AFTRS staff and alumni are set to feature across 10 sessions, including a talk presented by AFTRS, at the first-ever virtual edition of SCREEN FOREVER, Australia’s premier screen industry event for emerging and established creatives. Running from 16-18 February, the conference, held by Screen Producers Australia, will host 120 speakers across 40 sessions including keynote addresses, panels, workshops, roundtables, pitching opportunities and networking events.
Presented with Parrot Analytics, AFTRS’ Tell ’Em They’re Dreaming? session will feature AFTRS’ CEO, Dr Nell Greenwood and AFTRS alum and Parrot Analytics’ Regional Director Steve Langdon (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2014), who will use data to analyse opportunities for Australian content on the global stage. Produced by AFTRS’ Head of Industry and Alumni Engagement, Wendy Gray, the session will stream live on Thursday 18 February.
Five-day incubator program, Bunya Talent Hub LA, hosted by alumni-run production company Bunya Productions (with support from Netflix and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department), will run digitally this year, providing support, mentorship and funding for selected creatives and their projects. AFTRS alumni, Dena Curtis (Graduate Diploma (Film & Television) Television Editing, 2002), Aaron Fa’Aoso (Master of Arts Screen: Business and Leadership, 2019) and Penny Smallacombe (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Documentary, 2003) will all feature as speakers at the event, to be moderated by fellow alum Gillian Moody (TV Training Certificate, 1993). Penny Smallacombe will also speak at ABC’s Q + A, which will explore bringing stories to screens in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, cancel culture and a worldwide pandemic.
In ABC’s Hammering Out A Format session, Vanna Morosisi (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2016), creator, writer and producer of Are You Tougher than your Ancestors? will discuss the AACTA-nominated series in relation to developing and adapting factual formats.
In How to Find Money for Your Must-Tell Doco, Madman Entertainment Co-founder and CEO Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015) will break down the financial stages for factual filmmaking – gauging potential for a story, choosing the best format and platform, sourcing funding, approaching the global market and more.
Exploring accessibility in the screen industry and the benefits of employing people with disability on both sides of the camera, Disability Employment Pathways in the Screen Industry will feature actress, filmmaker and advocate Audrey O’Connor who is set to begin an internship at AFTRS this month and recently starred in alum, Lianne Mackessy’s (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Feature Film, 2016) Not A Wallflower.
Produced by AFTRS alum and SPA programmer, Jessica Giacco (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014), writer/director Vanessa Gazy (Master of Screen Arts, 2014) will moderate a talk with You, The Magicians and Supernatural showrunner Sera Gamble, Nine’s Head of Drama, Andy Ryan (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 1997) will give insights into what networks, broadcasters and streaming services are looking for in Meet the Buyers: Scripted 1 and Ben Davies (Master of Arts (Honours) (Film and Television) Documentary, 2003) will moderate Meet the Buyers: Factual.
Producer Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013) will moderate Australian Feature Films: 2021 and Beyond, a session exploring strategies for a more consistent, sustainable and successful slate of Australian movies for tomorrow’s theatrical market.
Selected to participate in Screen Producers Australia’s 2020 Ones to Watch program, AFTRS alumni Phillip Tarl Denson (Advanced Diploma in Script Editing and Development, 2017) and Joshua Longhurst (Advanced Diploma in Producing: Story, Audience, Finance, 2016) will pitch their projects at the event and will be given the opportunity to apply for the $15,000 First Look Grant (supported by SBS) and $10,000 Screen Internship (supported by Screen Australia).
AFTRS alumni Aaron Fa’Aoso (Master of Arts Screen: Business and Leadership, 2019), Jo Porter (Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (Creative Industries), 2008) and Romaine Moreton, AFTRS’ Director of First Nations and Outreach are all members of SCREEN FOREVER’s 2021 programming advisory board.
Featuring creative visionaries from across all genres and platforms, the conference will host over 800 attendees from diverse industry backgrounds including producers, directors, writers, distributors, exhibitors, broadcasters, agents, entertainment lawyers, commissioners and financiers at the SPA Connect marketplace. See the full program and register here.
STAFF AND ALUMNI EVENTS AT SCREEN FOREVER 2021
Tell Em They’re Dreaming? (Thurs 18 Feb)
Producer: Wendy Gray, AFTRS Head of Industry and Alumni Engagement
Moderator: Nell Greenwood, AFTRS CEO
Speaker: Steve Langdon (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2014), Regional Director, Parrot Analytics
ABC Q+A (Tues 16 Feb)
Speaker: Penny Smallacombe (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Documentary, 2003) Head of Indigenous, Screen Australia
Disability Employment Pathways in the Screen Industry (Wed 17 Feb)
Speaker: Audrey O’Connor
Sera Gamble in Conversation (Wed 17 Feb)
Moderator: Vanessa Gazy (Master of Screen Arts, 2014)
Producer: Jessica Giacco (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014)
Meet the Buyers: Factual (Wed 17 Feb)
Moderator: Ben Davies (Master of Arts (Honours) (Film and Television) Documentary, 2003)
Producer: Jessica Giacco (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014)
How to Find Money for Your Must-Tell Doco (Wed 17 Feb)
Speaker: Paul Wiegard (Master of Screen Arts & Business, 2015)
Meet the Buyers: Scripted 1 (Wed 17 Feb)
Producer: Jessica Giacco (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014)
Speaker: Andy Ryan (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Scriptwriting, 1997)
Meet the Buyers: Entertainment (Wed 17 Feb)
Producer: Jessica Giacco (Graduate Diploma in Producing, 2014)
The Bunya Talent Hub LA, supported by Netflix and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department (Wed 17 Feb)
Moderator: Gillian Moody (TV Training Certificate, 1993)
Speakers: Dena Curtis (Graduate Diploma (Film & Television) Television Editing, 2002), Aaron Fa’Aoso (Master of Arts Screen: Business and Leadership, 2019), Penny Smallacombe (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Documentary, 2003)
Australian Feature Films: 2021 and Beyond (Wed 17 Feb)
Moderator: Sue Maslin (Master of Screen Arts and Business, 2013)
Hammering Out a Format (Thurs 18 Feb)
Speaker: Vanna Morosini (Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting: Series Television, 2016)
