The Screen Makers Conference, set to be hosted in Adelaide from 26 – 27 July, today announced E. Bennett Walsh, Executive Producer of the upcoming Mortal Kombat blockbuster, is to open the 2019 conference with an in-conversation, joined by South Australian Film Corporation’s Head of Production, Development, Attraction and Studios, Amanda Duthie.
It’s an exciting time for South Australia’s film industry. Mortal Kombat will be the largest film production in South Australia’s history, with the film expected to create an estimated 580 jobs and 1,500 extras employed, along with some AUD $70 million injected into the South Australian economy.
E. Bennett Walsh will sit down with South Australian Film Corporation’s (SAFC) Amanda Duthie as part of the opening session of the 2019 Screen Makers Conference, in a one-on-one discussion about his career in the film industry, the substantial back catalogue of productions he’s worked across, how he sees the screen industry evolving on a global scale, and the pending filming of the new Mortal Kombat film in Adelaide.
Walsh has enjoyed many great successes through his career, including as executive producer of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 & 2, with Vol. 1 earning a Golden Globe nomination for star Uma Thurman as well as five BAFTA nominations. He also produced the critically acclaimed The Kite Runner, based on the international best-selling novel; directed by Marc Forster, it garnered Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. He is also the Executive Producer of Men in Black: International, starring Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth, released globally on 14 June.
Additionally, he served as producer on the Shia LaBeouf starring thriller Disturbia, which went on to became one of DreamWorks’ highest grossing films of 2007: its international box office surpassed $100 million. His other successes have included Robin Hood, starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx and Tim Minchin (directed by Otto Bathurst); The Amazing Spiderman 2, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone (directed by Marc Webb) and many more.
Media Resource Centre Director Gail Kovatseff said, “Having E. Bennett Walsh open the conference will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of this year’s conference. This is a rare opportunity for Australia’s emerging creatives to hear from someone who has worked on some of the biggest blockbusters in the world. It’ll really set the tone for the rest of the conference,” said Ms Kovatseff.
Other speakers announced today include Producer of the South Australian made film Hotel Mumbai, Julie Ryan of Cyan Films. Julie’s credits also include Australian box office smash hit Red Dog; and festival favourites Ten Canoes (Jury Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival 2006); Satellite Boy (TIFF 2012, Berlin Film Festival 2013); My Tehran For Sale (TIFF 2009) and many more.
Dan Thorsland of Mighty Kingdom, one of Australia’s leading games developers, will be at the conference with a panel to discuss the digital economy, the new opportunities in VFX, games, VR and AR and how these skills cross over between creative industries. The South Australian studio Mighty Kingdom has worked with major global brands like Disney, Moose Toys and LEGO.
AFTRS’ Head of Animation Krista Jordan, has over twenty years’ experience with credits that include The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, Rabbit- Proof Fence, Moulin Rouge and the Academy Award-winning Happy Feet. While, Closer Productions Matthew Cormack is an AWGIE winning and AACTA nominated screenwriter. His writing credits include feature film 52 Tuesdays (Crystal Bear at Berlinale Film Festival, AWGIE Award for Original Screenplay), and episodic series F*!#ing Adelaide for ABC, and is writer and co-creator of the four-part SBS drama The Hunting due for release in 2019.
Alistair Baldwin is a writer and comedian based in Melbourne. He has written for ABC’s The Weekly With Charlie Pickering, Hard Quiz and Get Krack!n. Nara Wilson is a proud Wirangu, Kokatha and Larrakia woman who currently works at the South Australian Film Corporation as Associate Executive, Production, Development Attraction and Studios.
Writer, Director & Producer Lucy Campbell’s pilot TV script for The Big Nothing TV Series was shortlisted for the Australian Writers’ Guild’s Pathways program, and in 2018 she was commissioned by Every Cloud Productions to write the pilot for their VR component to ABC iView’s Deadlock.
The 2019 Screen Makers Conference will be held at the Mercury Cinema, Adelaide on July 26 and 27.
Conference tickets and further information available from: www.screenmakersconference.com.au
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