Backing up from a sold out inaugural year, the New Screen Makers Conference will return to Adelaide in 2016 with a two-day to focus upon helping the next generation of film makers to make a mark in the new digital landscape.
Conference speakers promise to be not just experts in their areas but also part of genres and companies that actively seek out and engage new and emerging talent. Experienced writers like Liz Doran (Please Like Me, The Secret Life of Us, Dance Academy, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Love Child, Molly (the Molly Meldrum mini-series) will explore dramady: the art of
blurring the line between comedy and drama. Young superstar Danny Philippou (one half of the smash hit Youtube sensations RACKARACKA) and current producer Julie Byrne will also talk through the career projection of the twin brothers.
Panels at the 2015 New Screen Makers Conference, photo by Michael Selge.
Other speakers include Paul Walton of Princess Pictures (Open Slather, It’s a Date, Summer Heights High) talking about whether the online space is killing TV, Rick Kalowski (Head of Comedy, ABC) discussing how to break through in the comedy world and Richard Harris of Screen Australia examining how screen entrepreneurs and companies are charting new ground.
In addition, Daley Pearson of Ludo Studios, an EMMY™ Award-winning company, will talk about the hugely successful and innovative crowd-sourced #7 Days Later project, and local cult hit producers Dario Russo and David Ashby (Danger Five, Italian Spiderman) will explore the case study of their success.
While the keynote speaker is still to be announced, Director of The Media Resource Centre Gail Kovatseff is already enthused by the quality of panels on offer. “The conference pulls together some of the most innovative screen practitioners and companies which are making exciting new Australian work in the most cut-through genres with the most rewarding career pathways for new talent: comedy and social impact documentaries,” she said.
A particularly exciting component of the conference will focus upon social impact documentaries, with titles like Blackfish, I am A Girl and Frackman instrumental in changing the way that our society not thinks, but also behaves with respect to issues. Some of the people at the head of this movement including Rebecca Barry (I Am A Girl), Kate Hodges (Frackman) and Julia Overton (JOTZ Productions) will not only speaking at NSMC but also will run a Social Impact Hack, an expert panel that looks at two lucky documentary makers’ film ideas and helps build the best strategy for their project. A national call for the Social Impact Hack opportunities is currently underway through The Media Resource Centre.
What: New Screen Makers Conference: Cutting Through in a New Age
When: 15 & 16 July
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St. Adelaide
Bookings/Info: 08 8410 1934 or mercurycinema.org.au
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