AustLit

The Cutting Edge is a current affairs and documentary series telecast by SBS, beginning in the late 1980s. Its manifesto has been to invite filmmakers to ask incisive questions of contemporary political culture and social experience. Over the years, the program has included investigative and insightful treatments of crises in everyday life (such as schools, the family unit, aged care, and the modern workplace) as well as issues such as free speech and defamation, corporate governance, or the real-life effects of new social policies.

SBS Television has typically commissioned up to sixty short films a year for The Cutting Edge, with these comprising a mix of Australian productions and those financed in conjunction with international broadcasters. In 2001, SBS Independent began offering a pre-sale license fee and equity investment to fully finance these films. Budgets of up to $275,000 were made available in return for a 50/50 shared copyright deal.