Chopper producer Michele Bennett and Robyn Kershaw, whose credits include Looking For Alibrandi, are among the eight teams that have projects selected by the Australian Film Commission's (AFC) development laboratory for low-budget films.

The series of workshops aim to simultaneously develop a film's script, the director's vision and the production strategy.

This year's two international advisers are Paul Mezey, who produced Maria Full Of Grace and was executive producer on Half Nelson, and Festen co-writer Mogens Rukov, head of the screenwriting and dramaturgy department at the National Film School in Denmark.

Bennett and Anastasia Sideris are producing director Kriv Stenders' sci-fi horror, Stranded 3, in which reality TV contestants really do have to fight to survive when they come in contact with a race of psychotic mutants. Stenders' third feature, Boxing Day, premieres soon at the upcoming Adelaide Film Festival.

Kershaw and Romy Moshinsky are producing writer/performer Tania Lacy's romantic comedy Blogger Girl, about a young woman who uses the internet to invent a super successful overseas life for herself. Lacy is well-known as a TV comedian and plays the check-out chick in Titsiana Booberini, the short film that lead to Robert Luketic directing Legally Blonde.

The AFC also provides marketing workshops and production money under its Indivision initiative, which aims to energise low-budget filmmaking in Australia.

Full list of projects:

Blogger Girl

Producers: Robyn Kershaw, Romy Moshinsky

Director: Daina Reid

Writer: Tania Lacy

Script Editor: John O'Brien

Exit 50 Producer: Fiona Copland

Writer/Director: Michael Bennett

Writer/Associate Producer:Gavin Strawhan

Galore Producer: Philippa Campey

Writer/Director: Rhys Graham

Script Editor: Mira Robertson

Gary 's House Producer: Amanda Higgs

Writer: Debra Oswald

Marcus + Love Producer: Jason Harty

Co-writer/Director: Bryan Moses

Writers: Trent O'Donnell, Craig Anderson

Script Editor: Nick Parsons

Refuge Producers: Ranko Markovic, Jeff Purser

Writer/Director: Bojan Simic

Script Editor: Joel Anderson

Stranded 3 Producers: Michele Bennett, Anastasia Sideris

Director: Kriv Stenders

Writer: Tim Maricic

Script Editor: Victor Gentile

The Waiting City

Producers: Jamie Hilton, Claire McCarthy

Writer/Director: Claire McCarthy

Script Editor: Keith Thompson

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