Screenworks has today revealed more confirmed speakers and sessions for its Regional To Global Screen Forum which will be held at Lennox Head Cultural Centre 26 – 28 May and streamed online for digital-only attendees.
Tickets for this year’s event are currently on sale, with interactive sessions available for online attendees and COVID-19 protocols in place for in-person delegates. More information and ticket bookings can be found on the event website.
This year’s jam-packed three-day event will have a big focus on authenticity, diversity and inclusion, with key sessions including First Nation Storytelling: Authorship & Authenticity
with moderator Laurrie Brannigan-Onato from Screen Australia’s First Nations department leading this important conversation with a dynamic panel of filmmakers including Indigenous producers Penny Smallacombe and Mitch Stanley.
Bus Stop Films CEO Tracey Corbin-Matchett will present a thought-provoking session on Authenticity and Positive Inclusion looking at the issues and challenges around telling the stories of CALD and LGBTQIA+ people and those living with disability. The diverse speaker line-up will include producer, writer and editor Steph Dower (recently appointed to Screen Queensland’s newly formed Equity and Diversity Taskforce), award-winning Afro-Australian director, writer and producer Hawanatu Bangura, and non-binary filmmaker Claudia Bailey (the recipient of the 2019 Young Australian Filmmaker Of The Year award), as well as Genevieve Clay-Smith, Bus Stop Films’ co-founder and director.
There will also be a special case study session featuring some of the creative team from Here Out West, a unique and ambitious anthology film featuring eight interconnected slice-of-life snapshots set across a single day in Western Sydney. Director Julie Kalceff will be joined by producer Annabel Davis, CEO of Co-Curious, along with Here Out West writers including Vonne Patiag.
Continuing the theme of nurturing new and diverse voices, Screen Australia’s Jenevieve Chang will be moderating a conversation with some of the state funding agencies on Finding and Funding Screenwriting Talent. Bobby Romia (Screen NSW), Belinda Burns (Screen Queensland) and Alex Sangston (Screen Tasmania) and Jennie Hughes (Screen Territory) are all confirmed to appear.
Speakers have also now been confirmed for The Path To Hollywood, a special session presented by Australians in Film. Moderated by Hoodlum Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer Tracey Vieira, it will unpack some of the truths and myths about pitching and doing business in Los Angeles. The high-powered international panel will include Simonne Overend, Executive Producer, Jiao Chen, VP of Creative Development Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Columbia Pictures, Krista Carpenter, Manager Fictional Entity, and Nitram writer Shaun Grant.
The three-day forum will also feature specially created sessions designed to motivate and inspire screen creatives. Media Mentors Esther Coleman-Hawkins and Denise Eriksen will present an interactive session on the do’s and don’ts of networking and pitching, while award-winning creative industries expert Monica Davidson will host a session revealing key insights and tips for surviving and thriving as a screen industry freelancer.
Screenworks’ Industry Development Manager Jeanie Davison, who is programming this year’s Regional To Global Screen Forum, said, “We’re excited to be bringing such a diverse and entertaining program to our in person and online delegates this year. We’ve put particular emphasis on highlighting the opportunities, issues and challenges of diverse and authentic storytelling, which is extremely relevant in regional Australia. We’ve also made room for some key inspirational sessions which are designed to encourage and unlock creativity for both emerging and seasoned creatives – and to make our delegates feel they’re part of a thriving wider screen community no matter where in Australia they may be based.”
