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Meet Decision Makers Webinar
Guest speakers from Screenworks' upcoming Regional to Global talk about how to prepare to meet with industry decision makers and what screen industry decision makers are looking for.
Drawing on examples from the decisions they have to regularly make in terms of the projects and people they choose to support, as well as their own successful strategies at putting themselves and their work forward, these guest speakers will provide you with tips and techniques for putting your best self forward and attracting market interest in your projects.
Making a good impression and leveraging the opportunities that come from meeting industry decision makers can make or break a screen industry career. Being prepared, doing your research and getting strategies from successful producers and industry decision makers could help you take the next step in your project and career development.
Guest speakers include producers Lois Randall and Lisa Shaunghessy and Screen Australia's Industry Development Manager Margaret Ross.
Speakers
Jessica
Gillan
Industry Programs Manager at Screenworks
FACILITATED BY: Screenworks Industry Programs Manager - Jessica Gillan
FOUNDER/EP/PRODUCER OF MAGPIE PICTURES
Founder, EP and Producer Lois Randall: Lois is an award winning Producer who was most recently Executive Producer/Producer on Magpie Pictures’ new series SWIFT STREET for SBS in association with Fifth Season. Starring Tanzyn Crawford and Cliff Curtis, SWIFT STREET had it’s world premiere in competition at Canneseries 2024. Previous credits include Producer on the 6 x one hour Goalpost Pictures mystery drama series BLACK SNOW, starring Travis Fimmel, that premiered on Stan and Sundance Now/AMC+ early 2023, and Co-Producer on the Dollhouse feature film SERIOUSLY RED starring Rose Byrne, Krew Boylan and Bobby Cannavale, that premiered at SxSW and Sydney Film Festival in 2022. In 2019 she produced the 8 episode drama series SEACHANGE, an ITV and Every Cloud co-production that premiered on the Nine network as the highest rating Australian TV drama for the year. Through Magpie she was Producer and EP of the Prix Jeunesse, UNESCO Prize, AACTA and LOGIE nominated 13 episode live-action children’s series GRACE BESIDE ME, that screened on NITV, ABC, Disney Channel and CBC, and which was awarded Children’s Series Production of the Year at the 2018 SPA Awards. She was also Producer of THE GODS OF WHEAT STREET, Miniseries of the Year, 2014 SPA Awards, and EP on the 2018 AACTA Award winning web series DEADLOCK, both Every Cloud Productions for ABC TV. Lois has also produced acclaimed short films, and was line producer on John Weiley’s Imax documentary feature SOLARMAX. Lois is a creative producer with a Masters of Fine Arts degree (COFA/UNSW), and BA Communications (UTS).
Margaret
Ross
Investment & Development Manager, Online at Screen Australia
Margaret Ross, a Dunghutti/Gumbayngirr woman hailing from regional NSW (currently living and working on Gadigal/Bidjigal land, Sydney), with over 15 years of expertise in developing and crafting broadcast and screen content.
A recent addition to the Online team at Screen Australia, Margaret previously served as Executive Producer of Scripted and Factual in the Children’s & Family commissioning team at the ABC, boasting a vibrant diverse slate including Turn Up The Volume, Beep & Mort, The Ninganah Lullaby, and innovative TikTok series The Disposables, alongside International Emmy Award winning factual series Built To Survive. Formerly, Margaret was Executive Producer at ABC Indigenous, contributing to initiatives and ground-breaking productions like Preppers and All My Friends Are Racist, as well as spearheading ABC Indigenous’ social media strategy from grassroots through to the thriving platforms for elevating First Nations talent and stories they are today. Margaret holds a Master of Arts in Screen Business from the Australian Film, Radio and Television School (AFTRS), and is passionate about championing emerging talent and advocating for diverse and inclusive representation across the screen industry, driven by her own identity as a Queer, First Nations screen practitioner.
Since Co-Founding Australian production and distribution company ARCADIA, Lisa has built a track record of consistent commercial and critical hits.
Number 1 performing series across the SBS Network, 8-part dramedy WHILE THE MEN ARE AWAY, has been in release since September 2023 and was nominated for Best Miniseries at both the AACTA and SPA Awards in 2024, as well as Best Costume Design at the AACTA Awards. WHILE THE MEN ARE AWAY was also selected to screen at the Berlinale Series Selects, 2024. Lisa produced SXSW breakout hit SISSY (2022), starring two-time AACTA nominee, Aisha Dee. Ahead of its World Premiere, SISSY sold to Shudder in a multi-territory deal and was nominated for three AACTA Awards in 2022, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Lead Actress. It was also nominated at the SPA, ADG and AWG Awards. In 2022, Lisa also produced Sundance Lab sci-fi romance, In Vitro, starring Ashley Zukerman (Succession, The Code) that will premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in 2024.
In 2020 she produced sci-fi thriller 2067 (XYZ/RLJE Films/Netflix), starring Oscar-nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee. 2067 set the record for number of weeks in the Number 1 position for an Australian film on Netflix (ANZ), and was a global commercial success - reaching No 1 on iTunes in North America. 2067 was nominated for AACTA, ADG, SPA, APDG, AEAF, and ATOM Awards in 2021, won the ACS Award for Best Cinematography and opened the Adelaide Film Festival in 2020.
Previously Lisa produced Sundance hit KILLING GROUND (IFC, 2017), nominated for an AACTA in 2017, Shudder No 1, THE FURIES (Shudder/StudioCanal, 2019); AACTA award-winning series HIPSTERS (SBS, 2015); BLACK & WHITE & SEX (IFF Rotterdam, 2013) and ASC award-winning documentary SLAMMIN’ SAM (Foxtel, 2013). She is an AFTRS, TAP and Small Giants alumni.
Sponsors and Partners
sponsored By
Screen NSW
Screen NSW is established to assist, promote and strengthen the screen industry in NSW so as to promote Australia’s cultural identity, encourage employment in all aspects of screen production, encourage investment in the industry, enhance the industry’s export potential, encourage innovation and enhance quality in the industry.
Through its funding programs and skilled staff Screen NSW:
- supports the screen production sector to make quality projects that create jobs and grow stable businesses in the State;
- provides advice and information to improve capability in the sector and enable industry practitioners to participate in the global industry;
- funds and promotes new forms of screen content and use of technology;
- collaborates with industry to create opportunities; and
- facilitates all aspects of filming in NSW to make it the most attractive State for screen production.