambers & Trader Groups (MBCTG) program supporting Holding Space initiative for multicultural screen businesses
• Australians in FilmsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing Writers' Room participants with free observational passes to Insider Sessions: Inside a U.S. Writer's Room
• SXSEA (South by South East Asian)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaarm-based initiative collaborating on About Us, For You festival program for culturally diverse young people
• Brimbank FReeZasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in About Us, For You program hosting Half-Baked Open Mic events at The Bowery Theatre
• Bunjil PlacesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for South East Project workshops in Narre Warren
• Smartphone StoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership delivering smartphone filmmaking workshops across Victoria, reaching 500+ participants
• 30 Local CouncilssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership network including lead council City of Port Phillip for smartphone filmmaking workshops delivery
• ScreenrightssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides financing, licensing information, and skills development programs for screen practitioners
• AusfilmsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides resources and factsheets on professional standards, terms, and incentives in Australian screen industry
• MEAA (Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading union for screen providing collective bargaining and advocacy for national membership
• Arts LawsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides low cost legal services and legal document templates for artists through toolkit resources
• Channel 31supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity broadcaster providing broadcast opportunities to community-based screen creatives across Victoria

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Multicultural Arts Victoria: Victorian peak body for multicultural arts programming, festivals, and artist development. Overlaps with Cinespace's CALD-focused community outreach and artist capacity-building in the same Melbourne geography.
• Centre for Stories: Perth-based nonprofit that runs storytelling programs, residencies, and workshops amplifying voices from migrant, refugee, and First Nations communities in Australia. Closely comparable mission of equipping underrepresented storytellers with craft skills and production resources.
• Bus Stop Films: Australian not-for-profit that runs filmmaking programs and a production fund specifically for people with intellectual disabilities. Mirrors Cinespace's integrated model of training, equipment access, mentorship, and production funding for an underrepresented Australian screen community.

Broad incumbents

• Film Independent: US nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers through residencies, labs, fiscal sponsorship, and the Spirit Awards. Comparable integrated structure of training, mentorship, and production support but serving a US-based filmmaker base across all demographics.
• Sundance Institute: US-based nonprofit running filmmaker labs, residencies, and production support programs for independent storytellers. Operates the global benchmark model for integrated residency-plus-funding-plus-mentorship that Cinespace has adopted at a smaller scale for multicultural Australian filmmakers.
• Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS): Australia's national film, television and radio school offering postsecondary training, short courses, and industry programs. Comparable to Cinespace in screen-craft training mission but operates at much larger scale and broader scope across all film practitioners.
• Berlinale Talents: Berlin International Film Festival's international talent program offering masterclasses, networking, and project development for emerging filmmakers from around the world. Comparable as a high-profile international residency-style program for emerging screen practitioners.

Emerging players

• Tropfest: Australia's largest short film festival running programs and development opportunities for emerging filmmakers. Partial overlap with Cinespace's residency model in supporting emerging screen talent, but anchored on a festival showcase rather than a year-round production-support platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cinespace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cinespace Inc.