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Alyce Adams
Investment and Development Manager at Screen AustraliaAlyce Adams is an Investment and Development Manager at Screen Australia in the Online department. Her role includes managing development, production and completion funding for multiple online projects across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, ABC iView, SBS OnDemand and Stan, as well as several VR projects that have been accepted into Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals. Alyce deals with creators, writers, producers, platforms, broadcasters and other humans every day, using her years of experience working in the online sector to give guidance on the best way to create unique content that will reach a global audience.
Niki Aken
WriterNiki Aken is an AACTA and AWGIE winning writer based in Naarm/Melbourne.
Niki has written for both seasons of the popular and critically acclaimed ABC series The
Newsreader, which won the 2021 AACTA for Best Drama Series and the Silver Logie
for Most Outstanding Drama Series. (Her cameo as an office worker running for her life
after an explosion made every trailer for the series, and is a recurring GIF in her family’s
group chat.) She returned to write an episode for season two, which is slated for release
in 2023. Prior to this, Niki wrote episode two of Significant Others (ABC), released to
critical acclaim in 2022.
Niki is a Co-EP and script producer on the bold, new SBS anthology-series Erotic
Stories, which is currently in pre-production. Niki also co-wrote The Hunting, which was
the highest-rating commissioned drama in SBS history, and was awarded the 2019
AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television.
Niki script-produced the critically acclaimed comedy-drama series Upright (Foxtel/Sky
UK), starring Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock. Upright won the 2020 AACTA Award for
Best Comedy Series. She returned to script produce the second season, also writing
episode 6. Niki also script produced the Gen-Z comedy series Why Are You Like This
(ABC / Netflix) which won the 2021 Best Narrative Comedy AWGIE.
Niki is highly experienced in adapting existing IP and real-life events for the screen.
Her first television writing credit was on Underbelly Badness (Nine Network), which won
the Best Original Miniseries AWGIE in 2013. Prior to this, she worked in-house at
Screentime, conducting research and assisting the writing team across three seasons of
the Underbelly franchise. Pivoting from true-crime to historical war drama, Niki co-wrote
ANZAC Girls (ABC), based on the Peter Rees novel ‘The Other ANZACs’. ANZAC Girls
won the Best Adapted Screenplay AWGIE in 2014 and was the most watched
Australian drama series on the ABC that year. Niki wrote on multiple seasons of
acclaimed legal thriller Janet King (ABC), as well as script editing the second series.
Niki served on the board of AWGACS from 2019-2021 and is a founding member of the
Australian Writers’ Guild Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC), on which
she still serves. After observing the lack of training given to newbies in writers’ rooms –
despite this being a demonstrated pathway to television writing – Niki devised and
facilitated the Australian Writers’ Guild’s first note-taking and script department
workshop. The 2018 workshop was run in conjunction with Co-Curious in Sydney and
facilitated with Mithila Gupta and Michael Drake. Niki ran a follow-up workshop in
Victoria in 2019, with co-facilitator Michael Lucas. Multiple graduates have progressed
from note-taker to fully-fledged TV writer as a result of this training. The demand from
emerging writers, coupled with positive feedback from producers, has resulted in
expanded training workshops which have run every year since their inception.
Niki is currently in development on multiple film, television and unfinished craft projects.
Loani Arman
Scripted Commissioning Editor at SBS- Looking Ahead: Platforms Tell Us What They Want
- Idea to Screen: Development Deep Dive
- AACTA Pitch: Regional Landscapes in partnership with Screenworks
Loani Arman joined SBS in January 2022 as SBS Scripted Commissioning Editor, working across development and production of original scripted programming.
Prior to SBS, Loani was a Content Director at Screen Queensland where she led their development programs and initiatives. Earlier in her career, she was the Drama Associate for Showtime Australia, working across original dramas including Cloudstreet and Tangle.
As a screen creative, Loani has had a series developed through the Stan & Screen Queensland Premium Drama Fund; her documentary series, My Body Says (ABC) won the inaugural AIDC Best Short Form Award; and she was the winner of the AACTA Pitch in 2019 with her film, Our Greatest Escape.
Loani celebrates her Indonesian-Australian heritage.
Talijah Blackman-Corowa
ActorMy name is Talijah. Talijah Zhane Blackman-Corowa. I am 21 years old and was born on the 6th of April 2001. That makes me an ARIES (If you care). I try to be optimistic, always curious and easily distracted. I am always evolving, and constantly watching. Watching the world. I am dreamer, I live mostly in my mind, even though it’s my biggest enemy. Constantly zoning out. I was born in the Logan Hospital in Brisbane QLD . I’m comfortable with being in the presence of only myself. I love being creative, it’s how I express my self, it’s how I learn, it’s how I breathe, It’s how I ground myself. I paint on skateboard decks and canvases in the shape of a circle , I can play five different John Legend songs on the ukulele, draw goofy cartoons, care for orchids, sing to Steve Lacy, and dance by myself for hours in my room. My siblings are my world, I love my brothers; Jayke is the oldest (27) His going to be a DAD. Jai (23) was my first best friend, it was just me and him for most years. Dulka-min (13) is very smart and a quick learner. Kynmayaan (12) is my spirit human.
In late 2011 I acted in the Mabo movie alongside the powerful and humbled Jimi Bani. It was directed by Rachel Perkins and was the first time I’ve ever experienced being on a film set. I fell in love with the art of film that day. Me and my cousin Josiah who was my sidekick growing up, always had a camera in our hands and would record everything fascinating and everything that is not. In high school I would stealthily yet respectfully take the cameras from the media room and go around to classrooms pretending to take photos for the schools Facebook page. I would convince teachers to let me borrow their students and then make Pringle advertisements. One day I was walking around the school and Mr Rye came up to me and said;
Mr Rye: Talijah, That’s a really nice camera surely it’s not yours? right.
Me: uh… no it’s the schools
Mr Rye: Yeah I thought so
I graduated high school. Started studying for Bachelor of Creative Arts through Film and Television at JMC Academy. Saved up. Bought my first camera which was more expensive than that school one. A young blak girl can afford a nice camera. I am allowed to own nice things too. My passion for the film industry grew even more. This alongside all of the racial injustices I grew up facing started a flame. Gave me a purpose. Handed me a passion. I wanted to be a story teller. I wanted to break stereotypes and create spaces for my people to flourish and populate. My goal? To make my ancestors proud.
My parents have always told me who I am. Who is my people. What was my Nan like. How I am related to that person that Dad bumped into at the grocery store. Where my Pop grew up. Why grandma smells like coconut oil. Why great-grandad goes to the ANZAC March. Our history is what makes us today and strengthens my morals and values by giving me meaning and love and stakes and with this it gives me the power to choose how I want my future to be. After all I am in control of my self. I am a proud Toolooa woman from the Gurang Nation and South Sea Islander. My culture is everything and it’s been a journey of loss identity and disposition. I am still on that journey of healing and self-sovereignty. I have a reputation when I walk into a room, I have all my people behind me, I have my ancestors behind me. I am aware of it. I can feel them. I do it all for them and I do it all for Birral (God/ the universe).
Jana Blair - via ZOOM
Manager – Industry and Skills Development at VicScreenJana Blair is currently the Manager – Industry and Skills Development at VicScreen. She oversees the business unit responsible for developing and delivering the suite of industry skills and talent development programs that the agency has on offer. Her previous role as Production Manager at the Victorian College of the Arts Film and Television School, with oversight of 110 short films a year, has given her a unique insight into the ecosystem Victoria’s emerging practitioners are working in. She has a thirteen year history in production including four years as Production Manager on the iconic Melbourne series, Blue Heelers.
Rosemary Blight
Founding Partner at Goalpost PicturesRosemary Blight is a founding partner at Goalpost Pictures, recent credits include as Executive Producer of the STAN original series BLACK SNOW, Producer of Benjamin Millepied’s feature film CARMEN, a drama with music and dance and Executive Producer of the Amazon Original movie FIVE BLIND DATES.
Other credits include I AM WOMAN, the story of Australian international singing superstar Helen Reddy, directed by Unjoo Moon; Executive Producer of THE INVISIBLE MAN, written and directed by Leigh Whannell, starring Elisabeth Moss; and revisionist western NEW GOLD MOUNTAIN. Rosemary was a Producer of the feature films TOP END WEDDING, co-written and starring Miranda Tapsell and directed by Wayne Blair; THE SAPPHIRES which premiered at Cannes; FELONY, directed by Matthew Saville and starring Joel Edgerton & Tom Wilkinson and the internationally acclaimed drama series CLEVERMAN.
Laurrie Brannigan-Onato
Developer / ProducerLaurrie is a proud Aboriginal-Pinoy-Irish and Gender Queer screen developer & producer. Originally raised on Darug Country in Sydney’s Western Suburbs, Laurrie now resides on Awabakal Country in Newcastle.
Departing in 2023, Laurrie worked at Screen Australia for over four years as a Development and Investment Executive within the First Nations Department. This role saw Laurrie assessing and managing development projects, making cultural assessments, designing and facilitating programs for talent development, managing production investments, and engaging with and maintaining local and international stakeholder relationships.
During this time Laurrie managed titles including Incarceration Nation (NITV, SBS, SFF), Mystery Road S2 (ABC), Mystery Road: Origin (ABC), She Who Must Be Loved (AFF), All My Friends Are Racist (ABC), Preppers (ABC), Robbie Hood (SBS), Here Out West (SFF, ABC) and Sweet As (upcoming feature). Laurrie's work has also seen them facilitating the First Nations Departments Indigenous Producers Program (2019-20), AIDC Indigenous Creators Program (2018-2022), short film production initiatives (Short Blacks 2018, No Ordinary Blacks 2020) and the First Nations Department Developing the Developer (2018/2020 developed & facilitated by Louise Gough).
Laurrie was also the co-Chair for Screen Australia’s Equity and Inclusion Committee in 2022 and sits across several advisory boards and committees with the hopes of elevating equitable standards across all areas of the screen industry.
Prior to working within screen funding agencies, Laurrie gained experience working in various roles across post-production and worked as a coordinator for both broadcasters and production houses.
Laurrie has produced and developed their own content, including several independent short films which screened both locally and internationally, as well as, developing their own scripted content. Laurrie also has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication: Media, Arts and Production (2013) from UTS and an Advanced Diploma in Screenwriting from AFTRS (2017).
Laurrie’s claim to fame is having won the North Sydney Art Prize in the adults’ category at age four in 1996. Laurrie worries they may have peaked too soon...
Katherine Brown
Development Coordinator at STANKatherine Brown is the Development Coordinator for Stan, working across all of Stan’s Original scripted, entertainment and factual programming. Before working at Stan, Katherine held positions in acquisitions, production and development for the BBC and Universal Pictures in the UK, and Aquarius Films in Sydney.
Grainne Brunsdon
Head of Content at Screen AustraliaAs Head of Content at Screen Australia, Grainne Brunsdon leads on production investment, story development, distribution support, and initiatives across Australian screen content, including feature film, television, online, documentary and games; industry development programs for above and below the line practitioners; and international initiatives.
Grainne has more than 25 years’ experience working in the creative industries, including roles at Screen NSW and Arts NSW, as well as leadership positions in international cultural relations with the British Council and arts organisations in Sydney.
As Head of Screen NSW, Grainne oversaw the state’s investment in the local screen sector, including industry development and international production incentives. Prior to this Grainne was Director of Arts Investment, Engagement and Development at Create NSW, overseeing all arts funding programs and initiatives.
Kaylene Butler
Director / Writer / ProducerBorn in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, Kaylene is a proud Gungarrie, Iman, Juru Aboriginal Woman, (Umbie) quarter Chinese and South Sea Islander (Gaua Island, Lifou, Loyality Island group, north-east of New Caledonia & Larcon (now Lagona) part of the Banks Islands group Northern Vanuatu, (Grandfather), Tanna Island, Vanuatu (Grandmother).
In 2018 Kaylene was awarded the Inaugural Media Ring Fellowship, which was the opportunity to work at Screen Queensland and NITV (National Indigenous Television) over a period of 12 months.
Kaylene freelances and owns KIMA Consultant (2010- 2020), an Indigenous Multimedia Consultancy agency, which brings culture to screens. Kaylene is passionate about telling untold stories and bringing them to life on screens. As director, writer and producer, her first NITV-commissioned documentary was in 2012, Toonooba Voices. This ignited her passion to pursue a filmmaking career.
Kaylene specialises in character-driven stories about what is significant and important to them and focuses on Indigenous culture awareness. Her ability is to provide film proficiency to the art of storytelling.
Since the early 2000’s Kaylene has been amongst the film industry creating content for film with Bush TV. As a film practitioner, she embraces networking and collaborating with others bringing conversations for the future of local, regional and national audiences.
Dustin Clare
Director of ShelterDustin Clare is known to audiences as an award-winning and internationally renowned Australian actor, recognised for his roles on TV in McLeod’s Daughters, Underbelly, Satisfaction, ANZAC Girls, Strikeback, Tidelands, Reef Break, Wolf Creek, Glitch, Rosehaven, Doctor Doctor, Eden and upcoming Surviving Summer. He is well known internationally for his starring role as Gannicus alongside Lucy Lawless and John Hannah in the US series Spartacus: War of the Damned, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and Spartacus: Vengeance. On the big screen, Dustin has made his mark in Fred Schepisi‘s The Eye of the Storm, action thriller Pacific Rim: Uprising, musical feature Goddess, opposite Ronan Keating and Magda Szubanski, and features Sunday and Seriously Red.
Dustin was named one of Screen Producers Australia’s emerging producers in 2015. He was a writer and producer on the feature Sunday (2014), served as an executive producer on In Bob We Trust (2013), A Fighting Season (2015), A Time for Making (2018), Fish Out of Water (2018) and a producer on The Meaning of Vanlife (2019). Dustin served as Executive Producer on Phillip Vaninni’s Inhabited (2021) and also Vaninni’s In the Name of Wild (2022).
For Shelter Originals he has produced or executive produced multiple titles including Inspired Architecture S1 & S2 (2020/21), Permanent Camping (2021), Architecture on the Edge (2021), Tiny Spaces (2022), Design Story (2022), Upcoming Mexity (2022), The Follies (2022), Here are the Arquitectas (2022).
Dustin is the director of global streaming service Shelter, showcasing the world’s largest collection of architecture, design films, and also heads up independent production, distribution and sales company Fighting Chance Films. Dustin is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). He lives with his wife Camille and three children in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Australia.
www.shelter.stream
www.fightingchancefilms.com
Richard Cohen
Senior Manager Sector Investment (Screen) at Screen NSWRichard Cohen has a professional background of more than two decades in the entertainment industry, specialising in co-production advisory, film/television law, and business affairs. He currently leads the production and development investment team at Screen NSW, and has previously held positions at Flying Bark Productions and Screen Australia among others. Additionally, Richard has acted as an external assessor for a range of state screen funding bodies and has provided executive producer services for projects including the feature film Early Winter (Winner, Venice Days award, 2015 Venice International Film Festival).
Gabrielle Cole - via ZOOM
Production Attraction & Services Manager at ScreenwestAs Production Attraction & Services Manager, Gabrielle provides professional support and advice to industry practitioners and production companies regarding filming in Western Australia. She advises on incentives for filming in WA, assists in facilitating location recces for incoming productions and provides connections to the WA Screen Industry and facilities. She also manages the Crew Attachment Program.
Gabrielle has been an active member of the Western Australian Screen Industry since 2014 in both the Locations and Production Departments. Her impressive list of Production Coordinator credits include BREATH, HOUNDS OF LOVE, THREE SUMMERS and 1%.
Gabrielle has a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television from Curtin University, as well as Masters in Professional Communications (Screen Studies) from Edith Cowan University.
Brooke Collard
Producer, Writer at Goguljar Yok- Reporting from the Regions
- In Conversation with The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Producer and Script Editor
Brooke Collard (she/they) is a First Nations Ballardong Noongar woman.
As a producer and writer, Goguljar Yok is creating opportunities for authentic representation for those who have been marginalised in media, such as stories of First Nations people and LGBTQIA+. With a primary focus on facilitating stories that encourage others and help on the journey of healing. Brooke is a firm believer in “No Stories About Us, Without Us”.
Jennifer Collins
Acting Director of ABCJennifer is one of Australia’s leading television executives with a career spanning 30 years.
Currently ABC’s Acting Director, Entertainment and Specialist, Jen oversees the content teams which include drama, comedy, Indigenous, music, children’s, entertainment, factual, arts, science, and religion and ethics. She also oversees Radio National, and music networks - triple j, double j, Classic, Jazz and Country.
Jennifer returned to the public broadcaster as ABC’s Head of Factual and Culture, after spending 7 years in the independent sector. 5 years in her role as Head of Non-Fiction at Screentime, she oversaw a slate of programs that included The Secret Life of 4 year olds, Stop Laughing…this is serious, Anh Do’s Brush with Fame, Todd Sampson’s Life on the Line, Testing Teachers, Making Child Prodigies, Date Night, Undressed, Eat Well for Less, Flying Miners, Outback ER, Felicity’s Mental Mission, How Not To Behave, and RBT. As Director of Content at Fremantle Jennifer had responsibility for both scripted and unscripted development and production slates working to all networks. Formerly at ABC TV she was Head of Entertainment where she oversaw a slate of highly acclaimed programs including Dirty Laundry Live, Adam Hills Tonight, The Chaser Decides, Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery, Mad as Hell, The Agony of Life, Gruen Planet, and Kitchen Cabinet. She commissioned the Digital Emmy award winning series #7 Days Later and created the online comedy initiative Fresh Blood. As ABC TV’s Head of Factual she was responsible for the development and commissioning of an impressive slate of award winning documentaries.
Lois Cook
Aboriginal Cultural ConceptsLois Kay Cook is the daughter of Lewis Cook, Elder and custodian of the Nyangbul Country in the Bundjalung Nation. Lois was raised at Cabbage Tree Island in her father’s country, his grandparents Bubba Jack and Susan Cook is recorded as surviving the Massacres of the 1800’s.
As a young girl growing up on Cabbage Tree Island, Lois developed a close relationship with her Grand Uncles and Aunties who passed on important cultural information and historical knowledge about her people who are the traditional owners of her country. Lois became strongly connected and aware of the importance of continuing to maintain the tradition of oral history.
Lois career in the arts includes Black Theatre and film, with roles in the ABC’ “1915”, and “Timeless Land”. In 1978, she was invited by the Principal Choreographer to join Sydney’s NAISDA (National Aboriginal and Islander Dance Association), she taught dance and culture on the Far North Coast and in the late 1989 she joined Bangara Dance Theatre Australia and became their Administrator/Tour Manager and Performer, performing in remote communities in NSW. From 1992 – 2002 she was the Managing Director of Goobah Goobah Koori Theatre Company for 10 years. Lois received a Dolphin Award in 1999 from the Far North Coast Entertainment Industry in recognition of her creative and cultural input within the Region.
Lois has blended this artistic focus with a career in supporting the needs of her people. In 1982 as State Branch Secretary of the National Aboriginal Conference Secretariat for the Northern Territory, she worked to facilitate political and social forums on issues such as mineral and gas line royalties, the formation of the National Aboriginal Broadcasting Association, Inter-Agency partnerships to solve health, housing, education, employment and social issues.
In the Northern Rivers Lois was involved in the formation of Local and Regional Aboriginal Land Councils and was a founding secretary. She worked as the Administrator for the Jali Local Aboriginal Council on Cabbage Tree Island. During that time, Lois again reconnected with her Grand Uncles who took on the role of educating her.
Lois was politically active expressing the Senior Custodian’s views on cultural and significant sites within her country. Upon gathering this information, Lois strengthened her passion for local Indigenous history and protection of our beautiful country. She has taught in schools, as a consultant she worked tirelessly protecting Aboriginal Sacred Sites of Significance, Community Development and Infrastructure programs. She has since studied Arts Law at UNSW and more recently completing a diploma in Community Development at Tranby Aboriginal College.
Lois has a Diploma in dance, Dramatic Arts, Diploma in Community Development and studied Arts /law to improve her knowledge and passion for cultural retention, maintenance and continuation.
Getting behind the camera is a recent passion for Lois. She sees it as a way to share more of her people’s stories, culture and raise debate about the issues that impact on them.
She is the producer of “Babe in the reeds” that won the 2015 Byron Bay International Film festival ‘ best local film.
Over the last 10 years Lois has successfully run her small business Aboriginal Cultural Concepts delivering cultural programs, workshops and heritage tours from Byron Bay to Ballina and the surrounds.
Deb Cox
Screenwriter, Story ProducerAfter establishing herself as a script editor and screenwriter at Crawford Productions and freelancing for a number of years, Deb became Head of Drama for Artist Services where she created, wrote and co-produced her first original series, Simone de Beauvoir’s Babies in 1997 for the ABC. As part of CoxKnight Productions with Andrew Knight, Deb co-created and co-wrote three series of the much-loved ABC series SeaChange, the drama series CrashBurn and developed the children’s series, Worst Best Friends.
In 2009, after moving to Byron Bay in Australia, Deb Co-Created East of Everything - the first prime time drama series shot in the region. She then formed Every Cloud Productions with Fiona Eagger – Co-Creating, Co-Producing and heading the writing team on three series of the international hit period drama Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (starring Essie Davis ), two series of Ms Fisher’s Modern Mysteries, contemporary legal series Newton’s Law, starring Claudia Karvan, and the feature film, Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears.
She has also worked as Executive Producer and Story Producer on Indigenous drama The Gods of Wheat Street, the youth short-form series, Deadlock and drama series Eden and two Christmas movies for Stan - Sunburnt Christmas and A Christmas Ransom. In 2015, Deb was awarded the Byron Bay International Film Festival Award for Contribution to the Northern Rivers Film Industry, and jointly-awarded the Jill Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership, Achievement and Service to the Victorian Screen Industry in 2016. In 2017, Deb was the joint-recipient of Film Victoria’s Screen Business Ventures funding, for Every Cloud Productions and the joint recipient of the Screen Business Export award at the 2017 Screen Producers’ Australia Awards.
Deb has been a mentor under the Natalie Miller Fellowship Brilliant Careers program, has been a speaker and teacher on various programs for Northern Rivers Screenworks, the Byron Writer’s Festival and Victorian College of the Arts. She has been a judge for the Byron Bay Short Film Festival and her original works have been nominated and won numerous awards over the last three decades.
After Deb and Fiona handed the reins of Every Cloud Productions to others in 2022, Deb returned to freelance screenwriting, story-producing and mentoring for the wider Australian and International Screen Industry.
Ken Crouch
Head of Industry Development at Screen AustraliaIn February 2023, Ken joined Screen Australia in the newly created role of Head of Industry Development. In this role, Ken develops and implements national programs to support capacity building and skills development for the Australian screen sector and is focused on building a national strategic framework supporting industry capacity and skills development. He is also responsible for coordinating and managing stakeholder relations with the Office for the Arts, state government agencies, industry partners, local production companies and inbound productions, and collaborating
with the First Nations department at Screen Australia and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity committee.
As Screenworks CEO from 2014 to 2023, Ken implemented strategic changes that transformed and expanded Screenworks into the leading regional provider of training and industry development
events and initiatives for screen creatives and crew across Australia and internationally. At Screenworks, Ken oversaw 280+ training and industry development initiatives, attended by and supported more than 14,000 regional Australians, and achieved an average annual revenue growth of 32%.
Before Screenworks, Ken was part of the Executive Management team at Clarence Valley Council between 2012 and 2014, where he oversaw multiple delivery units and was responsible for the final
stages of delivering the $8M federally funded Sir Earle Page Library and Education Centre. Ken was also previously Business Operations Manager for Australia's largest annual event, Sydney New Year's
Eve, and has served on the boards of non-profit organisations and government advisory committees.
Dena Curtis
Producer / Writer / DirectorFirst Nations filmmaker, Dena Curtis is a producer, writer and director. Throughout her career, Dena worked at National Indigenous Television as a Senior Editor and Promo Producer, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a Series Producer and Commissioning Editor.
Her directing credits include award-winning short films Hush, Jacob and Nan and a Whole Lot of Trouble. Comedy series, 8MMM Aboriginal Radio, documentary series’, Shadow Trackers, Colour Theory Underground, Children’s Series, Thalu and two episodes of ABC’s factual series Back to Nature. Most recently Dena directed a chapter of the anthology feature We Are Still Here and feature length documentary A League of Her Own.
Her producing credits include Logie nominated Children’s Television Series, Grace Beside Me, Short Films Walters Ghost and Shed and documentaries Ella, Shadow Trackers and Belonging. Dena co-produced Firebite for See-Saw Films/AMC Network and is Producer of ABC’s First Nations Science Series First Weapons, which is set to reach tv screens mid-2023.
Nicole Dade
WRITER, STORY DEVELOPER, CREATIVE EXECUTIVE AND SCRIPT PRODUCER- Idea to Screen: Development Deep Dive
- In Conversation with The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Producer and Script Editor
- The Writers Room
Nicole Dade is a writer, story developer, creative executive and script producer with 20 years' experience in development of scripted content in Australia and globally.
Nicole is a skilled story consultant and script editor across TV, film and online content. She contributes to story rooms as writer, script editor and script producer. She is highly regarded for her creative, commercial and strategic insight in development, and for her expertise in story and genre craft, including rom com, thriller, horror, war, sports and sci fi. Nicole has extensive experience working with writers, production companies, screen agencies and broadcasters in a creative and strategic capacity, from early stage development to production.
Committed to fostering and championing diverse stories and voices, Nicole has designed and led talent programmes in Australia, New Zealand and the UK and presents workshops, using her Elements of Story programme, which she designed to demystify the principles of screen storytelling.
Darren Dale - Via ZOOM
Company Director of Blackfella FilmsDarren has been a company director of Blackfella Films, Australia's premier Indigenous production company, since 2000. In 2008 Darren, together with Rachel Perkins, produced the landmark multi-platform history series First Australians for SBS which received many accolades including AFI, TV Week Logie, AWGIE and Australian Director’s Guild Awards. In 2011, Darren produced the feature documentary The Tall Man which premiered at the 2011 Adelaide Film Festival and screened at TIFF and the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), and received the inaugural Walkley Award for Documentary.
In 2012 Darren and Miranda Dear produced the ABC telemovie Mabo, followed by two seasons and a telemovie of the ground breaking drama series Redfern Now in collaboration with Emmy Award-winning UK writer Jimmy McGovern.
In 2014 Darren produced the acclaimed First Contact for SBS. He has also produced the SBS ‘big science’ series DNA Nation, How ‘Mad’ Are You? which explores mental health in Australia, a second season of First Contact and three seasons of
the award winning Filthy Rich & Homeless.
In 2016 Darren produced, with Miranda Dear, the drama series Deep Water accompanied by the feature documentary Deep Water: The Real Story and a multiplatform project for SBS investigating gay hate murders in Sydney. The feature documentary In My Own Words for NITV premiered at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival.
Darren was Executive Producer on the 14 x half hour ABC3 teen drama series Ready for This, winner of the 2015 AACTA Award for Best Children’s Television Series and the 2016 TV Week Logie Award for Most Outstanding Children’s Program. Completed in 2019 was the AACTA Award winning Best Television Drama Total Control for the ABC. Produced with Miranda Dear, it premiered at TIFF and was awarded the 2020 MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Race and Ethnicity (Scripted), and the Bronze Award for Entertainment Program (Drama) at the 2021 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
In 2020 Darren completed the third and final season of Filthy Rich t & Homeless which won the 2021 BANFF World Media Festival International Rockie Award for Best Docuseries and the Gold Award for Documentary (Social Issues) at the 2021 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, and also for SBS the major observational series Addicted Australia. For the ABC Darren produced, with Jacob Hickey, the documentary Maralinga Tjarutja which won the 2020 AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television and the Silver Award for Documentary (Human Rights) at the 2021 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.
In 2021, Darren produced for the ABC a second season of Total Control, the feature documentary Step into Paradise about iconic fashion designers Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson and Books That Made Us - a 3 part factual series about Australian literature. Currently in production is an adaptation of Bruce Pascoe’s book
Dark Emu and factual series First Weapons for the ABC, and for SBS the historical series First Wars about the nation’s frontier conflicts.
Darren is a Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. He currently serves on the board of ACMI, the Sydney Film Festival and the Sydney Festival. He was on the board of Screen NSW from 2011 to 2015, the Council of the Australian Film Television and Radio School from 2012 to 2018, with a term as Deputy Chair from 2014 to 2018. In 2012 he was the recipient of the prestigious AFTRS Honorary Degree.
Monica Davidson
Founder of Creative Plus BusinessMonica Davidson is an award-winning expert on the creative industries, who began her professional life as a freelance journalist, performer and filmmaker. After informally helping hundreds of creatives to develop their business skills, Monica consolidated her experience with a Masters degree in Screen Arts and Business from AFTRS. Shortly after she was appointed as Australia’s first Creative Industries Business Advisor by the NSW Department of Industry. In 2016 Monica founded the social enterprise Creative Plus Business, an organisation dedicated to educating creative people about small business skills. Monica is the Australian author of Freelancing for Dummies, and a renowned teacher and speaker. She was named as one of the Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence for her work in the creative industries in 2014, and in 2019 Monica won the QUT Creative Enterprise Australia award for being a Creative Trailblazer, "an individual who creates enterprises and opportunities and who advocates, mentors, donates, educates and advises within Australia’s creative economy." In 2020 Monica was a recipient of the prestigious AMP Tomorrow Fund to help develop more programs to assist creative start-ups. Monica also continues her work as a filmmaker and writer, releasing her feature documentary “Handbag” on SBS Viceland and On Demand in 2023.
Dr Ruth De Souza - via Zoom
Dr Ruth DeSouza is a highly experienced multidisciplinary educator, nurse, researcher and consultant, specialising in cross cultural engagement, cultural safety, health and digital technologies. Ruth is an RMIT Vice Chancellor's Fellow, based in the School of Art and host and producer of the Birthing and Justice podcast.
Darius Devas
Director/ProducerDarius Devas is a filmmaker on a rapid ascent. In 2022 his feature film Unravelling had its world premiere as an opening night film at CinefestOz and screened at BIFF. In 2020 he created an online mindfulness documentary series Natural Mindful for the ABC. In 2019 Darius’ documentary series The Common Thread examining mental health in the lives of young Australians, reached over a million views online. Darius' documentary career was launched with his documentary series Goa Hippy Tribe which won him an award at SXSW. In 2009 Darius directed his debut feature film Further We Search, starring Xavier Samuel, Mark Leonard Winter and Alison Bell.
Jonathon Dutton
Co-founder of VennJonathon began his career working as an actor on stage and screen in Australia and the UK for over ten years, before studying filmmaking at the VCA in 2004. In 2009, Jonathon completed a Director’s Attachment on Neighbours where he went onto direct over 100 episodes.
In 2012 Jonathon founded the commercial production company Crankyfish, where he developed, produced, executive produced and/or directed hundreds of screen projects for many leading agencies and brands with his team, including several original projects, culminating in being named as a ‘One to Watch’ by Screen Producers Australia in 2017.
In 2019, Jonathon directed the teen drama Erinsborough High before co-founding Venn: a production company, consultancy and hub for best practice screen practitioners, while completing an Executive MBA. At Venn, Jonathon splits his time as a content strategist/director/EP, as well as working as a management consultant, with a focus on leadership, culture and change within the screen and creative industries.
Courtney Gibson
CEO of Screen QueenslandCourtney Gibson is an accomplished CEO and senior executive with over 40 years’ experience in the media and screen industries. Prior to joining Screen Queensland she held leadership roles including Executive Head of Content Creation and Head of Arts, Entertainment and Comedy at ABC TV, Programming Production Executive at Nine, Commissioning Editor of Documentary at SBS, Director of Programmes at Endemol Australia and Managing Director of Jungle Entertainment, as well as serving as CEO of Screen NSW and the South Australian Film Corporation.
Sofya Gollan
Writer & DirectorWriter & Director Sofya Gollan is an award-winning filmmaker. A graduate from both NIDA and AFTRS, her career spans a number of disciplines, as an actor she is best known for being a presenter on Play School for over 30 years, normalising Disability representation onscreen well before it was recognised as essential representation. She is also a playwright and has been a Griffin Playwrights Studio Resident. As a filmmaker she has been nominated for 4 AFI/ACCTA Awards (Best Screenplay & Best Director) for her projects which have screened extensively here and internationally. She has been an Arts Manager and more recently, a Development and Production Executive for Screen NSW. As a writer, director and developer her work is informed by the experience of the outsider, seeking to include these characters in the fabric of contemporary storytelling. She leverages 20+ years experience advocating for diversity and disability inclusion, implementing cultural change and representation of diverse voices on screen. As such she is a leader in design and delivery of disability-led screen programs and works in leadership roles across the screen, arts and disability sector.
![Mia Henry-Teirney - via ZOOM (PRODUCER, PRODUCTION MANAGER [NGĀTI KAHU KI WHANGAROA, NGĀTI KURI, TE RARAWA])](/resources/public/images/square/300/4ef1b03e-a0bd-402f-a37b-f6a0993079ba.png "Mia Henry-Teirney - via ZOOM (PRODUCER, PRODUCTION MANAGER [NGĀTI KAHU KI WHANGAROA, NGĀTI KURI, TE RARAWA])")
Mia Henry-Teirney - via ZOOM
PRODUCER, PRODUCTION MANAGER [NGĀTI KAHU KI WHANGAROA, NGĀTI KURI, TE RARAWA]Producer and production manager Mia Henry-Teirney strives to bring unique Māori stories to the screen. She has worked on such shows as Kiwi comedy Good Grief and fantasy series The New Legends of Monkey, and supported many Robin Scholes productions through her mentorship with the respected producer, including 2016 feature Mahana. Henry-Tierney's producing credits include short films My Brother Mitchell and Loading Docs - Mana Wahine, and award-winning web series Baby Mama's Club. In 2022 she co-produced We Are Still Here, an anthology film that tells eight, indigenous stories from Australia, Aotearoa and the Pacific.
Kyas Hepworth
Head of Screen NSW at Screen NSWKyas Hepworth is an executive who has spent her career working in the screen and creative arts sector and she continues to champion all practitioners to elevate their voice. Kyas is passionate about bringing unique and authentic stories to screen and has worked alongside and supported leading screen creatives and productions. As Head of Screen NSW, Kyas leads the state’s film and production strategy and advances NSW’s position in digital games and as one of the leading national and international screen and post-production destinations. Kyas joined Screen NSW from NITV where she was Head of Commissioning and Programming. Her extensive creative experience in the sector also includes working across feature films, documentaries, television series and web series – across multiple organisations, including SBS, Australian Film Television and Radio School and Screen Australia. Kyas currently sits on the Board of AusFilm , and formerly a Board Member of the Australian International Documentary Conference and an Ambassador for the Natalie Miller Fellowship. In 2021 Kyas was an Official Competition Jury Member for the 68th Sydney Film Festival.
Kyas is responsible for the development and delivery of NITV’s acclaimed commissioned content slate which sees the channel work with Australia’s Indigenous production sector across factual, scripted and children’s programming. This includes award winning children’s animation, Little J & Big Cuz, the captivating documentary series The Beach from Warwick Thornton, impactful feature documentary Incarceration Nation and NITV’s first non-children’s drama series, True Colours, coming in 2022.
Kyas is passionate about bringing unique and diverse stories to the screen and has worked alongside and supported leading and emerging Indigenous practitioners for more than a decade. Her extensive experience in the sector also includes working across feature films, documentaries, television series and shorts.
Jennie Hughes - via ZOOM
Director of Screen TerritoryJennie Hughes joined Screen Territory in August 2018 and has guided the agency through a period of significant growth and change. Since joining Jennie has lead the roll-out of a range of stimulus programs including the $1.480 Enterprise Program, secured additional funding for the agency and overseen record levels of production including in 2021/22 three high end scripted series spanning Maverix for the ABC and Netflix, True Colours for SBS and Barrumbi Kids for NITV and ACTF along with observational documentaries Outback Ringer Series 2 for the ABC and Matt Wrights Wild Territory for Nine Network and Netflix. Prior to joining Screen Territory Jennie held senior positions at SBS; CEO New York Film Academy; COO Screen Queensland; Festival Director, BIFF; Executive Director Open Channel; Head of Programming Ovation Channel and Executive VP Macquarie Filmed Investments where she managed three funds totalling $65.2 million. Jennie is an experienced financier and her company International Film Group held financing partnerships with the UK’s Ingenious and Royal Bank of Scotland. Jennie has participated in screen industry reviews and was appointed by the Australian Government as Chair of the Investment Committee for the Strategic Industry Leaders Group review of Digital Content. Jennie was Chair of the SBS Gender Equality Group and Board member of the Australian Film Institute/AACTA and the Central Coast Arts Centre. She is currently a member of Ausfilm’s Workforce Capacity Working Group and under her leadership Screen Territory won the 2022 Chief Minister’s Award for Excellence in Building a Strong Economy.
Katrina Irawati Graham
Director, ScreenwriterKatrina is a director, screenwriter, facilitator, and playwright. She works in many genres including feminist horror. She recently co-directed Bali 2002, a STAN Original drama series which explores the journeys of those affected by the devastating 2002 Bali bombings. Katrina wrote the cultural safety document for that show.
She wrote and directed a segment of SBS screened Dark Whispers, Australia’s first all-female directed horror anthology. She is currently in development with Mother Tongue, an anti-racist midwifery drama series and Siti Rubiyah a supernatural tale set in the jungles of Sumatra.
Katrina is co-founder and Queensland committee member of Women in Film and Television (WIFT) Australia working towards intersectional gender equity. She serves in the WIFT International board which represents WIFT chapters across six continents. She is the Chair of Screen Queensland's Equity and Diversity Taskforce. Katrina celebrates her Indonesian-Australian heritage and champions diversity.
Hayley Johnson
Screen Investment Manager at Screen NSWHayley Johnson is a Screen Investment Manager for Screen NSW and works across a large slate of NSW government funded projects both in development and production, and special initiatives. She has a background in both film and TV Investment, development and producing with a particular interest in the drama series space. After completing her bachelor’s in business (Entertainment), Blackfella Films gave Hayley her first gig in the industry as Office Coordinator which gave her the perfect opportunity to observe the inner workings of a successful production company.
Keen to develop her career further, she joined Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department as Department Coordinator, and it wasn’t long before she started to get a taste of story development and production investment. She went on to become a Development and Investment Manager where she oversaw projects including children’s series Little J & Big Cuz, gay rom-com A Chance Affair, Nakkiah Lui’s Kiki & Kitty, ABC’s Mystery Road, NITV’s Carry the Flag and a number of short films.
In 2018, Hayley joined Noble Savage Pictures where she produced horror feature Dark Place (ABC, 2019), the first Indigenous game show Faboriginal (NITV, 2020) and The Department (SBS, 2021) with Shark Island. She also managed a vast development slate of features, TV drama and comedy, and documentaries. 2019 saw Hayley be selected for Screen Producers Association Ones to Watch.
In recent years, Hayley has worked for Australian Plays Transform producing the First Nations development retreat with Louise Gough and Michelle Kotevski as well as spending some time as acting Commissioning Editor for NITV.
Melissa Lee Speyer
Development Executive at Wooden HorseMelissa is a graduate of NIDA (Playwriting) and AFTRS (MA Screenwriting) as the 2017 recipient of the Foxtel Diversity Scholarship. TV screenwriting credits include Season 1, Episode 23 of “The Heights” (ABC / Matchbox), “Born To Spy” (ABC / Aquarius), “The Wonder Gang” (ABC), “forReal!”(Ten Peach / Ambience) and Season 2 of “Random and Whacky” (Eleven / Ambience Entertainment). Film credits include Jadai: The Broome Brawler (co-written with Nathan Mewett and Curtis Taylor; recipient of the 2018 Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship). Theatre credits include "TickTickBoom” (2018, The Actor’s Pulse) which won the 2015 Silver Gull Play Award; “A Christmas Carol” (2017, KXT Bakehouse); and “TRADE” (2017, Adelaide Fringe and Old 505 Theatre). She is a founding member of The Collective, an Asian-Australian performing arts collective. Her theatre practice is divided between “traditional” text-based, writer-driven plays and experimental, collaboratively-devised work incorporating movement, technology and whatever happens to be handy.
![Anna Lindner - via ZOOM (Writer. Actor. Showrunner-in-training. at [Rep: Liberty Artist Mgmt])](/resources/public/images/square/300/69302c2a-623d-4f3d-af14-f06e89f066ab.png "Anna Lindner - via ZOOM (Writer. Actor. Showrunner-in-training. at [Rep: Liberty Artist Mgmt])")
Anna Lindner - via ZOOM
Writer. Actor. Showrunner-in-training. at [Rep: Liberty Artist Mgmt]Anna is a screenwriter and actor raised on Peramangk Country in regional South Australia. Besides a failed attempt to become a lycra-clad dance-aerobics star with some serious spirit fingers when she was in 5th grade, all of her earliest memories involved trying to make people laugh. But due to the limited population, she spent a more time trying to entertain sheep, which proved challenging and ultimately led to her propensity to feel more at ease in the company of animals than humans. Since then, not much has changed except for a somewhat increased aptitude for human interaction, the size of her leotard -and her consequential camel toe.
She is writer, creator and star of AACTA award winning, AWGIE & C21 International Drama Award nominated dark comedy series A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GRIEF ( SBS/Viceland). Her episode for AACTA nominated comedy-drama series IT’S FINE, I’M FINE had its world premiere in competition at Cannes after receiving Official Selection at Canneseries 2022. She made the Top 5 for AACTA’s ‘PITCH: Regional Landscapes’ competition with her project BIG THINGS and won the 2019 Screen Makers Conference ABC iView $10,000 Pitch-a-rama competition. She was Screen Australia & SBS recipient of the ‘Digital Originals’ initiative and stars in Closer Productions’ award winning four-part drama THE HUNTING directed by Sophie Hyde & Ana Kokkinos, now screening on Netflix & SBS.
Yeesum Lo - via ZOOM
Head of Development at Paramount ANZYeesum Lo joined Network 10, now Paramount ANZ, in 2020 in 2020 in the newly created role of Head of Development. In this role, Yeesum is responsible for identifying and developing locally-produced Australian content across all channels and platforms, including Network 10 and Paramount+.
A Hong Kong native, Yeesum started her career in entertainment at NBC Universal in New York City and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Motion Picture Producing from the University of Southern California’s renowned Peter Stark Producing Program.
With a keen interest in global content, she was appointed Manager of Business Development for Endemol Shine Group in Los Angeles before transferring to Sydney in 2013. At Endemol Shine Australia, Yeesum was Director of Digital, working across key global formats with a focus on creative content and commercial strategy.
In 2016, Yeesum was named as a B&T Magazine 30 Under 30 winner in the Media category.
Jahvis Loveday
CEO of Something DeadlyJahvis Loveday is an award-winning 22-year-old filmmaker from the Northern Rivers of NSW, his mob are the Dyirbal speakers of Far North QLD. He completed his bachelor of film at SAE Institute in 2020, creating over 12 short films and 200 online videos. His short films have won many awards across Australia including the Best Young Australian Filmmaker of 2020, best film and audience choice awards at Flickerfest’s All Shorts 2021. Jahvis’ film BAMA was selected to represent Australian cinema at the Dubai 2021 world expo. Jahvis focuses on bringing to life the first nation's stories of his brothers and sisters and those around him. Through something deadly, Jahvis’ first nations-focused production company, he has created many online video series as well as short films funded by Create NSW and Regional Arts Australia. His most recent short film Bangay Lore was nominated for best director at cinefestOz 2022 and premiered at the 2023 Flickerfest in Bondi receiving the special mention award for Best Australia short film. Jahvis was selected for the First Nations creators program by Screen Australia and Meta, where he went through a three day workshop at Meta headquarters in Sydney learning about content creation. Through ongoing networking with many organizations such as the rites of passage institute, desert pea media, NITV, Regional Arts Australia and Screen Australia, Jahvis hopes to broaden his skills and bring his stories into the film industry.
Tracey Mair
Director of Tracey Mair PublicityTracey Mair has been one of Australia’s leading film and television communications specialists for almost three decades. Tracey has extensive strategic communications, issues management, marketing and PR experience across the screen sector, including in film and television production, film distribution and television broadcast. She has provided strategic advice to various screen organisations, including Screen Australia, Screen NSW, SPA and the ADG, and production companies including Goalpost Pictures, See-Saw Films and Screentime.
Tracey has acted as unit publicist on dozens of Australian and international film and television productions and has managed the national PR campaigns for high-profile Australian and international feature films, including – most recently – The Power of the Dog, Lion, Ride Like a Girl and I Am Woman and TV shows such as Warwick Thornton’s The Beach and New Gold Mountain.
Tracey grew up in country Victoria and, after establishing her business in Sydney and several years in Byron Bay where she raised her family, is now back in the Northern Rivers, in East Ballina.
Kelrick Martin
Head of Indigenous at ABC TVKelrick is a Ngarluma man from Broome WA, and in 1998 was the inaugural presenter of ABC TV’s Message Stick. In 2002 he completed his Masters in Documentary Writing and Directing at AFTRS, and in 2007 returned to WA to become NITV’s Commissioning Editor. He formed Spear Point Productions in 2010 – credits include the multiple 2015 AACTA Award nominee Prison Songs. Kelrick was also the Indigenous Manager for Screenwest before joining the ABC as Head of Indigenous in 2016. His commissions at ABC include Black Comedy, Maralinga Tjarutja, and popular award-winning drama Total Control.
Danielle McCarthy
Industry Development Manager at Screen TasmaniaDanielle joined Screen Tasmania as the Industry Development Manager in early 2022, where she is responsible for initiatives and industry development working with a wide range of stakeholders and practitioners. Prior to this, she oversaw the Industry division at the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) in Melbourne for six editions, where she managed a slate of initiatives aimed at project development and connecting filmmakers with
industry decision makers.
She has worked in producing and programming roles at film festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance, and the Melbourne International Film Festival. She also has a background in film production and worked on Steve McQueen's award-winning film Shame.
She began her career at Australia’s SBS Television and holds a Master of Communications Law from the University of Technology Sydney, and a BA (Cinema Studies) from the University of
Melbourne.
Bridie McKim
ActorBridie graduated from NIDA in 2018 and proceeded to become the first actor with a disability to play a lead role on Australian television. She played ‘Sabine’ in two seasons of The Heights, produced by Matchbox Pictures for the ABC. The Heights also aired on BBC1 in the UK. Her other television credits include Stan’s original Series Bump, Hulu’s Joe. Vs Carole and Netflix’s Dive Club. Bride also hosted the ABC’s television special Reframe. In 2020, she was named one CGA’s Rising Stars.
Bridie’s theatre credits include Downstairs Belvoir’s production of Tuesday, and Black Swan State Theatre Company’s production of The Cherry Orchard. She has also starred in several short films including, Cinderella, for which she won Best Australian Actor at the Focus on Ability Film Festival, and Gimpsey, which earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Madrid International Film Festival.
In 2022, Bridie appeared in Peacock and Netflix’s new show Irreverent and starred in Stan’s new original film Christmas Ransom.
Matty Mills
MC, TV PRESENTER AND ACTOR- Welcome & Official Opening
- Day Wrap Up
- Daily introduction with Matty Mills
- Daily Wrap up and address by Screen Australia
- Daily introduction with Matty Mills
- Final Wrap Up & Farewell
Matty Mills is a proud Kamilaroi man, TV Presenter and Actor who made waves back in 2014 by covering the Star Observer Magazine with a bold statement “Gay, Black and Proud”. Since then, Matty has cemented his place in the Australian Entertainment industry as the first Indigenous Presenter on Channel 9’s longest running travel program, Getaway and as NITV Entertainment Reporter on The Point and Big Mob Brekky. Most recently Matty is debuting on stage at Sydney Theatre Company in the brand new play ‘Top Coat’.
Que Minh Luu - via ZOOM
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT of NetflixQue Minh Luu is Director of Content (ANZ) for Netflix, responsible for the local commissioning and overall programming strategy for the world’s leading streaming entertainment service, including recent titles Heartbreak High, Irreverent, Byron Baes, and upcoming titles Wellmania and Boy Swallows Universe. She was previously an executive producer working across scripted drama, comedy and digital content at the ABC, and as an independent producer and developer for screen content as well as radio/podcasting, and live and interactive works. In a former life, she was a film editor.
Tanya Mukerjee
Development Executive at Screen AustraliaTanya Mukerjee is a Development Executive in Screen Australia’s Story Development department, with over two decades of experience working in television in Australia and the UK. She worked in script department roles and as a script editor on returning drama shows and first series such as Water Rats, McLeod’s Daughters, Fireflies. In London, Tanya held creative diversity roles for broadcaster-production organisations like the BBC and ITV. Prior to that she was Executive Manager at the Creative Diversity Network and Diversity Partnerships Manager at ITV. Tanya has worked across the sector with writers, creatives and onscreen talent, commissioners, producers and production teams - alongside industry regulatory bodies and advocacy groups - and is committed to the collaborative process of bringing authentic and untold stories to screen.
Emma Myers
Screenwriter / ActorEmma Myers is a screenwriter, actor and journalist with cerebral palsy based in Newcastle. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and subsequent 1st Class Honours degree on the representation of women, disability and intimacy in contemporary culture. She is a co creator and writer of the critically acclaimed 2022 SBS Digital Originals’ series Latecomers, which gained a Series Mania nomination in 2023. Emma is one of this year’s recipients of Screenworks Inside The Writers Room program.
She has worked as part of the media team during the 2018 Invictus Games held in Sydney, and has experience in public speaking, winning a Lions Youth of the Year Award and holding the title of Miss Cessnock City for two years. Emma was also the recipient of the ABC Regional Storyteller Scholarship in 2020 and has two years experience working as a Features Reporter for ABC News.
Lisa O'Meara
CEO of ScreenworksLisa O’Meara has been instrumental in building the regional screen industry and is a committed advocate for regional screen practitioners.
Prior to her role as CEO, Lisa was Programs and Operations Manager for Screenworks where she was responsible for initiating Career Pathway Programs, Industry Forums and Professional Development Opportunities that launched the careers and projects of hundreds of regional practitioners.
Before her career with Screenworks, Lisa designed national and international strategies to take a broad range of screen productions to buyers and audiences around the world. She launched the SBS TV series Under the Skin (Tony Ayres, Belinda Chayko) and the Network Nine children’s series Spellbinder (Ron Saunders) to national audiences and international markets. As a Marketing Manager in the distribution of games, Lisa designed national strategies for games including Diabolo (Blizzard) Riven (Broderbund) as well as launching the Disney, Barbie and Hasbro CD rom brands in Australia.
Her roles have included Marketing Executive at Film Australia, Marketing Manager at Tech Pacific, Programs and Operations Manager at Screenworks and National Manager for Careers and Enterprise at SAE Creative Media Institute.
Rachel Okine
Head of Features & Development Executive at Stan.Rachel Okine, Senior Commissioning Editor for Stan, joined Australia’s leading national streamer in 2021 to oversee a slate of films, documentaries and scripted series. After starting her career in acquisitions at FilmFour, Rachel was the first employee of Hopscotch, later becoming the Acquisitions Executive for eOne ANZ and Head of Development for Hopscotch Features. Rachel moved to Paris in 2015 to become the VP International Production and Acquisitions for Studiocanal; and was subsequently appointed VP International Acquisitions for STX. Returning to Australia in 2020, Rachel was appointed Managing Director of Aquarius Films to strategically lead its film and TV operations.
Chris Oliver-Taylor
Chief Content Officer at ABCin London working at BBC Sport, BBC Music Entertainment, BBC Entertainment and BBC News, in both radio and television, before working in various senior roles at the ABC, including Head of Television Production in 2005 and then Head of Television Business & Operations in 2008.
In 2011 Chris moved to the independent production sector as Managing Director of NBC Universal’s Matchbox Pictures, building the business into a creative juggernaut and garnering numerous Australian and international awards. These included 20 AACTA awards, an International Emmy, three Kidscreen Awards, a Prix Jeunesse, nine Logies, four Australian Directors Guild Awards, six Australian Writers Guild Awards and nine Screen Producers of Australia Awards, including three-time Producer of the year.
In 2018 he joined Fremantle as CEO Asia Pacific, responsible for the creative output of one of the biggest production companies across the Asia Pacific, including executive producing Netflix’s huge international series, Heartbreak High.
In late 2021 he was appointed Director of Production for Australia and New Zealand for Netflix where he took production responsibility for every series and film produced across the region.
In March 2023 Chris rejoined the ABC as its first Chief Content Officer, responsible for all of its creative content across radio, television and digital (non news).
Oliver-Taylor is a current Board member of AFTRS The Melbourne Theatre Company and Screenworks and a former Board member of VicScreen, Council member and President of Screen Producers Australia, Board director and Deputy Chair of Screenrights and Global Operating Board member of Fremantle.
Ziggy Ramo
Rapper and ChangemakerRapper and changemaker Ziggy Ramo knows his worth. An award-winning musician and producer of Wik and Solomon Islander heritage, Ziggy’s artistry challenges the settler colonialism and
institutional racism upon which Australia was built. Through speaking engagements, music or directorial projects, his creativity channels perspectives that are often neglected or suppressed.
Over the years, he has developed lyrical sensibility influenced by artists such as Kev Carmody, Lauryn Hill and Common, along with
activists like Charlie Perkins, Gary Foley and Adam Goodes. He offers unique and salient commentary on race, masculinity and mental health.
With the release of his phenomenally important LP Black Thoughts in 2020, Ziggy floored the industry with his vital and powerful messages, commanding the attention of listeners and
commentators around the country. The album was awarded the FBI Album of the Year and April 25th took home FBI Single of Year.
Ziggy made his directorial debut in 2021 with the music video for Little Things, filmed in collaboration with the Sydney Opera House. With visuals of Ziggy delivering his powerful lyrics from the top of the Opera House’s iconic 65m high sails in a mesmerising video that resonates with its vital truth-telling and magnetic visual imagery. The song is a reworked version of Paul Kelly’s classic protest anthem From Little Things Big Things Grow about the Indigenous activist Vincent Lingiari and the Gurindji strike. Taking a stand for Blak liberation and joy, the single charted in the Hottest 100 and spoke to millions of people across the globe.
A true multihyphenate, Ziggy is making his acting and composer debut, starring in the Stan original series Black Snow, produced by Goalpost Pictures. His second studio album will be released on the 26th of January 2023. Carrying the ancestral name of Ramo, meaning the person to which you are accountable, his work is a force to be reckoned with.
Chloe Rickard - via ZOOM
Partner, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Producer at Jungle EntertainmentChloe Rickard is a Partner, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Producer at Jungle Entertainment. She has been integral to the company’s growth, innovation and success over 15 years. Jungle are responsible for a raft of internationally acclaimed shows, including NO ACTIVITY in its fourth season for Paramount+ with the all-star cast including Will Ferrell, Amy Schumer, Amy Sedaris and JK Simmons; MR INBETWEEN in its third season with FX, directed by Nash Edgerton; A MOODY CHRISTMAS in its second season with Fox and starring Dennis Leary and Elizabeth Perkins; and the Showtime original WAKEFIELD starring Rudi Dharmalingam (EXTINCTION, THE SPLIT).
Currently Chloe is executive producing alongside Michael Petroni (MESSIAH), Phillip Noyce (RABBIT PROOF FENCE, SALT) and Ross Fineman (LINCOLN LAWYER) on a Jungle, A+E Studios and Telepool production for ABC Australia.
Chloe oversees many of Jungle’s international format sales which span a range of titles and territories including NO ACTIVITY which is currently one of the highest selling formats around the world having been remade in the US, Japan, Holland, Germany, Denmark, and Dubai with others soon to be announced.
Chloe holds a Masters of Screen Arts & Business from the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), in which she was awarded the Foxtel New Media Innovation Prize and the Wake in Fright Prize for best thesis. Chloe is the Chair of the Screen Tasmania Advisory Board (STEAG) and an International Emmy member.
Bobby Romia
Head of Development at Screen AustraliaBobby Romia is the Head of Development at Screen Australia. He is a former producer, writer and broadcaster with 15 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Screen Australia, Bobby was Acting Senior Investment Manager at Screen NSW where he managed projects including Bali 2002, Underbelly: Vanishing Act, After The Verdict, Bump, Upright, Here Out West, The Secret She Keeps, Frayed, June Again, The Drover’s Wife, True Colours and Hardball, and talent escalation initiatives such as Talent Camp NSW and the Emerging Writers’ Incubator. Bobby previously worked as a Commissioning Supervisor (Scripted Drama, Comedy & Entertainment) and Producer at SBS Australia and NITV. He has also worked with Screentime Australia, Hopscotch Films, eOne Entertainment, and Screentime New Zealand in Auckland. Bobby holds a Master of Arts in Screenwriting at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
Mitchell Stanley - via ZOOM
Managing Director of No Coincidence MediaAfter eight years in legal finance, Mitch pursued a career as a Producer and went on to line produce the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s series “Move It Mob Style”, which was broadcast on NITV and ABC3. He had later completed a six month Producer Attachment with Screen NSW under the guidance of Tanya Chambers.
Upon wrapping with Screen NSW he later produced Colour Theory with Richard Bell, an eight part documentary series which has since received pick of the weeks in The Australian, The Herald and outstanding reviews in Melbourne’s The Age. Following the success of the first series, series two, three and four have been broadcast on NITV and SBS. Mitchell also wrote and produced the critically acclaimed and three time AACTA nominated documentary, Servant or Slave, garnering the highest audience viewership to date for National Indigenous Television, winning the audience award at the Harlem International and Antenna Documentary film festivals and available on Amazon Prime.
Mitchell recently produced Warwick Thornton’s documentary television series, The Beach, which premiered on SBS in 2020 and A24 in the USA, due to deliver the first official international Indigenous co production feature film, We Are Still Here, he’s in development on a psychological horror feature The Moogai with first time director Jon Bell and Causeway Films (The Babadook, Cargo) where the short film as a proof of concept with the same title has won several festival awards including best horror at SXSW and best short at Melbourne International Film Festival, as well as period drama feature film, Ruby Moonlight, with director Beck Cole and Arena Media (The Dry, Romulus My Father).
Ben Steel
COMPANY DIRECTOR / FOUNDING PARTNER of Screen WellBen is passionate about improving wellbeing for the screen sector, and he has spent the last six years speaking to arts & entertainment industry leaders and experts in mental health about the wellbeing challenges and solutions creative practitioners experience, an exploration which culminated in him making the acclaimed ABC documentary The Show Must Go On released during mental health week 2019.
Ben is an accredited Mental Health First Aid instructor who brings this training with his knowledge and 30 years of work experience in the screen sector, alongside his personal lived experience with anxiety & depression to the Screen Well team.
Bain Stewart
Executive Producer at Oombarra ProductionsBain Stewart is a Ngugi-Goenpul-Noonuccal man and a Traditional Owner of Quandamooka, that includes Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) Queensland. Bain Stewart is the Executive Producer of Oombarra Productions and a leading producer of creative content across film, TV, events and a mentor to First Nation artists across the creative industries.
His producing credits include the IF Award winning documentary Black Chicks Talking, the Helpmann Award winning play The Drover’s Wife, the play Box the Pony, and the short films She. Say as well as Aunty Maggie and the Womba Wakgun. Most recently he was Executive Producer for the AACTA award winning comedy, All My Friends Are Racist and Producer for the award winning feature film The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson. He currently has in-development with Oombarra the limited series idea based off The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson Opus/Songline and the children’s adventure film, Koa Kid.
Bain is currently a Producer with Oombarra Taxi, a new strategic alliance between Oombarra Productions and Taxi Film Production, created to bridge the gap in narratives and content for the inclusion of First Nation talent, especially in commercial production.
Toni Stowers
Screen Developer / Producer at Screen AustraliaToni is a proud Māori-Samoan screen developer and producer. She recently joined Screen Australia's Development team, working with Bo from her role as Development Executive and Producer at No Coincidence Media where she worked on feature film projects with Beck Cole and Arenamedia, Samuel Nuggin-Paynter, a feature documentary with Christopher Amos, and Jon Bell's upcoming feature The Moogai with Causeway Films. Her anthology feature We Are Still Here (produced together with Mitchell Stanley and Mia Henry-Teirney) opened the 2022 Sydney Film Festival and had its international premiere at Toronto International Film Festival.
Toni has also held roles at NITV Commissioning, Sydney Film Festival, and previously worked at Screen Australia as Coordinator for the Documentary Unit. Toni first started working in the arts with the theatrical agency HLA Management, where she developed a long-standing passion to work with storytellers and their stories.
Lucas Taylor
Screenwriter / DirectorLucas Taylor is a multiple AWGIE and SPA award-winning writer and director.
He is the Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of Black Snow, a six part drama series airing on Stan and Sundance Now in 2023.
Lucas is the Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of Limbo, a six part comedy drama for the ABC, airing in 2023.
Lucas’s previous television credits include; Harrow (ABC), Vikings: Athelstan’s Journal (History), Secrets & Lies (Ten), Texas Rising: The Lost Soldier (History) and The Strange Calls (ABC).
In 2019 Lucas was the winner of the John Hinde Award for excellence in Science Fiction writing for his virtual reality feature film Eleven Eleven. Created for NBCUniversal Studios Eleven Eleven premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and was part of the official program at the Venice International Film Festival.
In 2017 Lucas’s virtual reality documentary Inside Manus (SBS) won the SPA Award for best interactive production. The film premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and was part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Innovation showcase.
From 2012-16 Lucas was Creative Director at Emmy and BAFTA award winning production company Hoodlum. His work at Hoodlum included multi-platform campaigns for major film and television properties including SALT (Sony), The Bourne Legacy (Universal), Divergent (eOne) and Dance Academy (Werner Films/ABC TV).
Lucas was also a key part of Hoodlum’s in-house development team, which generated film and television hits including; Five Bedrooms (Ten), Harrow (ABC), Australia Day (Foxtel), Secrets & Lies (Ten), SLiDE (Foxtel) and The Strange Calls (ABC).
Angus Thompson
Actor, WriterAngus Thompson is an Actor and Writer based in Bathurst.
In 2014, Angus graduated from Charles Sturt University, Bathurst with a Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations). In 2018, Angus co-created and starred in the ABC Fresh Blood Initiative, The Angus Project written by collaborator Nina Oyama. Angus then went on to receive ABC’s Regional Storyteller Scholarship in
2020 and develop Terrible Pauly, a short form comedy series reviewing common household products to see how accessible they are.
In 2021, with the ambition to create a new project to positively show disability onscreen, Angus began development with collaborator Emma Myers on a new series - Latecomers. Myers suggested they bring in a third voice and broached the idea of Angus’ friend, Nina Oyama. The project went on to be developed and commissioned through the Digital Original initiative by SBS, NITV and Screen Australia. Angus also starred in the lead role of Frank opposite prominent writer, Actor and disability advocate, Hannah Diviney. The project premiered across SBS On Demand, SBS Viceland and CBC Gem in Canada in 2022 to widespread critical praise for its groundbreaking representation of people living with disability.
In March 2023, Latecomers will make its international festival debut at Series Mania in France as part of the Compétition Formats Courts catalog. Angus and his fellow collaborators hope to continue the Latecomers journey into a second series.
Angus also regularly features as a guest correspondent for ABC News Breakfast writing and acting in segments exploring issues that come up for someone with disability that are often overlooked.
Ana Tiwary
indiVisual FilmsAna Tiwary (she/her) runs the production company indiVisual films that specialises in multicultural stories. Ana was born in India, holds a Masters in Film from the US, and has lived/worked in many different parts of the world. From Bollywood films to National Geographic Channel, Ana has experience working across factual as well as features. She has produced over 25 documentaries for ABC TV and other networks. In 2021, she produced the first Asian Australian rom-com ‘Rhapsody of Love’. Ana created the Diversity in Australian Media community 13 years ago and is an advocate for equity, social justice and safe spaces. Last year, Ana worked as the series producer of 'iNDIA NOW!'. She has various shows in development such as 'Just Chidi Things', 'Mother Tongue', 'One of the Good Ones', 'Brown Sheilas', 'Un-matched' and continues to mentor emerging filmmakers. Ana is currently working part time as Acting Executive Director at the Australian Directors’ Guild.
Matt Vitins
Chief Operating Officer at Matchbox PicturesMatt Vitins is the Chief Operating Officer at Matchbox Pictures. He is part of the management team at Matchbox and is across all commercial aspects of the development, financing and production of scripted and unscripted television projects.
In his time at Matchbox, the company has produced leading international adult dramas including: Class of ’07, Bad Behaviour, Irreverent, Clickbait, Stateless, Safe Harbour, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Secret City and Wanted; children’s dramas Nowhere Boys and Mustangs FC; and the multiple seasons of The Real Housewives. Matt has led Matchbox’s involvement on various international projects with the Universal Studio Group, including Young Rock (NBC), Joe vs Carole (Peacock), La Brea (NBC) and Metropolis (Apple TV+).
Prior to Matchbox, Matt was a lawyer at Allens in Sydney and Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York where he acted for clients including Dreamworks SKG, CBS Studios, and Disney. Matt is a co-author of the text Media Law published by Oxford University Press and has an LL.M from Harvard Law School.
Ivan Vukusic
Awards and Industry Development Manager at AACTAIvan Vukusic is the Manager of the AACTA Awards. He has over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry, including roles at Festival Mushroom Records, Walt Disney Studios and Umbrella Entertainment. He has an Associate Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing and has studied Script Assessment under Tim Pye at AFTRS. In 2013 he took a Short and Sharp winning pitch to the national Screen Forever final. Through his extensive experience in theatrical acquisition and distribution, and as a regular attendee of MIFF's 37 South, he has seen many feature film pitches. In 2018 he helped develop and launch AACTA Pitch - an initiative that provides emerging creatives with an opportunity to pitch to some of Australia's leading television, film and online executives. Across 3 separate strands, AACTA Pitch has provided a platform for ideas in web series, short film and high concept drama.
Ella Watkins
Writer, Director, ActorSince joining TikTok in mid 2021, Ella has amassed a combined following across social media of over 3 million people and works as a full-time creator in Australia and the US. She has worked with brands like Warner Brothers, Netflix, Mattel, Samsung, and Amazon.
Ella is currently working on 3 Screen Australia funded series for which she is the creator, writer, director and lead/co-lead performer: The Down Under (10 part comedy series on TikTok, winner of #GotAMinute with Screen Aus, Tiktok, and SPA), Bad Locals (10 part series on TikTok, recipient of the #everyvoice initiative for which she is co-creator), all set for release throughout 2023. Her acting TV credits include guest roles on Halifax Retribution Channel 10, Playing for Keeps Channel 10, and Rosehaven ABC-TV.
Paul Wiegard
Co-founder and CEO of Madman Entertainment- Navigating the World: When, Where and How
- AACTA Pitch: Regional Landscapes in partnership with Screenworks
Co-founder and CEO of Madman Entertainment one of Australia & NZ’s leading independent distribution and rights management companies.
Executive Produced 20+ Feature & Documentaries films including 3 x Winner - AACTA Award Best Film
Distributed ( Australia & NZ ) x 6 Oscar Winning Feature Documentaries x 1 Best Film
Current President Australian Independent Distributors Association (AIDA), Co-Chair of Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC).