Talks @ AFTRS

Top executives from four Australian platforms reflect on the impact of COVID-19 and look ahead to 2021 as they figure out ‘the new normal’. Join Beverley McGarvey, Chief Content Officer and EVP, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, Angus Ross, Director of Network Programming at Seven Network, Michael Carrington, Director Entertainment and Specialist, ABC and Nick Forward, Chief Content Officer, Stan with moderator Denise Eriksen, Co-Founder, Media Mentors Australia as they discuss new ideas, changing production models, mergers, quotas, audiences, funding and more.

In conversation with AFTRS’ Head of Screen Business Peter Herbert, AFTRS alumni Paul Wiegard (Co-founder and CEO, Madman Entertainment), Chloe Rickard (Partner, COO and Executive Producer, Jungle Entertainment) and Nathan Anderson (COO, Start Beyond) discuss the evolution of their companies and share strategies and insights into today’s global screen media landscape.

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Factual television producers, Karina Holden (Northern Pictures), Jacob Hickey (Blackfella Films) and Stephen Oliver (Manager of Documentaries at ABC) join Andrew Garrick to discuss storytelling with impact, discovering unlikely heroes and the exciting new projects they have in the works.

KARINA HOLDEN

25 years ago, Karina Holden was a wildlife biologist pumping crocodile stomachs and doing testicular biopsies on snakes. She made the switch to filmmaking when she joined the ABC’s Natural History Unit in 1995 as a researcher, working her way up the food chain to work on blue-chip wildlife series including international co-productions.

Since then, she has worked in both the independent sector as Head of Production, Creative Producer and Writer/Director, as well as within the national broadcaster as Commissioning Editor of Science and Natural History.

In July 2013, Karina joined Northern Pictures as Head of Factual in the hope it would lead to more croc wrangling and less paperwork. So far, that’s not been the case. Her slate at Northern Pictures has included award-winning programs such as Magical Land of Oz, Love on the Spectrum, Lukewarm Sex, Employable Me, Changing Minds, Big Weather, Strong Female Lead and many more.

Karina remains a passionate ambassador of conservation work internationally and was awarded the Okeanos Prix for services to the Ocean in 2018 for her theatrical film Blue. In 2019, she was recognised by The Australian Financial Review in the 100 Women of Influence awards.

JACOB HICKEY

Jacob started his career in BBC current affairs and worked on many award-winning projects before moving to Melbourne. In 2009, he wrote and directed the feature-length documentary Inside the Firestorm for ABC, which won the 2010 AFI Award for Best Direction in a Documentary. Jacob’s next project as series producer and director was Immigration Nation, which broadcast on SBS and was nominated for Best Factual Series for the 2011 AACTA Awards. This was followed by Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta, attracting one of the largest ever audiences for an SBS documentary, and received great critical acclaim, winning Gold and Silver Medals at the New York Film Festivals International Television and Film Awards.

In July 2013, Jacob joined Blackfella Films as Head of Factual and is responsible for the company’s factual slate. Since then, he has worked on First Contact (seasons 1 and 2), DNA Nation, Deep Water: The Real Story which received top honours at the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and the acclaimed ratings hit series, Filthy Rich & Homeless (seasons 1, 2 and 3).

Most recently, Jacob co-produced, with Darren Dale, the documentary Maralinga Tjarutja for the ABC.

STEPHEN OLIVER

As Manager of Documentaries at the ABC, Stephen Oliver oversees some of the national broadcaster’s biggest hits including Big Weather, Love on the Spectrum, War on Waste, Employable Me, The Cult of the Family, Don’t Stop the Music and Exposed: The Case of Keli Lane. Before joining the ABC, Stephen was an award-winning filmmaker, making both comedic docs including Chateau Chunder – A Wine Revolution and Stop Laughing, this is Serious on the history of comedy in Australia, as well as hard-hitting campaigning series like What’s the Catch, For the Love of Meat and How to Save the World. Stephen has brought that program-making and impact campaign experience to the ABC with great success.

In 2020, he is heading up some ground-breaking climate-themed series and game-changing associated impact campaigns including Australia’s Ocean Odyssey on the interconnectedness of species, Fight for Planet A: Our Climate Challenge on how we can all help reduce our carbon emissions and Big Weather (and how to survive it) on how to survive and thrive in a time of increasing extreme weather events. Stephen is passionate about telling stories with real-world impact. Outside of work, he likes tennis, mountain-biking, and dogs… and his kids, he definitely likes them too.

Trisha Morton-Thomas and Rachel Clements, founders of Brindle Films (8MMM Aboriginal Radio, Occupation: Native, The Song Keepers), have just embarked on pre-production for multi-million dollar ABC and Netflix children’s series MaveriX – the largest-ever Northern Territory production. In conversation with Media Mentors’ Denise Eriksen, the multi-award-winning producers will discuss the upcoming series, running the Alice Springs-based production company and all the new projects they have in the works.

Trisha Morton-Thomas

Born in the Northern Territory, Trisha Morton-Thomas is a writer, producer, director and actor who has worked in film and television for over 25 years. She has a background in teaching, radio broadcasting, journalism and theatre. She is an Aboriginal woman from the Anmaterr People in Central Australia.

Straight out of drama school, she landed the lead character Mae in Rachel Perkin’s 1997 debut feature film Radiance. Trisha has since become one of Australia’s most renowned Aboriginal actors, recently starring as Lola in 8MMM Aboriginal Radio (2015), the first Aboriginal narrative comedy series which she also wrote and produced. Trish also appears in the award-winning Redfern Now and Total Control.

From 2004, Trisha worked for CAAMA where she produced, directed and wrote documentaries for Imparja TV, ABC and NITV including Destiny in Alice, Ridin’ Time, Bungalung and Finding Place. In 2007 she joined the newly established National Indigenous Television Services (NITV) as one of the first Aboriginal Commissioning Editors, eventually working her way up to Senior Commissioning Editor. While at NITV, Trisha oversaw hundreds of television hours including documentaries, dramas, music television and magazine-style formats.

In 2011, Trisha co-founded Brindle Films in Alice Springs. With a slate of critically acclaimed and award-winning films, documentaries and television series to their credit, Brindle Films is a driving creative force in the Northern Territory.
In 2017, Trisha wrote, directed, produced and presented Occupation: Native for NITV/SBS, which won the Screen Producers of Australia Award for Best Documentary, an ATOM Award and a Capricornia Award (Darwin International Film Festival). Trisha produced The Song Keepers, a feature documentary which premiered at Melbourne International Film Festival in 2017 and had a strong theatrical release in 2018. Recent projects include Finke: There and Back, a feature documentary for Madman which was released into cinemas in 2019, and Uluru & the Magician, a feature documentary currently in production.

Trish is currently writing, directing and presenting History Bites Back, a documentary for NITV. She is also producing Audrey and Me, a feature documentary in production, and MaveriX, a children’s television drama series scheduled for production in 2021 for ABC and Netflix. She is in development on a number of feature drama and television drama projects.
In 2016, Trish received the Bob Plasto Award from the NT Government for her contribution towards the Northern Territory’s screen industry.

Rachel Clements

Alice Springs-based Rachel Clements is a co-founder of Brindle Films, recipients of the 2015 SPA Breakthrough Business Award and the first Northern Territory production company to received Screen Australia Enterprise funding. Recent feature documentaries include Finke: There and Back (premiered in competition at Sydney Film Festival, released into cinemas by Madman in 2019) and The Song Keepers (MIFF Premiere Fund, released into cinemas by Potential Films).

Rachel has produced drama projects including 8MMM Aboriginal Radio, the first Aboriginal comedy narrative series, for the ABC in 2015, and Double Trouble (2007), the first Indigenous children’s drama series for network television (Channel 9, Disney Australasia, ACTF).

Rachel has produced award-winning documentaries including Big Name No Blanket and Ochre and Ink. In 2014, Rachel produced Blown Away, a documentary for the ABC on the 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy (10th best rating show of the week for ABC). Occupation: Native (one-hour documentary) for NITV/SBS won the SPA Best Documentary Award in 2017.

Rachel has produced or executive produced feature documentaries for cinema, television drama (children’s and comedy), 30 broadcast documentary films, and over 65 hours of magazine-style television for NITV. She has produced from remote Aboriginal communities to international locations. She has executive produced documentaries commissioned by ABC and NITV, including Urrpeye (Messenger), the launch program for NITV.

Rachel’s films have been broadcast in over 35 countries, and she has attended festivals and markets with her films including Cannes, Sundance, MIPCOM, Hotdocs and Sichuan. Her films have won AACTA, ATOM and AWGIE awards.

At her AFTRS graduation in 2001, she was the recipient of the inaugural FFC Creative Producer Award. In 2013 she was awarded the Bob Plasto Award by the NT Government, for her contribution to NT film and television.

Current projects in production include Uluru & the Magician (feature documentary), Audrey and Me (feature documentary) and Give Us Green Darling (television documentary). MaveriX, a 10 x 30 min children’s drama series, created by Rachel, is financed and scheduled to enter production in 2021 for ABC and Netflix.

In this special edition, key industry leaders discuss the importance of supporting the mental health of the film and television workforce in a COVID-safe production environment.

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AFTRS Senior Radio Lecturer Tony Rasmussen in conversation with two of the top audio producers in the business: PodcastOne’s Alex Mitchell (Rusty’s Garage, The Chaser’s Extreme Vetting, The Big Questions, Health Hacker, Radical Fashionism) and freelancer Karla Arnall (CrossBread, Judith Lucy: Overwhelmed & Dying, The Pineapple Project), talking all things podcasting and audio storytelling.

Karla Arnall

Karla Arnall likes stories. Specifically, telling good ones via audio. She has produced a number of high profile podcasts for the ABC, including CrossBread, Judith Lucy: Overwhelmed & Dying and The Pineapple Project.

Now working as a freelancer, Karla’s excited to be collaborating with new players in the Australian market, such as Amazon’s Audible on projects including Slushy, a ‘traditional sitcom but for your ears’, from Get Krack!n duo Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney.

Prior to making podcasts, Karla spent a number of years working on triple j’s news and current affairs show Hack. As Executive Producer, she developed original and editorially challenging content across all channels of the Hack brand and was nominated for a Walkley in Radio/Audio News and Current Affairs. She was also the launch producer of triple j show The Hook Up and worked as a cross-media reporter for the ABC in Western Australia.

Alex Mitchell

Alex Mitchell is a graduate of AFTRS and has had a multi-award-winning career in commercial radio, before taking his love of audio entertainment and technology to the on-demand audio space. Today, Alex is producing original podcasts for PodcastOne Australia and is the Executive Producer for Branded Content, forwarding the future sound of premium podcasting for audiences and clients.

It has been an extraordinary year for scripted Australian television – from the latest seasons of Mystery Road and Stateless to Informer 3838 and Hungry Ghosts. Two of Australia’s top producers, Debbie Lee from Matchbox Pictures and Sophia Zachariou from Bunya Productions, join Andrew Garrick to discuss creating, making and delivering scripted comedy and drama for Australian and international audiences.

Sophia Zachariou

Sophia Zachariou is CEO of Bunya Productions. Since joining Bunya in 2019, Sophia has overseen the development of Bunya’s television drama and comedy slate. Most recently she executive produced Nick Boshier (Bondi Hipsters) and Jazz Twemlow’s (Tonightly) sketch comedy series Nice Shorts and is currently in production with Emmy award-winning artist Lynette Wallworth’s podcast series Engineering Consciousness.

Previously as Screen NSW Director of Screen Investment, Engagement and Attraction, Sophia led the screen program across NSW and oversaw the commissioning of award-winning productions such as Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country, Rachel Perkins’ Mystery Road, Nash Edgerton’s Mr Inbetween, Bruce Beresford’s Ladies in Black and Jeffrey Walker’s Riot.

Before joining Screen NSW, Sophia was Deputy Head of Entertainment at ABC TV and commissioned and Executively Produced over 35 award-winning television titles, including Gruen, The Chaser, Kitchen Cabinet, Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knifefighting, The Checkout and Judith Lucy’s Spiritual Journey.

Sophia is a passionate advocate for the emerging sector and has championed many emerging creative voices from under-represented groups during her entire career at SBS, ABC and Screen NSW. In her role as CEO Sophia has overseen the Bunya Talent arm of the company and has developed and produced a number of workshops including the Bunya Creative Talent Incubator for First Nations creatives supported by Screen Australia’s Enterprise Business and Ideas Program and the South Australian Film Corporation.

Debbie Lee

Debbie Lee is Matchbox Pictures’ Director of Scripted Development. Debbie provides creative leadership across the Matchbox scripted slate. She also serves as an executive producer on a number of projects – most recently on Safe Harbour, The Family Law, Mustangs FC and The Heights.

Before joining Matchbox, Debbie was ABC TV’s Head of Comedy where she commissioned and EP’ed shows including A Moody Christmas, Please Like Me, Laid, It’s a Date and The Strange Calls.

Prior to that, she worked as Series Producer for Eat Carpet, the late night experimental short film program on SBS, Australia’s multicultural Broadcaster and then as a Commissioning Editor for Drama and Comedy for SBS Independent. At SBS her commissions included Kick, Wilfred, John Safran vs. God and The Circuit.

Inspired by the ‘Who’s On Your Crew?’ campaign, this special edition features four female AFTRS alumnae talking about their careers, their most recent projects and how film school gave them a leg up. Join Cinematographer Zoë White (The Handmaid’s Tale, Westworld, Nancy), Production Designer Sherree Philips (Babyteeth, Top of the Lake, Fighting Season), Editor Julie-Anne De Ruvo (The Letdown, Please Like Me, Les Norton, Girls Can’t Surf) and Sound Editor Mia Stewart (Lambs of God, Mad Max Fury Road) in conversation with AFTRS Head of Industry, Wendy Gray.

ZOË WHITE

Zoë White ACS shoots all over the world collaborating with a diverse roster of directors and production creatives who share her passion for innovative and impactful storytelling. Her television credits include seasons two and three of The Handmaid’s Tale, Dare, and season three of Westworld. For The Handmaid’s Tale, she received both Emmy and ASC Award nominations. White has shot multiple features including Nancy (US Dramatic Competition, Sundance 2018), Princess Cyd (Maryland FF, BAMCinemafest 2017) and Catfight (TIFF 2016). Originally from Sydney, Australia, she studied at North Carolina School of the Arts and the Australian Film Television & Radio School and trained alongside mentors including Vilmos Zsigmond ASC, Laszlo Kovacs ASC, Newton Thomas Sigel ASC and James Chressanthis ASC. She has been named a “Rising Star of Cinematography” by American Cinematographer and one of “Ten Cinematographers to Watch”” by Variety. In 2017, White gained official accreditation with the Australian Cinematography Society.

JULIE-ANNE DE RUVO

Julie-Anne De Ruvo is an award-winning screen editor with over 18 years of experience working across television, feature films and documentary filmmaking.

After graduating from AFTRS in 2002 with a MA in Editing, Julie-Anne has been dedicated to diversifying her capacity as a storyteller and challenged herself by working across as many different genres and formats as possible.

Julie-Anne has received six nominations and four wins for Best Editing across television Comedy and Drama from the Australian Screen Editor’s Guild. Her ASE awarded television credits include the second series of The Letdown (dir. Trent O’Donnell/Giant Dwarf, 2019); season two and three of Please Like Me (dir. Matt Saville/Guesswork Television, 2015, 2016) as well as The Beautiful Lie (dir. Glendyn Ivin/ Endemol Shine, 2015).

Julie-Anne’s television credits are extensive, some of her other recent highlights include the hit series Les Norton (dir. Fadia Abboud/Roadshow Rough Diamond, 2019); My Life is Murder (dir. Leah Purcell/CJZ, 2019); Tidelands (dir. Emma Freeman/Hoodlum, 2018); Squinters (dir. Trent O’Donnell/Jungle, 2018); the television adaptation of Romper Stomper (dir. Geoffrey Wright/Roadshow Rough Diamond, 2018); the second series of the acclaimed children’s series The Nowhere Boys (Matchbox Pictures, 2017) and the fifth season of beloved Australian drama Offspring (Endemol Shine, 2011).
On the feature film side, Julie-Anne recently co-edited Undertow (Emerald Productions, 2018) for director Miranda Nation as well as the horror-comedy, Better Watch Out (dir. Chris Peckover/ Storm Vision Entertainment, 2016).
Julie-Anne has also edited a number of acclaimed documentaries, some of which include, Morgana (dirs. Isabel Peppard, Josie Hess/House of Gary, 2018) and Horror Movie: A low budget nightmare (dir. Gary Doust/ Fridgejam Productions, 2017).

Most recently, Julie-Anne co-wrote and edited the feature documentary Girls Can’t Surf (dir. Christopher Nelius/ Finch, 2020) which follows the journey towards equal opportunity in women’s professional surfing.

SHERREE PHILIPS

Sherree Philips is a Sydney based Production Designer who works in film, television & commercials. Sherree has recently designed Shannon Murphy’s feature film Babyteeth, premiering at the prestigious La Biennale di Venezia in main competition last September. The feature was produced by Whitefalk Films’ Alex white & executive produced by Jan Chapman, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Essie Davis, Eliza Scanlen and Toby Wallace.

Other recent feature film credits include: Outlaws directed by Stephen Mccullum and produced by See Pictures, Otherlife directed by Ben C. Lucas released on Netflix, Teenage Kicks directed by Craig Boreham, Girls Can’t Surf directed by Christopher Nelis, and Standing Up For Sunny directed by Steve Vidler. She started in large US productions, including Universal’s Unbroken directed by Angelina Jolie as a design assistant for Jon Hutman.

Television credits include BBC’s Top Of The Lake (China Girl) directed by Jane Campion & Ariel Kleiman, Foxtel’s Fighting Season directed by Kate Woods & ABC’s Devil’s Playground directed by Rachel Ward & Tony Krawitz. Her many short film credits include Dream Baby directed by Lucy Gaffy, which won the AACTA award for Best Short Film.

Sherree graduated from AFTRS in 2012 with a Graduate Diploma of Production Design. Sherree has received award nominations from the Australian Production Design Guild for the student award in 2012 and Best Short Film in 2015 and she was the recipient of genders matters funding from Screen Australia to develop her skills further in Production Design in 2017.

MIA STEWART

Mia Stewart is an Australian sound editor. Her love for sound and story began when she started making mini audio documentaries in high school and hosting her own radio show on Melbourne’s youth station SYN FM. Mia continued her radio work while she studied Radio and Film at LaTrobe University. There she discovered sound design through a guest lecturer who created sonic branding for commercials. Wanting to take her sound editing skills from radio to screen, Mia applied for the Graduate Diploma: Sound course at AFTRS. Since graduating Mia has worked on a number of Australian television series Home and Away, Janet King, Devil’s Playground, On The Ropes and Lambs of God. A career highlight has been assisting the sound teams on Mad Max Fury Road and attending the 2016 Academy Awards where the film received Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Mia recently moved to LA where she continues to work as a dialogue editor for games, television and animation. She lives with her dog, cat and husband, composer David Barber, who she met at AFTRS in 2009.

Versatility is a trademark of successful Australian producers – now more than ever. Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope are living proof of that mantra and they’ll be sharing stories of their career – from The Librarians to The Inbestigators and, most recently, Love in Lockdown – with MC Denise Eriksen, Co-Founder of Media Mentors Australia.

ROBIN BUTLER AND WAYNE HOPE

Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope are actors, writers, directors and producers who run the Australian production company, Gristmill, recognised for its distinctive brand of narrative comedy. Butler and Hope have created, produced, directed and occasionally starred in Upper Middle Bogan, The Librarians and Very Small Business. Butler and Hope are also the creative forces behind popular children’s series including Little Lunch (for ABCMe) and The Inbestigators (for Netflix).

Three of Australia’s leading factual television producers, who – even in this current climate – have continued to bring important stories to eager audiences. Julie Hanna (ABC), Ben Ulm (ITV) and David Galloway (Lune Media), in conversation with Andrew Garrick, share their experiences, insights and expectations in factual television-making.

Ben Ulm

Ben is one the most respected, experienced and diversely skilled television executives in Australia. As a passionate storyteller, format creator, manager, strategist and mentor, Ben’s television career has been uninterrupted since his first job in 1984. He has worked in news, documentary (observational, history, true crime, event), reality, entertainment, comedy (scripted and panel), and lifestyle genres.

As Head of Content and Head of Reality & Factual at ITV Studio, his credits include the new observational documentary series on SBS Who Gets To Stay In Australia?, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Australia (6 seasons) Love Island S1, NOMA Australia, Keeping Australia Alive, Keeping Australia Safe, The Chase Australia, Cannonball, Cram, The First ANZACs, Plonk! SeaChange, Hell’s Kitchen Australia and Paddock to Plate.

Prior to ITV, Ben was the Head of Factual Entertainment at WTFN, responsible for the series Tattoo Tales, The Living Room, Tony Robinson’s Tour of Duty, Tony Robinson’s Time Walks, The People Speak, Trishna & Krishna: The Quest for Separate Lives, Bondi Vet amongst many others.

Other EP credits for Fremantle Media and Beyond Productions include The Farmer Wants A Wife (S3 & 4), Addiction, No Way, Get F*#ked, F*#k Off, Friday On My Mind: The Easybeats Story and Taboo! (S4 & 5).

Julie Hanna

Julie Hanna is the Manager for ABC Factual. Her commissions include Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, Further Back in Time for Dinner, Anh’s Brush with Fame, Shaun Micallef’s On the Sauce, Aftermath: Beyond Black Saturday, Australia Talks, Restoration Australia, Brazen Hussies and Tick F**king Tock (the story of the Doug Anthony Allstars).

Julie has worked extensively as an Executive Producer, Series Producer and Director across a wide range of genres. Before starting at the ABC, Julie worked at KEO Films Australia as Head of Development. Julie also worked as an Executive Producer for ITV Studios – Australia across a broad range of programmes including factual, lifestyle, entertainment, comedy and long form documentaries.

Julie is passionate about exploring stories that examine social issues and push the boundaries with innovative storytelling techniques.

David Galloway

David Galloway is the Director of Programs at Lune Media. David began his television career in the newsroom of Network Seven in Sydney in 1984, producing daily news programs including 11AM and Newsworld – with Clive Robertson. From there, he moved to Network Ten in the late 1980’s, where he was senior producer of the daily national breakfast program, Good Morning Australia.

In the early 1990’s, David was a producer for the science and technology series Beyond 2000 for the Ten and Seven networks and the Discovery Channel in the USA. He was Series Producer of the program in 1994.

Returning to Seven in 1995, he produced a range of programs for the network, including the historical documentary series This Fabulous Century with Peter Luck, and Forty Years of Australian Sport with Jack Thompson. In 1998, he made the Logie-nominated medical observational-documentary series, Kids’ Ward and in 2000 was Series Producer of Olympic Sunrise, screened by the host broadcaster during the Sydney Olympic Games.

More recently, David has been Executive Producer of River Cottage Australia for ITV Studios Australia and KEO Films. He was also Executive Producer of three series of Struggle Street which aired on SBS from 2015-2019. He was also Executive Producer of both series of War on Waste with Lune Media; Taboo (Network Ten); and Fight for Planet A – Our Climate Challenge (ABC – 2020).

Making large format, big-budget primetime shows during a pandemic is certainly a challenge, but one that this week’s guests are all over. EPs Janine Cooper (The Masked Singer, The Bachelor) and Cathie Scott (Dancing With The Stars, Survivor) will talk about the challenges and joys of running multi-million productions, with MC Denise Eriksen, Co-Founder, Media Mentors.

JANINE COOPER

Janine Cooper is currently Executive Producer of The Masked Singer. Previous to the she was Executive Producer of The Bachelor franchise in Australia, which includes The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise.

Janine has produced hours of prime time television for every Australian network, as well as Comedy Central in the USA, Paramount UK and Britain’s ITV2. Her credits cover a broad range of genres, including entertainment, reality, lifestyle, comedy and factual. She has produced the Logie Awards, the AACTA Awards and the International AACTAs from Los Angeles, as well as Sydney’s New Year’s Eve and Australia Day telecasts from the Sydney Opera House.

One of her favourite gigs is the annual World Ballet Day when she produces up to five hours of live behind the scenes content of The Australian Ballet telecast around the world

CATHIE SCOTT

Cathie Scott is an Executive Producer who works across both the broadcast and production sector.

She most recently returned to Network Ten as a freelance Executive Producer, overseeing the production of the past two series of Australian Survivor and the re-launch and subsequent second series of Dancing With the Stars.

During the past five years she has worked as an EP on various projects including the broadcast of the NSW School Spectacular for The NSW Department of Education Arts Unit – the 2019 NYE Fireworks coverage for the ABC (producer), Coast Australia S4 for Foxtel’s History Channel, The 2 Cellos with the Australian Symphony Orchestra for Sony Masterworks US, The CMC and the Helpmann Awards for Foxtel and the Australia Day broadcast for the NSW Premiers Department. She has also consulted with BBCWW ANZ in the formats team during the transition to BBC Studios ANZ.

Prior to this, Cathie spent five years at Fremantle Media Australia as the Head of TV Content, where she had oversight of the relaunch of numerous international formats in Australia and New Zealand including Got Talent, The X-Factor, Grand Designs and MasterChef Australia. Previous to FMA she was Network Ten’s Executive Producer of Entertainment, responsible for the launch of numerous series including The Biggest Loser and Masterchef Australia.

With live-action filming still on hiatus, producers across the world are turning to storytelling through animation. Are audience expectations for animated stories changing and what do industry leaders imagine we’ll see next? Three of Australia’s leading animation directors, Alexs Stadermann, Jacquie Trowell and Richard Jeffery speak to Andrew Garrick about the wonder and potential that is animation in Australia.

ALEXS STADERMANN

Alexs Stadermann is an accomplished director, storyteller and animation professional. He spent most of his career working for the major animation studios around the world, including Amblimation, Aardman, Walt Disney Studios in Sydney and Animalogic.

Alexs has worked as an Animator, SFX Supervisor, Head of Story through and Director throughout his career on an impressive array of TV shows and Movies.

He now serves as Creative Director of Flyingbark Productions where he speerheads the development of new projects as well as having directed the internationally successful Maya the Bee Movie, Blinky Bill and recently 100% Wolf movie, now featuring on the front page of Apple movies.

JACQUIE TROWELL

Jacquie began her animation career in South Africa and co-founded acclaimed animation
companies XYZoo Animation and Triggerfish Studios. During her time as partner, animator and director at both companies, she picked up numerous awards for childrens’ education and television commercials. She returned to Australia (her place of birth) in 2011 to work as an independent animator and director.

During her 30 year career, she has worked with advertising clients such as Ogilvy & Mather,
Young & Rubicam, Leo Burnett, Network BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, Jupiter Drawing Room,
Metropolitan Republic, JWT, and TBWA. She has directed and produced educational content for Sesame Workshop, UNICEF, PSI, Monash and Deakin Universities, as well as animated content for clients such as the Australian Health Commission and UN WOMEN.

Her major achievements include a nomination for the Golden Bear award at the Berlin Berlinale for her short film Beyond Freedom, creative director of animated content production for Sesame Workshop’s Takalani Sesame, director for UNICEF’s multi-platform and multi-format SOPO campaign, and various craft awards for children’s animation as a stop motion animator.

She is currently Series Director of 100% Wolf TV series for Flying Bark.

RICHARD JEFFERY

Richard Jeffery is an Animator & Director from New Zealand whose career has spanned over 25 years. Working for leading studios in both New Zealand and the UK Richard has gained extensive experience on Children’s series productions in various roles and whose most recent credits include Charlie and Lola, Tinga Tinga Tales and Lily’s Driftwood Bay. Richard joined the Ludo team in 2017 to animation direct on Bluey Series 1 and is now Director on Series 2. Among his favourite episodes are Bike, Bumpy, and Hospital.

Australian directors David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover, The King) and Mirrah Foulkes (Judy and Punch) talk feature films, collaboration and creative inspiration with AFTRS’ Head of Directing, Rowan Woods.

Mirrah Foulkes

Mirrah Foulkes is an Australian actor, writer and director, who graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2003.

Mirrah’s first feature film as a writer and director Judy and Punch starring Mia Wasikowska and Damon Herriman had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in 2019.

Previously she wrote and directed three award winning short films. Dumpy Goes to the Big Smoke premiered at the 2012 Sydney Film Festival and earned Mirrah the Rouben Mamoulian award for Best Director. Going on to be nominated for two 2013 AACTA Awards for Best Short Film and Best Short Screenplay, she also won the Best Director prize at Flickerfest 2013 and the Ellen – Filmmaker to Watch Award at Aspen Shortsfest 2013.

In 2015 her short film Florence Has Left The Building, screened at numerous festivals and won the 2015 AACTA Award for Best Short Film as well as touring Europe as part of the Golden Nights Panorama. Mirrah’s latest short film Trespass won the Erwin Rado award for Best Australian Short Film at Melbourne Film Festival 2016, Best Short Film at Balinale Bali International Film Festival and had its international premiere at Toronto Film Festival in 2016. She is currently developing an 8-part television drama Toast with Carver films and screen Australia.

Mirrah is also part of the Australian film-making collective Blue-Tongue Films, which includes Joel Edgerton, Nash Edgerton and David Michôd. Mirrah’s acting credits include Top of the Lake, Animal Kingdom, Sleeping Beauty, The Crown and The Turning, the latter of which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2014 AACTA awards.

David Michôd

David Michôd has made four feature films as writer/director including Animal Kingdom (with Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver) in 2010 which won a record 10 AFI Awards in 2010 and a best supporting Actress Oscar for Jackie Weaver.

The dystopian futuristic western The Rover starred Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson and was released in 2014; War Machine (with Brad Pitt, Ben Kingsley and Meg Tilly) was released on Netflix in 2017; and The King (with Timothée Chalamet, Joel Edgerton, Sean Harris, Lily-rose Depp, Thomasin Mckenzie, Ben Mendelsohn and Robert Pattinson) in 2019. He also co-directed the documentary Solo (with Jennifer Peedom) and co-wrote the limited-series adaptation of Catch-22 (with Luke Davies).

Oscar-nominated screenwriter/AFTRS alumnus Tony McNamara (The Favourite) and producer Marian Macgowan join AFTRS’ Head of Screenwriting Pieter Aquilia to discuss their latest production The Great for Hulu (available on STAN) and other works from their celebrated careers. This is one not to be missed.

TONY MCNAMARA

Tony graduated from the Australian Film Television and Radio School with a BA in Film and Television writing in 1996.

In 2002, he wrote and directed the feature film The Rage in Placid Lake (starring Rose Byrne, Miranda Richardson and Ben Lee) which he adapted from his stage play The Café Latte Kid. The film won the Audience Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival, AFI Award for Best Screenplay and two AWGIE Awards being Best Screenplay Adaptation and Gold AWGIE. In 2015, he wrote and directed the feature film Ashby, starring Mickey Rourke, Sarah Silverman and Nat Wolff and in 2017, he wrote the feature film screenplay, The Favourite, for director Yorgos Lanthimos (starring Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) which opened the New York Film Festival, screened at Telluride and Venice Film Festivals (winning Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize), won Best Screenplay at British Independent Film Awards and received nominations from both Golden Globe and Academy Awards.

Tony has been writing for television since 2001, his series credits include multiple episodes of The Secret Life of Us (series 1, 2 & 3), Love My Way (series 1,2 & 3), Spirited (series 1, 2 & 3), Offspring (series 1 & 2), Tangle (series 1, 2 & 3), Rush, Moving Wallpaper (2007, ITV2/Kudos Productions UK) Echo Beach, Happy Life (2007, ITV2 AND 2013 Kudos Productions UK). Tony developed and wrote the TV series of Star Wars for Lucas Film. Tony co-created, wrote multiple episodes and script produced series one and series two of the miniseries Puberty Blues for Channel 10 in 2012 & 2013. He also created the successful series of Doctor Doctor and recently wrote and produced The Great (starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult), a 10 x 1-hour miniseries which is based on his stage play.

MARIAN MACGOWAN

Marian Macgowan is principal of Macgowan Films, an independent Australian production company that develops, finances and produces feature films, television, and documentaries. Currently represented as executive producer with all 10 episodes of the darkly comedic Hulu series The Great, starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, Marian has produced or executive-produced Lilian’s Story, with Toni Collette; Gregor Jordan’s Two Hands, with Rose Byrne, Bryan Brown, and Heath Ledger; Tony McNamara’s The Rage in Placid Lake, starring Rose Byrne, Ben Lee, and Miranda Richardson; South Solitary, directed by Shirley Barrett, with Miranda Otto and her father Barry Otto; and the documentaries Boxing for Palm Island, directed by Adrian Russell Wills, and Women He’s Undressed, directed by Gillian Armstrong. The latter is about legendary Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly.

Among the other movies from Macgowan Films have been Death Defying Acts, an Australian/UK co-production directed by Gillian Armstrong, and starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Saoirse Ronan as mother and daughter; and Ana Kokkinos’ Blessed, with Miranda Otto and Frances O’Connor.

Marian’s other works include publishing the Australian film/TV industry bible The Production Book; and serving as Head of Producing at AFTRS, where she subsequently remained a consultant.

Recent collaborators, director Jeffrey Walker (Modern Family, Lambs of God, Ali’s Wedding) and writer Shelley Birse (The Code, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) discuss their work on STAN series The Commons and their stellar careers. They speak to AFTRS Head of Directing Rowan Woods, who also directed episodes the series.

SHELLEY BIRSE

Shelley Birse is sneaking up on 25 years of gainful employment as a writer, having penned more than 70 episodes of animation, young adult fiction and limited series drama. Writing has taken her to Germany, France, Singapore and the U.S.A. and her work has been acknowledged by AWGIE, AACTA, SPA, FIPA and NSW Literary Awards.

Both seasons of her political thriller, The Code, won Best Drama Series and the Major AWGIE awards in 2014 and 2016. Season Two won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award Betty Rowland Screenwriting Prize and internationally, the series took out the Golden D’Or Screenplay Award at the FIPA Festival in France.

Shelley’s most recent work is the Stan series, The Commons, written under the mentorship of Graham Yost, writer of Speed, executive producer of Justified, Sneaky Pete and The Americans.

Shelley regularly writes with one hand and juggles a bush life and small, wild children with the other.

JEFFREY WALKER

Jeffrey Walker started his career as an actor in the Australian film industry at the age of seven and was a lead in more than 200 episodes. In 1997, Jeffrey won the Australian Film Institute’s Best Young Actor Award for his title role in The Wayne Manifesto. Making short films on weekends and acting during the week, teenaged Jeffrey garnered the attention of prolific television producer Jonathan M. Shiff and he had become one of Australia’s youngest ever television directors at twenty years of age. For well over a decade, Jeffrey has helmed major Australian television productions incuding Chris Lilley’s Angry Boys for HBO, the period BBC mini-series, Banished, Riot for ABC Television, the Jack Irish TV movies starring Guy Pearce, and last year, Jeffrey sole-directed the widely lauded four part “gothic fairytale” miniseries for Foxtel/Sky, Lambs of God. Jeffrey and the project received universally glowing reviews and the project sold to over fifty territories worldwide and won an unprecedented 9 AACTA awards, including Best Director and Best Mini-series. Jeffrey began directing in the US in 2012, working on various television series including Modern Family, Bones and Difficult People, where he series directed and executive produced alongside Amy Poehler for three seasons. His most recent credit is the futuristic series The Commons released in December 2019 on STAN.

Jeffrey’s debut feature film, Ali’s Wedding, released in September 2017, received critical and audience acclaim. It won the Critics Award at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Audience Award at Sydney Film Festival, and was awarded the Grand Prize at CinefestOz. Dance Academy marked Jeffrey’s second feature and has been reviewed to 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Both Ali’s Wedding and Dance Academy have been acquired internationally by Netflix. Currently, Jeffrey is attached to direct multiple feature films including The Portable Door for The Jim Henson Company.

Media Mentors’ Denise Eriksen talks to two of Australia’s top television directors Kate Dennis (Run, The Handmaid’s Tale) and Jonathan Brough (Rosehaven, The Family Law) about new directions in screen comedy. Focussing on the new wave of drama/comedy hybrids (think Fleabag, After Life, Sex Education) they discuss their careers and the projects they’re currently working on.

Kate Dennis

Kate Dennis has set-up seven television dramas in the US, UK and Australia including HBO’s Run (starring Domhnall Gleeson, Merritt Wever and Phoebe Waller-Bridge); CBS’s Tommy (with Edie Falco); NBC’s New Amsterdam (5 seasons); Network Ten’s Secrets & Lies; Offspring; Party Tricks, and BBC1’s Rescue Me. Offspring ran for seven seasons, garnering over 40 awards and nominations.

Kate’s episodic work in the US traverses comedy and drama and includes: The Handmaid’s Tale; GLOW; The Tick; Heathers; Strange Angel; Krypton; Damnation; I’m Dying Up Here; The Mindy Project; Preacher; Turn: Washington’s Spies; Fear The Walking Dead; Sleepy Hollow and Suits.

Kate began her career as a camera assistant and later script supervisor on Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Babe; At Play in the Fields of the Lord and Cliffhanger. Her Australian directing work includes Rake; Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries; The Time of Our Lives; Rush; The Secret Life of Us; and Love My Way. From 1997 to 2002, Kate was based in London and developed two features (with Polygram), co-wrote Superstition (Holland/UK) starring Charlotte Rampling, and directed 2nd unit on Gregor Jordan’s Buffalo Soldiers (starring Joaquin Phoenix).

Kate has been nominated for an ADG Award three times for her work on Love My Way (2007), Rake (2012) and Secrets & Lies (2015).

In 2017, Kate’s Handmaid’s Tale episode ‘The Bridge’ was nominated for an Emmy® for Outstanding Director for a Drama Series.

Kate is currently attached to the feature films Almost French (from Sarah Turnbull’s memoir) and All That I Am (from the novel by Anna Funder).

Jonathan Brough

Jonathan Brough is an award-winning director of film & TV, acclaimed for his work in comedy and drama. His television credits include The End, Rosehaven Series 1,2 & 3, Ronny Chieng: International Student, The Family Law, Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane, The Time of Our Lives, Series 1 & 2, It’s a Date Series 1 & 2, Wonderland, Coverband, The Pretender, Spirited, The Insider’s Guide to Happiness, Trails of Napier, The Unauthorised History of New Zealand & Eating Media Lunch and Outrageous Fortune.

With a great affinity for working with comedians, he has won two Australian Directors’ Guild Awards for Best Director, Comedy for his work on Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane and again Rosehaven. He has also made several acclaimed short films including The Model (Official Selection Cannes Film Festival), Permanent Wave (London & Sydney Film Festivals), No Ordinary Sun (‘Best Short Film’ New Zealand International Film Festival 2005 / Official Selection Edinburgh / Hof / Slamdance) and Snowmen (in competition, Interfilm Berlin/ Pacific Meridian Film Festival).

In addition, he has directed over 40 episodes of television, including Legend of the Seeker and Power Rangers for the American market through ABC/Disney and Saban Entertainment.

This session explores the world of storytelling via podcast. Leanne Cartwright-Bradford, Country Manager, Audible Australia and New Zealand and Marc Fennell, creator of one of Audible’s most successful recent podcasts, It Burns, talk with AFTRS Radio and Podcasting lecturer Tony Rasmussen about narrative audio and the burgeoning podcasting industry.

(If you aren’t an Audible member and haven’t listened to It Burns: The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chilli, there is a 30-day free trial).

Marc Fennell

Marc Fennell is an Australian interviewer, journalist, documentary-maker, and author. He has been honoured by The Webby Awards, nominated for Europe’s prestigious Rose d’Or, and is a two-time New York Festivals award winner. Marc has worked with the BBC, Showtime, and Monocle. He currently hosts SBS Australia’s national current affairs program, The Feed, and long-running ABC radio series, Download This Show. Marc created Audible’s chart-topping global podcast hit, It Burns, and the forthcoming Nut Jobs.

In 2019, Marc was named one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians. His interviews with celebrities and newsmakers like Al Gore, Tom Cruise, Julian Assange, Jennifer Lawrence have been watched over 30 million times. He has reported all around the world, covering everything from sex in Japan to survivors of ISIS torture. Marc can also be caught guest-hosting Network Ten’s The Project and SBS’s Insight & Dateline programs. He is the Creative Director of the not-for-profit group Media Diversity Australia.

This edition of Talks @ AFTRS features two of Australia’s leading directors – Kriv Stenders (Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, Wake in Fright, Red Dog) and Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker, Stateless, Les Norton). In conversation with AFTRS Head of Directing Rowan Woods, they discuss their careers and projects and explore moving between the worlds of television and feature films.

Jocelyn Moorehouse

Upon graduating from AFTRS in 1984, Jocelyn worked in TV as script editor, writer and director and received a grant from the AFC to direct a short children’s comedy called The Siege Of Barton’s Bathroom which was adapted to a 12-part children’s series, The Bartons, commissioned by the ABC. Jocelyn wrote and directed her feature film debut Proof, starring Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe, which had its world premiere in Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991.

In 1994, Jocelyn moved to LA to direct How to Make an American Quilt (1995) starring Winona Ryder and Anne Bancroft, and A Thousand Acres (1997) starring Michele Pfeiffer, Jessica Lang and Colin Firth. She works closely with her husband PJ Hogan and worked as a producer on Muriel’s Wedding, Unconditional Love, Peter Pan and Mental. Jocelyn wrote and directed The Dressmaker, released in 2015, starring Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Hugo Weaving and Liam Hemsworth. It took over $20m at the Australian Box Office and won AACTA Awards for Best Costume, Best Actress, Best Supporting actress, Best Supporting Actor and Audience vote for Favourite Australian Film of the Year.

Jocelyn directed her first play, Sex with Strangers at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2012 and had her memoir, Unconditional Love: A Memoir of Filmmaking and Motherhood published in 2019.

Her television credits include Wanted (Matchbox, Seven Network and Netflix), set up director Les Norton (Roadshow Rough Diamond and ABC), Stateless (Matchbox, Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and ABC) and set up director Wakefield (Jungle, ABC and BBC).

Kriv Stenders

Kriv Stenders is one of Australia’s most renown, respected and prolific film directors with numerous critically acclaimed and award -winning shorts, documentaries, music videos, television commercials, television series and feature films to his credit. His early feature films include Blacktown, The Illustrated, Family Doctor, Boxing Day, and Lucky Country.

His fifth feature, Red Dog, earned over $22 million at the box office, making it the eighth highest grossing Australian film of all time, and won numerous awards. Other feature film directing credits include Kill Me Three Times, Red Dog: True Blue and the Vietnam War epic, Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan which was released theatrically across Australia in 2019.

Kriv directed Australia Day for Foxtel, Hoodlum and Icon Films which was the first film released on the Dendy Demand platform and his critically acclaimed feature-length documentary The Go-Betweens: Right Here premiered at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival.

Kriv’s extensive television credits include The Principal, a four-part television drama for SBS, the feature length documentary, Why Anzac with Sam Neill and Wake in Fright, Stephen M. Irwin’s contemporary re-imagining of the Australian classic which aired as a two-parter on Channel Ten.

That same year, he also completed production on Foxtel’s The Pacific with Sam Neill, a six-part documentary series which he co-directed with Sally Aitken. He is currently in post-production on feature documentaries about Slim Dusty’ wife, Joy McKean and racing legend, Peter Brock for Universal Pictures which are due for release in 2020.

This instalment features two of Australia’s leading most prolific creators and writers of both shows and books we love – Sarah Walker and Michael Robotham. They have most recently worked together on Ten’s new hit drama The Secrets She Keeps, but each have an incredible back catalogue of household-name work from All Saints and Winners and Losers to the novel which became Oranges and Sunshine. In this conversation they discuss their latest project, as well as the how we tell psychological drama-stories in a world on edge.

SARAH WALKER

With over 340 produced screen credits as a writer on prime-time Australian television, and over 1,500 as a Script Producer/Story Consultant, as well as Co-Creator credit for a primetime one-hour drama series, Sarah Walker is one of the most prolific screenwriters in Australian television. She’s worked in freelance development with most prestigious production companies, including Matchbox, Aquarius, Essential Media, Fremantle, Roadshow/Rough Diamond and Jungle. As Script Producer of the one-hour prime-time medical drama All Saints for four years, she plotted over 160 episodes and wrote 24 episodes, including “The Sign”, which was nominated for an AFI Award. She developed the hit one-hour comedy-drama series Winners & Losers for Network Seven and worked as a Development Script Executive for Fremantle Media, including Wonderland, for Network 10, for which she was co-creator, script producer and writer. She was Script Executive on Season 1, and Story Consultant on Season 4 of the hit series Wentworth for Foxtel and lead writer and Script Producer on the Lingo limited six-part TV series The Secrets She Keeps, which recently premiered on Network 10. She has written a limited 6-part TV series A Life in Men by Denver & Delilah and UCP in the US, which has been optioned by Netflix, has been commissioned to write a feature adaptation for See-Saw and is currently writing a US pilot and series adaptation for Jessica Biel and Iron Ocean.

Michael Robotham

Michael Robotham’s psychological thrillers have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than seven million copies around the world. He began his working career as a journalist and went on to write for newspapers and magazines in Australia, Britain and America before becoming a ghostwriter and collaborating with politicians, pop stars, solders and adventurers to pen their autobiographies.

In 2015, Michael’s novel, Life or Death, won the coveted UK Crime Writer’s Association Gold Dagger award for the year’s best novel, beating Stephen King and Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) who were on the shortlist. He has also twice been shortlisted America’s top crime writing prize, the Edgars, and twice won Australia’s Ned Kelly Award for best crime novel.

A six-part TV series based on The Secrets She Keeps recently screened on Channel 10 with an international cast.

This edition features two of Australia’s leading supernatural creators and writers – Vicki Madden and Louise Fox. With Media Mentors Australia’s Denise Eriksen, they dig deep into the worlds of Glitch, Gloaming and The Kettering Incident to uncover the secrets of successfully writing about the paranormal – and how it feels like we are in an episode of a supernatural thriller right now.

Vicki Madden

Victoria Madden is a Producer, Writer and Showrunner with over 25 years experience in the television industry both in Australia and overseas. She has worked as Writer and Showrunner on such shows as Halifax f.p. (Aus) The Bill, (UK), Trial & Retribution (UK) The Clinic (Ireland), Water Rats (Aust) and K9 (UK) to name a few. She was also the writer of Blood Brothers, a 90- minute true crime telemovie for the 9 Network and Playmaker media.

Vicki runs her own Production Company, Sweet Potato Films, a small boutique film and TV company in Tasmania, her home state, and co-created, co-produced and wrote the critically acclaimed TV series, The Kettering Incident and followed recently by The Gloaming.

The Kettering Incident was a $15 million elevated supernatural-thriller for Foxtel, set in the dramatic landscape of Tasmania and is the first adult TV drama to be set there. Critics worldwide have described it as ground breaking, bold and confident storytelling that subverts and elevates the crime genre.

TKI has enjoyed stunning award success both in Australia and overseas, winning the Special Jury Prize at the prestigious Series Mania Festival in Paris, with David Chase (Sopranos) as head Juror, four AACTA awards, the SPAA award for most outstanding telemovie or mini-series and two LOGIE awards for outstanding telemovie or mini-series. Madden was short-listed for an Australian writer award (AWGIE) for excellence in writing and for the prestigious NSW Premier’s Literary Award.

TKI has been Foxtel’s highest rating drama ever and been critically acclaimed in Australia and is currently showing in the US and the UK to rave reviews. BBC worldwide has distribution rights.

The recently released supernatural crime series, The Gloaming set once more in her beloved state of Tasmania has been an 18 million-dollar production in collaboration with John Molloy from 2Jons, STAN and ABC Studios US/Disney.

The Gloaming was released on STAN in January 2020 to excellent reviews and is being distributed world-wide by ABC (US)/Disney. Madden is represented by Ted Miller at Creative Artists Agency in the US and Georgina Carrigan at United Agents in the UK.

Louise Fox

Louise Fox was a core member of the writing team on Fast Forward and Full Frontal. She then wrote for the children’s dramas Genie From Down Under and Round The Twist. She then moved into adult drama, working on shows such as Always Greener, Fireflies and Rush.

She was a core member of the writing team on Love My Way (winning the AWGIE for Episode 8 of Series 1), Camelot (Starz network), The Kettering Incident, and wrote an episode for the acclaimed ITV drama Broadchurch. Louise spent two years working as a core member of the team writing for Lucas Film on the Star Wars live action television series.

She was the co-creator and showrunner of the AACTA and Logie-winning Glitch, and also wrote the screenplay for Dead Europe, for which she won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award. Her plays have been performed at the STC, Malthouse and the QTC.

This edition features Australian producers Tony Ayres (Clickbait, Stateless, The Slap) and Sheila Jayadev (Stateless, Ali’s Wedding) in conversation with AFTRS’ producing lecturer Robbie Miles about creating the series Stateless, and their current slate of projects.

SHEILA JAYADEV

Sheila Jayadev is a producer with a background in entertainment law, having represented some of Australia’s leading producers across television and feature film. She has worked as a producer with Matchbox Pictures since 2015, producing the award-winning feature film Ali’s Wedding (2017, Madman Entertainment), which won awards at all the major Australian film festivals before being acquired by Netflix. Most recently, she produced the acclaimed ABC series Stateless (2020) for Matchbox Pictures and Cate Blanchett’s production company Dirty Films. Sheila has also worked across the Matchbox Pictures’ features slate as development producer and currently has a slate of high-end television series in development with Matchbox. She has previously worked in development at Scott Free, Ridley Scott’s London-based production company through Screen Australia’s Talent Escalator program, and also as a Development Executive for Create NSW and Screen Australia. She is a company director of the boutique film production company Emerald Productions, established in 2009, a company that works with some of Australia’s most exciting emerging writers and directors, with a particular focus on telling ground-breaking diverse stories.

TONY AYRES

Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director, and is one of the founding members of internationally renowned Australian production company Matchbox Pictures, now owned by NBCUniversal Studios. In 2018 Tony established his own production company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), developing and producing feature films and television for global audiences and international marketplaces. Tony was the showrunner on International Emmy and BAFTA-nominated series, The Slap and an EP on its US remake. He co-created and was Executive Producer on multi-award-winning series Glitch (3 seasons). He was also an executive producer on International Emmy nominated Wanted (3 seasons), and multi-award winning series The Devil’s Playground, Old School, Underground: The Julian Assange Story, and The Straits. He executive produced comedy series The Family Law (3 seasons), Bogan Pride and Maximum Choppage. He produced miniseries Barracuda and the multi-award-winning Seven Types of Ambiguity. He directed the multi-award winning TV movie, Saved. In children’s TV, Tony created and executive produced the International Emmy and BAFTA award-winning Nowhere Boys and the telemovie based on the series, Nowhere Boys: The Book of Shadows. The series is internationally acclaimed, winning the AACTA Award for Best Children’s Television Series, two Logies, three Kidscreen Awards, a Rockie, and a Prix Jeunesse Award. In feature films, Tony directed Cut Snake (2015), The Home Song Stories (2007) winner of 24 international and Australian awards, and Walking on Water (2002), which premiered at the Berlinale. He also EP’d feature films Ali’s Wedding and Lou. Currently, Tony is the showrunner for upcoming US Netflix series Clickbait, and co-created and EP’d the Matchbox/ABC refugee detention centre drama Stateless alongside Cate Blanchett and Elise McCredie. Stateless stars Yvonne Strahovski, Jai Courtney, Dominic West and Cate Blanchett.

The first Talks @ AFTRS featured Australian directors Daina Reid (The Handmaids Tale, Romper Stomper, Sunshine) and Emma Freeman (Stateless, Glitch, Secret City) in conversation with AFTRS Head of Directing Rowan Woods. They shared their experiences of directing top-flight local and international TV.

DAINA REID

Daina Reid began her film career as a comedy writer and actor, before making the move behind the camera. Daina’s US episodic work includes The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) and David Makes Man (OWN/Warner Television) which was recently nominated for Best Drama Series at the 2019 Critics’ Choice Awards. Daina’s recent credits also include the upcoming thriller The Outsider (HBO) and the half-hour comedy Upload (Amazon). In 2015, she directed Hunters, produced by Gale Anne Hurd (Syfy). Her UK credits include The Spanish Princess (Starz). Daina’s episode “Holly” of The Handmaid’s Tale, received an Emmy and a Director’s Guild of America nomination. In Australia, Daina directed the series remake of the classic Australian film Romper Stomper, (Roadshow Rough Diamond/Stan) and Sunshine (Easy Tiger/Carver Films/SBS). Sunshine, a 4-part miniseries set in Melbourne’s South Sudanese community, won the 2017 AACTA award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries, and Daina won the Australian Directors Guild Award for Best Direction of a TV Miniseries. Her other Australian credits include The Wrong Girl, as well as the final seasons of The Dr Blake Mysteries and Offspring. She directed and co-produced the mini-series adaptation of The Secret River by Kate Grenville, which premiered at the Sydney Film Festival, and screened at the FIPA (Festival International De Programmes Audiovisuels) in Biarritz, France. Daina is a frequent collaborator of award-winning producer John Edwards, their projects include Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo and Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, both of which received AACTA award nominations for Best Direction. Following the success of The Birth of Cleo, Daina directed the follow-up Paper Giants: Magazine Wars. In 2013, she directed Nowhere Boys which won the Best Children’s Television Series AACTA Award. Daina’s other television credits include: Never Tear Us Apart; The Untold Story of INXS; Ready for This; Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries; Rush and City Homicide to name a few. Her first feature film, I Love You Too, about a commitment-phobe and a New Ager who buddy up to win the women of their dreams starring Yvonne Strahovski and Peter Dinklage. In 2017, Daina received the Michael Carson Award at the Australian Directors’ Guild Awards, in recognition of her excellent contribution to TV Drama Directing. She currently has a feature in development with Carver Films as well as a couple of television projects.

EMMA FREEMAN

Emma Freeman is one of Australia’s leading directors in television. Her work includes Stateless, Glitch, Secret City, Sisters, Tangle, Puberty Blues, Hawke, Love My Way and Secret Life of Us. A graduate of Victorian College of the Arts, her short films Blood and Ash, Daphne and Ollie and 2002 Tropfest Best Film and Best Screenplay, Lamb have screened at numerous Australian and International film festivals including London, Locarno, New York, Cork, American Cinémathèque and Palm Springs. In 2010 Emma was nominated for an AFI – Best Direction in Television for her work on Tangle and Hawke, for which she won the award. Hawke was also awarded the AFI for Best Telemovie or Mini-Series and won the ADG award for Best Direction in a TV Mini- Series or Telefeature. Emma most recently won the award for Best Music Video at the St Kilda Film Festival for Child Bride (CocoRosie) and the ADG awards for Best Direction in a Television Drama Series for Secret City, Best Direction in a Television Drama Series for Glitch and nominated for Sisters. Emma is the set-up director of the critically acclaimed ABC/NBCU six-part series, Stateless created and produced by Cate Blanchett, Tony Ayres and Elise McCredie. She most recently directed the upcoming Netflix Original, Clickbait produced by TAP, Matchbox Pictures and Heyday Films and will be directing two episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 4 for Hulu and MGM.