22 – 23 July, 2021 | Linnaeus Estate, Byron Bay region
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Application deadline 5pm AEST 11th June 2021
Open to early-career screen directors from regional NSW and regional Queensland.
Screenworks, in partnership with the Australian Directors Guild and Linnaeus Estate Education Fund, is offering regionally based screen directors an opportunity to connect with and learn from two of Australia’s most accomplished screen directors in a two-day intensive on the craft of screen directing.
Rowan Woods and Jen Peedom, two of Australia’s most renowned and critically acclaimed screen directors, will be guest tutors at Screenworks’ Directing Intensive in Byron Bay on 22nd and 23rd July 2020. The two directors will advise selected early career regional screen directors on technique, skills and project development for drama and documentary film and television.
Entry to the Screenworks Directing Intensive is by application and is open only to current Screenworks Members. Participants will be selected by a panel including representatives from the ADG, Screenworks and each of the participating state and territory funding bodies.
This is a rare opportunity to connect with and receive advice from prominent Australian screen directors and the Australian Directors Guild.
The cost to selected applicants from regional NSW is $220 inc. GST* which includes tuition and catering. Some travel support grants may be available to selected participants living outside the Northern Rivers region.
*Selected applicants from regional Queensland will have their participant fee and travel costs covered by Screen Queensland.
Eligible Regional Areas
In NSW – Regional areas are defined as all areas in NSW outside the Sydney Metro, Western Sydney and Blue Mountains areas (excluding the ACT).
In Queensland – Regional areas are defined as a resident outside of South East Queensland, being defined as a 100- kilometre radius of the Brisbane or Gold Coast central business district.
Guest Speakers:
Jen Peedom is a BAFTA nominated director, known for her gripping, intimate portraits of people in extreme circumstances. Her credits include the internationally renowned feature documentaries SOLO, SHERPA and most recently MOUNTAIN, a collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
SOLO won multiple awards internationally, including the AFI award for best documentary (Australia’s Oscars), Australian Directors Guild Award and Film Critics Circle Award.
SHERPA, was critically acclaimed on the international festival circuit, including Telluride, Toronto and London Film festivals, winning multiple awards including the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival, the Australian Film Critics Circle Award, the Australian Directors Guild Award, several audience awards and a BAFTA nomination in 2016. The film became the third highest grossing Australian documentary in history.
Her most recent film, MOUNTAIN completed a sell-out national concert tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and screened internationally at San Sebastian, London and Busan International Film Festivals. Following the Australian release, it overtook Sherpa to become the highest grossing Australian documentary in box office history ($2million), and an impressive 11-week run in UK cinemas. It is now releasing theatrically internationally, including the US in May.
She’s currently in development on a dramatic feature about Tenzing Norgay (Everest first ascent) with writer Luke Davies (Lion, Beautiful Boy).
In 2010, Jen was the inaugural recipient of the David & Joan Williams Documentary Fellowship which recognizes and rewards creative ambition, intellectual rigour and innovation in documentary cinema.
She runs Stranger Than Fiction Films, a boutique production company based in Sydney, Australia.
Rowan Woods is a director of TV and feature films and Head of Directing at AFTRS – Australian Film Television and Radio School. He is a board member of the ADG – Australian Directors Guild.
His feature film debut, THE BOYS starred Toni Collette and David Wenham and was nominated for 9 AFI Awards, winning Best Director and selected in competition for the Berlin International Film Festival. It was produced by Rowan’s AFTRS colleague, Robert Connolly. Rowan Woods directed LITTLE FISH starring Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving. It was nominated for 13 AFI Awards, 11 FCCA Awards, 8 IF Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Rowan Woods’ US feature FRAGMENTS starred Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker.
In 2016, Rowan Woods was set-up director for the multi-award winning THE KETTERING INCIDENT, the International Special Jury Prize winner at Series Mania, 2017. Rowan was also awarded ADG Award for Best Direction for THE BROKEN SHORE and has directed 4 series of multi-award-winning series RAKE for ABC TV created by AFTRS alumni writer / producer, Peter Duncan.
Rowan Woods’ reputation as drama director is complemented by directing international VFX / action series including FARSCAPE, SPARTACUS and HUNTERS for Exec producer, Gayle Anne Hurd. He was also the set-up director for the 5th and final season of RAKE and recently won a 2018 BAFTA Award for the opening episode of NOWHERE BOYS, executive produced by AFTRS alumni Tony Ayers for ABC TV.
Screenworks’ 2021 2-Day Directing Intensive is being delivered in partnership with the Australian Directors’ Guild
The Screenworks 2021 Writing Intensive is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW.
Two regional Queensland participants will be supported by Screen Queensland.
