Screenworks has today revealed the first confirmed speakers and sessions for its annual Regional To Global Screen Forum which will be held at Lennox Head Cultural Centre 26 – 28 May in a hybrid in-person and online conference format.
Both digital and in-person tickets are on sale now, with live streaming and interactive sessions available for digital ticket holders and COVID-19 protocols in place for in-person delegates. More information and ticket bookings can be found on the event website.
With three full days of interactive sessions, one-on-one meetings and networking activities, Screenworks’ Regional To Global Screen Forum will provide a range of opportunities for regional screen practitioners to connect with domestic and global decision-makers and industry influencers in a relaxed beachside setting.
Blackfella Films company director Darren Dale (Total Control, Dark Emu) and actor, director and arts executive Rhoda Roberts AO will appear in conversation as the opening session of the conference in late May.
Academy Award nominated screenwriter Meg LeFauve (Captain Marvel, Inside Out) and writing partner Lorien McKenna (Up, Brave, Inside Out) will be Zooming in “Live From LA” for a lively session inspired by their incredibly popular podcast The Screenwriting Life.
Other speakers confirmed include production sector trailblazers Tony Ayres (Founder/EP Tony Ayres Productions), Rosemary Blight (Producer/Partner, Goalpost Pictures) and Tracey Corbin-Matchett (CEO, Bus Stop Films), with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
Emmy and AACTA Award-winning producer turned screen sector executive coach Ellenor Cox will be presenting a session specially created for the Regional To Global Screen Forum on Supercharging Creativity.
Some of regional Australia’s most successful creatives will headline a session on building sustainable screen careers outside of the metropolitan areas, including Belinda Chayko (Fires), Ashley McLeod (Sweet River), Cody Greenwood (Under The Volcano) and Arcadia producer Lisa Shaunessy.
Alyce Adams from Screen Australia’s Online team will be chairing a lively discussion asking the question Web Series: Viable Development Path or Just An Expensive Hobby? Her special guests will include actress, writer, director and producer Adele Vuko – one-third of the comedy trio Skit Box, who have achieved over 100 million hits online for viral videos including parody music video Activewear (80 million views across Facebook and YouTube) and I Got That Flow (30 million views across Facebook and YouTube).
The forum will see the culmination of the 2022 AACTA Pitch: Regional Landscapes in partnership with Screenworks initiative with five finalists in the running to win a major prize that includes a grant to cover travel and accommodation expenses to attend the 2022 Australian International Screen Forum in New York. The winner will be announced in a special session hosted by AACTA’s Awards and Industry Development Manager Ivan Vukusic at Regional To Global on Saturday 28 May. More information on the finalists and judging panel can be found here.
This year’s conference will also include a session hosted by Executive Director Peter Ritchie from Australians in Film on The Path To Hollywood featuring a selection of Australian creatives who have found success in New York and LA. He will also announce the recipient of the Screenworks Regional Screen in LA Program – The Animal Logic Entertainment Internship which is supported by Australians in Film.
Brand new for 2022, Screenworks is excited to be introducing a program, New Kids On The Block, to support first-timers at the Regional To Global event. The initiative, supported by Screen NSW, Screen Queensland and Screen Tasmania, will offer selected newcomers the opportunity to have their travel and accommodation paid for and take part in special activities designed to help them make the most of the conference’s sessions and networking opportunities. Applications to this program are open from now until 9am AEST on Monday 25 April, with more information available here.
Screenworks CEO Ken Crouch said, “We’re so excited to be bringing the screen community together in person and online again in 2022. It’s been another challenging year, particularly with our Northern Rivers and Southeast Queensland regions being hit by catastrophic flooding in recent weeks, impacting many of our practitioners. Our Regional To Global program this year will reflect many of the issues and challenges affecting our community, as well as exploring and celebrating the vital importance of Australian storytelling and regional creativity in an increasingly global content landscape.”
