Stepping UP: Navigating your creative career

David is the founder of Compton School and co-founder of Wizer. He is also Chair of Screen Canberra. He was previously Head of Screen Business at the Australian Film Television & Radio School, where he led the highly regarded Masters of Screen Arts & Business program.

He has been involved in the financing of more than a dozen film and television productions including Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom, Dean Cavell’s The Wiggles Movie and Andrew Horne’s The Animated Leunig. As author of Film Assistance: Future Options (Allen & Unwin, 1986), he was policy architect of the Film Finance Corporation established by the Australian Government in 1988. David holds a PhD from the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.

Andrea is a screen professional who spent three decades working in Africa, Hollywood and Australia, with experience ranging from chasing lions across the African Savannah for wildlife films and documentaries to negotiating deals in the boardrooms of Hollywood.

In 2019 she pivoted to become a personal and professional coach for people in the creative industries, inspired by her own close call where she almost died from stress and the dire health outcomes of other creative industry practitioners. With accreditations in coaching, NLP, and Meta dynamics, she founded Successful Creative, running group and individual coaching, and joined Compton School as one of its lead teachers.

Katie has run business affairs and legal departments of independent production companies across ANZ region for more than 15 years including at The Wiggles, Flying Bark Productions and then as the Head of Business Affairs & Strategy at the CJZ Group for 15 years which included development for Australia, New Zealand and Middle East. In 2024 she moved to Melbourne to take up the new role of Commercial Director for Princess Pictures.

She has worked across all genres of film & TV and financed and negotiated the gamut of deals including US studio production deals, tri-party coproduction agreements, master licensing agreements, licence agreements for every territory in the world, format licence agreements and talent development agreements.

Katie is deeply committed to supporting original content from early development, through production and the extensive life of distribution both locally and internationally. An award winning short film producer in her former life, she appreciates the nuance of the creative process, whilst simultaneously understanding and valuing ‘the business of business’. She is also co-owner of noodle bar RaRa Ramen. 

Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director, and one of the founding members of Matchbox Pictures. In 2018 Tony established his own production company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), developing and producing feature films and television for global audiences and international marketplaces.

Overall, Tony’s feature films and TV shows have been nominated for over one hundred Australian and international awards, and has won over sixty of these awards including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, a Golden Horse (the Asian Oscars), six AACTA awards, and six Logies.

Most recently, Tony was Executive Producer, Showrunner and writer on Netflix series The Survivors, and an Executive Producer on two seasons of ABC/BBC children’s series The Spooky Files. Previously, Tony was the creator/showrunner on The Slap, Nowhere Boys and global number one Netflix hit, Clickbait. He co-created and was an Executive Producer on Glitch, Stateless, and Fires. He has Executive produced acclaimed shows such as Barracuda, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Wanted, Creamerie, The Devil’s Playground, Old School, Underground: The Julian Assange Story, The Straits, and The Family Law.

In feature films, Tony directed Cut Snake (2015), The Home Song Stories (2007), and Walking on Water (2002). He has also executive produced award winning feature films such as Ali’s Wedding and Lou. His films have premiered and screened at A-list festivals around the world including the Berlinale and the Toronto Film Festival.

Tony Briggs is a Yorta Yorta/Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) writer, director, producer, and actor, best known as the creator of the hit film The Sapphires, which had its international premier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012. His award-winning career spans over two decades across stage and screen, with credits including Force of Nature: The Dry 2, The Newsreader, The Slap, and the Stan series Population 11.

Tony also co-created and wrote the acclaimed TV series The Warriors, and his directorial work includes the short film Elders, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.

He is the Artistic Director of Birrarangga Film Festival, showcasing Indigenous stories from around the world to audiences in Narrm (Melbourne), and continues to champion bold, culturally driven storytelling in every medium he touches.

Known for her work championing strong female characters and exploring complex narratives in a relatable way, Imogen has produced multiple acclaimed Australian series, including Offspring, RFDS, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie, Tangle, Sisters, Party Tricks, and Gallipoli. 

She founded independent production company Kindling Pictures, debuting with critically acclaimed SBS mini-series Safe Home. Kindling’s most recent project is the multi award-winning Fake, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham, which premiered on Paramount+ and is the streamer’s most successful Australian drama launch to date.

I am a dedicated storyteller in the last year of an Advanced Diploma in Professional Screenwriting, bringing a positive outlook on any project, having a diverse skillset for writing also being a song writer. Drawing from a unique background in writing as a working musician and now screenwriter, bringing fresh perspectives and able to adapt to different audiences.

I am professional screenwriting student at RMIT who has been in love with writing stories my whole life, looking to branch out into the industry one foot after the other. I am on my second year of the course and I am excited to connect with other creatives and find new inspiration.

Charles Olsen is a writer, director, and producer, originally from Newcastle, NSW and now based in Bondi Beach. Charles works as an Associate Producer at Jungle Entertainment, has produced, written, and/or directed numerous short films, and recently completed a director’s attachment to Corrie Chen on Jungle Entertainment’s GOOD COP/BAD COP (Stan, TheCW, Roku). Charles holds a Master of Arts Screen: Producing and short course certificates in Directing from AFTRS, a BA(Hons) in creative writing and film studies, and a law degree.

www.olsencharles.com

Isabel is a Melbourne-based Producer, Writer, and Actor. She co-produced and co-directed Bush Boots with Kynan Clarke, premiering at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival as part of the MIFF Footy Shorts initiative- a collaboration between VicScreen, the AFL, and MIFF. Isabel has produced short films, fashion films, commercials, and is developing her debut feature. With over a decade of experience as an actor, she brings a strong storytelling sensibility to her producing work. She is an Associate Producer with Typecast Entertainment and the Birrarangga Film Festival.

Alberto Di Troia is a screenwriter and playwright based in Melbourne/Naarm. Most recently, Alberto served as the co-writer of Episode 2 and script producer on the Netflix crime drama THE SURVIVORS, based on the bestselling novel by Jane Harper.

In 2022, he was the inaugural Victorian recipient of the SBS Emerging Writers Incubator, which saw him join Tony Ayres Productions (TAP) as a development assistant. In this role, he contributed to several TAP/ABC projects; writing on the children’s TV series THE SPOOKY FILES and script coordinating on the critically-acclaimed FIRES. His theatre work has been presented at Melbourne Theatre Company, Darwin Festival, Arts House Melbourne and Theatre Works.

Lola Button is an emerging writer working in the development team at Tony Ayres Productions. She has a background in short-form fiction and nonfiction, and she has had stories published in The Monthly and Meanjin. She has since transitioned to Film and TV writing and is developing a slate of feature film and TV projects, including an original series which is on the development slate Tony Ayres Productions.

George has worked as a producer, development assistant, and producer’s assistant across both entertainment formats and scripted series. She is passionate about comedy and is dedicated to showcasing Australian humour on the global stage. Her credits include Spicks and Specks (ABC), NCIS: Sydney (Paramount), and Heartbreak High (Netflix). She is currently assisting Director Alyssa McClelland, Showrunner Liz Doran, and Executive Producer Chloe Rickard on My Brilliant Career.

Michael Hudson is a writer, director, and producer, and a proud Bangarang and Yorta Yorta man from northeast Victoria. He won the 2019 Sydney Film Festival Short Screenplay Award for Ties That Bind and has since worked on projects for ABC and Network Ten. An alumni of top talent labs including MIFF Accelerator, Untapped and SPA Ones to Watch, he founded Third Impact Films to develop his own slate of genre projects, coining the term “Cultural Horror” to describe his unique blend of First Nations storytelling and horror.

Denis Curnow is a Melbourne-based producer and writer. He currently has four short films on the festival circuit, including the award-winning QUIET NIGHT THOUGHT, based on letters written by his grandparents during the Great Leap Forward in 1950s China.

?Denis’ first taste of the industry was as a writer/actor in a children’s sketch comedy series on the Disney Channel when he was in high school, and has since worked in-house at Jungle Entertainment and Tony Ayres Productions. He holds a Master of Arts Screen (Producing) from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, as well as Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Languages (Mandarin) from the University of Melbourne.

www.deniscurnowfilm.com

Tess Emmerson is a Melbourne based creative with a passion for telling stories with impact. After graduating from JMC Academy in 2016, she has worked her way up through the industry on projects such as How To Stay Married, Crazy Fun Park, Human Error, The Newsreader, Fisk, Love Divided By Eleven – just to name a few. She worked in the Production team on Safe Home & Fake, establishing a great relationship with the Kindling Pictures team. Tess is now in-house with Kindling, working to assist Imogen Banks with development projects in the TV space.

Katherine Fry is a producer, script producer, and script editor with a passion for bold, playful storytelling and a strong track record supporting emerging and diverse voices. She co-developed, script produced, and produced White Fever, a critically acclaimed 6 x 30-minute comedy series for ABC. Katherine has held development roles at Every Cloud Productions, the New Zealand Film Commission, and South Pacific Pictures. Known for her collaborative approach and sharp story instincts, she thrives on shaping distinctive, emotionally resonant work across genres. Katherine is currently developing several innovative screen projects through her female-led company, Pomegranate Pictures.

Selina Joe is a New Zealand-based producer. She produced the award-winning film “Muru”, New Zealand’s highest-grossing local feature and its 2023 Oscars submission in 2022. She is currently in post-production on her third feature as a lead producer, “KIWI (working title).” Selina has directed and produced documentaries on bullying, archaeology, and Tourette’s, produced factual series for TVNZ and Warner Bros. Discovery, and held key industry leadership roles at the NZFC and NZ On Air.

Actor and Pilates instructor. Graduate of Compton School creative course.

Melissa is an emerging producer at Space Between the Gaps Films. With a background in early childhood education and IT, she brings care, communication, and coordination to filmmaking. Currently producing a short (Mary Jane: The Unofficial Her-Story) and feature (Mary Jane: Glory Dayze), she’s growing her craft through hands-on work, industry courses, and creative collaboration.

spacebetweenthegapsfilms.com/home/

Cecilia Low is a creative producer and co-founder of Soup Kitchen Productions, working across narrative features, television, and digital series. With a background in performance and over a decade in production, she brings clarity, precision, and heart to every stage of the process. A 2024–25 SPA Ones To Watch producer, Cecilia is committed to purpose-led, impact-driven storytelling. She is currently developing a slate of bold, world-building narratives and innovative production models with stories that connect, transform, and endure across screens, communities, and culture.

www.cecilialow.com/producer

Samantha Kwan is a Melbourne based producer and recently line-produced the ABC documentary, THE SEARCH FOR THE PALACE LETTERS (2024) and worked as an associate producer on the MUSHROOM 50 LIVE broadcast (Seven, 2023). She is currently the project manager for the Australian Feature Film Forum and has successfully organized their previous events at the AIMC 2023 and PRISM 2022. Sam has been a recipient of VicScreen’s Key Talent Producer Placement and completed a Screen-Australia-supported producer’s attachment on the logie-nominated EGO: THE MICHAEL GUDINSKI STORY (MIFF 2023). The latest project she produced and edited, MOTHER TONGUE, has garnered several emerging awards during its film festival run and is now available on SBS-On-Demand.

Lesley Pinder is a director and writer with television directing credits in Australia (‘Neighbours’) and the UK (Family Affairs). She tells emotive and character-driven stories with moments of humour and heart.

Lesley’s short films have screened at festivals worldwide and won awards. She recently directed ‘End Pointe’, a darkly comedic female-ensemble genre film. It’s been selected for 2025 Flickerfest International Film Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, Setting Sun Film Festival, and Revelation Perth International Film Festival.

Lesley’s 2022 short film, ‘Breathe’, achieved widespread recognition on the international film festival circuit. It screened at 15 festivals and won numerous awards.

lesleypinder.com

A 1st Year Master of Screen Producing student at the VCA. I was born in South Africa and moved to Albury, NSW when I was 11 years old. Being from a small country town, I wasn’t exposed to a lot of world cinema so moving to Melbourne has been incredible for my filmmaking journey – I’ve been fortunate enough to do some work experience with Sue Maslin, volunteer work for MIFF and directors workshops with Nadia Tass. All of this has been very formative but now I am looking to begin the next stage of my career as a producer.

Muffy Potter is a Film & TV Producer working in development with Red Emperor and her company, Rantan Productions. In 2023, she produced the 8-part comedy GOLD DIGGERS, developed by Rantan and produced with KOJO Studios, Stampede Ventures, for ABC, and CBS Studios. From 2021–2024, she was a Development Producer for KOJO Studios. Other credits include Series Producer on FAM TIME (Seven Studios, 2019) and X-Ray Producer for BACK TO THE RAFTERS (Amazon Prime, 2020). Muffy has also produced drama across the globe in countries including Afghanistan, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, and Myanmar.

Kynan is a Gunai/Kurnai and Monero filmmaker and holds a Bachelor of Media & Communications. Kynan is deeply committed to sharing the stories of his people and becoming a prominent storyteller for his culture. For Typecast, he worked on Elders (2018) as an Indigenous Attachment. Since then, he has become an integral part of the Team taking up the many opportunities on offer as a creative, including in 2024, the script development workshop, Inspirit Lab, and the Accelerator program at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Kynan’s goal is to continue using his talent and skills to uplift and amplify the voices of Indigenous peoples in film and media. Kynan believes First Nations stories are essential to the cultural fabric of Australia and that by sharing them, he can help foster greater understanding, appreciation, and respect for his people’s traditions and values.

Damienne is a Melbourne based Producer/Curator, she produced the short film ‘Elders’ which premiered at Berlin Film Festival, imagineNATIVE, Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and many more festivals across the world. She also produced the short form Treaty Series for NITV with emerging Indigenous filmmakers. Damienne is producing the feature film ‘The White Girl’ from acclaimed novelist Tony Birch and developing multiple TV Series, including ‘The Yield’ from award winning author Tara June Winch. She facilitated and co created ‘Blak Masterclasses’ for First Nations creatives and co created the Inspirit Lab, teaching First Nations creatives the art of adaptation. She is also the Producer of Birrarangga Film Festival, showcasing Indigenous Films from across the globe to Melbourne audiences biennially across Narrm. She is a collaborative producer who wants to connect diverse stories with audiences internationally.

I’m a filmmaker with experience across directing and production in film, TV, VFX and content (Sesame Street, 17, Piece by Piece). I combine creative storytelling with strong production skills to craft emotionally resonant and visually striking work that connects, inspires, and engages—always grounded in collaboration, planning, and purpose.

www.jmon.net

Tessa is a recognised producer, selected as one of only 12 up-and-coming early-career producers by Screen Producers Australia’s Ones to Watch cohort for 2023 where she was mentored by Lisa Shaunessy (SISSY). In 2023, she was also featured in IF Magazine’s 2024 list of Rising Talent.

www.tessamansfieldhung.com

Katia Nizic originally hails from the publishing world and graduated from the AFTRS in 2012, producing a number of short films including “Violent Florence” (SXSW 2014).

Her recent productions under the Generator Pictures banner include HOMECOMING QUEENS (2018), the award-winning digital series that was the first online commission for SBS On-demand and the documentary PAPER TRAILS (2017) for the ABC about activist, broadcaster, and feminist writer Anne Deveson’s experience with Alzheimer’s.

In her role at Carver Films, she produced the feature documentary FIRE FRONT (2022) working with director Eddie Martin, about the Black Summer Bushfires (Premiere MIFF 2022). She also Associate Produced the feature drama RUN RABBIT RUN starring Sarah Snook and directed by Daina Reid (Premiere Sundance 2023), which was bought by Netflix.

She currently works at Werner Film Productions as Production Executive, working across the entire slate of projects from development through to delivery.

Josephine is a driven Producer, Actor, and Voice Over Artist with a passion for storytelling that taps into the emotional core of her audience.Her filmmaking career includes a variety of short films and web-series, and she is currently working on her debut narrative feature film. She is a natural producer and her background in acting brings an understanding of all sides of the camera.

Her web-series Hitting Zero gained significant traction, accumulating over 60,000 views on YouTube and after being recut into a feature-length documentary is now available globally, including on Prime Video. In 2021, Josephine produced short horror film Grounded, which earned several festival nominations and awards and is now accessible online and completed her studies in Creative Producing at Compton School/the University of Canberra.

Her latest project, a feature film exploring themes of grief, loss, and family dynamics, is currently in post-production and represents her most ambitious work to date.

www.josephinecroft.com.au

Holly Tosi is a screenwriter who’s done a little bit of everything. Starting as a note taker and script co-ordinator in comedy and children’s television, Holly worked both locally and in the UK. A long stint at Neighbours followed, where Holly wrote over twenty episodes and worked on hundreds more as a senior storyliner and senior script editor. Holly has been shortlisted twice for the Screen Australia/Vicscreen/SBS Emerging Writer’s Incubator and written an episode of the animated comedy webseries Deadbeat Ends Meet. Holly has also worked in development at the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, providing script assessments.

Joyce Wong is a dynamic producer who transitioned from a successful career in business and tech startups into the film and TV industry. With a passion for storytelling through a pan-Asian female lens, she has quickly made her mark, collaborating with a diverse range of writers and directors to develop fresh, impactful narratives.

Recognised for her talent and vision, Joyce was named Runner-Up for the 2024 SPADA Emerging Producer Award and is the 2025 Vincent Burke Scholar. Her debut dark-comedy series for TVNZ ‘Camp Be Better’ was recently featured at MIPCOM and she’s currently in-production for her second NZ Film Commission supported film.

In 2025 she started production company, One7 Pictures, a play on the Chinese word ‘together’ to symbolise her belief in collaboration and the enduring nature of cinema and television to bring audiences together.

Rosie is screen executive based in Wellington / Te Whanganui a Tara. As the
Commercial & Business Affairs Manager for Hinterland, Rosie helps to provide bespoke financing solutions for NZ and Australian producers, and facilitates cashflow lending for screen productions.

Prior to joining Hinterland, Rosie was an Investment Executive at the New Zealand Film Commission, assessing production funding applications. Rosie spent almost a decade before that working in London as part of the Universal Pictures Content Group, where she acquired feature films, documentaries and other content for global distribution across all platforms. At Universal, Rosie negotiated distribution deals for The Pod Generation (Sundance Film Festival) and The Inventor (Annecy International Animation Festival) as well as overseeing Australian productions including The Angels: Kickin’ Down the Door (Adelaide Film Festival).

hinterland.nz

Daniel Pickstone (Ng?puhi) spent over a decade in the exhibition industry, operating cinemas, curating film programs, and even launching a film festival. They’ve mastered the art of understanding audience engagement and compelling content.

In 2019, they brought their talents to the earlier stages of the production process. Instead of analysing finished films, they now help develop projects that captivate audiences. In 2021, they joined FluroBlack and recently became the Head of Development there.

With a joy for collaborative storytelling that some might call an obsession, when they’re not working on projects, Daniel can be found running epic D&D games.

Armagan gained a MA at AFTRS and has made several short films which have screened in Venice, Berlin, New York, Telluride and Melbourne Film festivals.
She attended the Sundance Lab with her feature, The Strength of Water, (in competition in Berlin, Hawaii, Rotterdam and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards).

In 2022 Armagan directed feature film Nude Tuesday, which premiered in Sydney, then went on to screen in Tribeca and Edinburgh. Nude Tuesday is released in America through GIANT Pictures / Tribeca Films.

In 2024 she was a director on Taika and Jemaine’s Time Bandits for Apple TV.

Daisy Lawless is a writer and producer primarily focused on animated series and genre film. Her current development projects include a kids’ animated series, ‘The Ruffian’; an adult animated comedy about slacker girls in rural New Zealand, ‘Wendy & Wydon’; and a live-action menopause revenge feature film, ‘Morag’.

Amanda is a NZ producer and line producer for drama, and the commercial sector. She has produced several award-winning short films that have been recognised internationally at Cannes, NZIFF, MIFF, Sydney, Palm Springs, Sao Paulo, Vancouver, St Tropez, Show Me Shorts and has two on the festival circuit. She recently line produced feature films We Were Dangerous, Headsouth and Bookworm, along with undertaking immersive producer development. Reconnecting with story through talent and business development programmes by Script to Screen, Share the Knowledge, Compton Business School, Canberra Screen POD to uplift her screen business. Passionate about growing creative networks and screen IP she enjoys collaborating with other producers in strategic partnerships, innovative screen business models and sustainable practices. She is developing stories that connect audiences across genre, comedy-drama, female-led, to activate the next generation of filmmakers for changing global platforms.

Currently working as a Rights and Sourcing Executive for NZ On Screen, New Zealand’s popular history website for all thing screen. Jude spent just shy of a decade as Talent Pathways Manager in the Talent Development team at Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga the New Zealand Film Commission, bringing 15 years of experience in screen industry development, production, and post-production.

With bachelor’s degrees in Theatre, Film, and Television Production, she advanced her skills in story development through extensive training and has studied career development. Jude has a rich background in organizing and budgeting story labs, mentoring programs, and coaching filmmakers in career progression. An NLP Master Practitioner and coach who is passionate about human development, Agile methodology, Design Thinking, and Innovation. Jude is also an experienced presenter and facilitator.

Through the Rainmakers programme Jude is developing an online Career and Talent Development website for screen makers.

Pulkit is a writer-director of Indian origin based in New Zealand. His debut short Milk Toffee premiered at Tribeca Film Festival 2021. His next short Anu won the Audience Award at NZIFF 2023 and released globally on MUBI in 2024. As a screenwriter, he led the development of two projects with Disney+ and Home Stories, a Netflix anthology. His feature film projects have been supported by MIFF Accelerator, NZ Writers Guild’s SEED fund, and Script To Screen’s labs FilmUp and Story Camp. He hosted Still Awesome, a film criticism series for Netflix, and served on the jury of NZIFF 2024.

Dana is a screenwriter, theatre-maker and actor. She’s a core member of THE RABBLE theatre, with an extensive performance history that includes work for Melbourne Festival, Arts House, Malthouse, Belvoir, Melbourne Theatre Company, Dark MOFO, and Carriageworks. As a screenwriter, she co-wrote mini-series The Golden Breed (Carver Films) and web series Soap Fiend, and co-produced and starred in short film Objects of My Disaffection (MIFF, 2021; ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Onscreen Talent’ at Reel Good Festival, 2021). Her feature screenplay Rex was a finalist in Raindance 2024 and is currently in development with producer Adam Farrington-Williams.

International Emmy winner, Shoshana McCallum is a writer, actress and producer in Auckland, New Zealand. Television writing credits include Step-Dave (for which she won the 2016 SWANZ Best TV Comedy Script) West Side, Head High, Stand Up Girl, My Life is Murder and Creamerie.

In 2020, she co-created the critically acclaimed Emmy award-winning INSiDE. Shoshana was nominated for both Best Comedy script (Creamerie) and Best Drama script (INSiDE) at the 2021 NZTV Awards.

She won the Fulcrum Media’s Woman to Watch Award at NZ WIFT Awards 2022.
Most recently Shoshana was showrunner and Head Writer for Madam, a comedy-drama series, starring Rachel Griffiths. Madam has picked up numerous international awards, including Best Comedy at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2024, and Best Comedy Drama at the C21 International Drama Awards 2024.

She’s currently Head Writer for a new quirky comedy horror series, Good Bones, shooting early 2026.

Jeni Bezuidenhout is an award-winning HOH screenwriter and producer from Pretoria, South Africa. Specialising in genre storytelling with strong female characters, she was selected for the Untapped Development Lab (AIF/Screen Australia) working with mentor Heidi Cole McAdams (Death and Other Details) and Nostos Screenwriting Retreat, developing her feature Tie Me Down under Kayla Alpert’s mentorship (Wednesday, Emily in Paris). She co-created the funded sci-fi series Fleshbags, wrote for satirical news show The Leak, and has worked with top production companies including Mad Ones, Lazy Susan Films, and FremantleMedia. Her debut feature We Will Never Die completed filming in 2024.

Sebastian is an award-winning Australian screen director and producer. As a second generation Italian and Dutch immigrant, he balances precariously between the worlds of the colonial settler and foreign outsider, shaped by coming of age in a country in the throes of cultural adolescence.

Over the last decade, he has directed over a dozen shorts and web episodes, drawn to female-driven stories exploring death, rebirth and redemption. His films have won multiple awards and screened in 25+ international festivals.

Sebastian is currently in postproduction for his debut feature film, crime thriller “We Will Never Die”. He runs screen production company Panopticon Collective with his creative partner Jeni Bezuidenhout.????????????????

Danielle Ross is a Naarm/Melbourne-based screenwriter. Previously from nipaluna/Hobart, she received a Screen Tasmania grant to study at AFTRS. Now in her final year of the Advanced Diploma of Professional Screenwriting at RMIT Melbourne, she was recently awarded a scholarship to study at RMIT Vietnam. Danielle works as a screenwriter and story researcher with Sweet Potato Films, and is the author of Working Mums (Finch Publishing, 2018). Danielle is passionate about authentic, diverse storytelling – particularly female-led narratives that explore the complexity of older women’s lives.

From gritty murder trials to the pomp of Royal tours, Caroline Schelle has spent a decade as a journalist for major outlets. Now an RMIT student, she’s channeling those skills into screenwriting, eager to bring compelling and gritty stories to life. She’s currently developing a pilot for a crime series.

After a short stint in the AFL in 2009, Jesse pivoted to screenwriting, where his scripts have earned recognition in international competitions. As a result, Jesse is collaborating with Zero Gravity (LA) on the development of a revisionist war/horror feature screenplay.

Locally, his debut feature film ZERO won the AWG’s 2025 John Hinde Award, and is in post-production with Donut Mafia and Boho Films in WA.

Jesse was selected for Screenwest’s prestigious Bill Warnock Talent Accelerator, receiving a $100k grant, securing placements with BBC Australia, Tony Ayres Productions, and Feisty Dame Productions.

Kath is a writer and director who teaches screenwriting and narrative comedy at RMIT and VCA. Kath spent 10+ years in print and commercial radio before training with the Second City Chicago (Comedy) and UCLA (Feature & TV) and has performed in multiple Melbourne International Comedy and Melbourne Fringe festivals.

Kath has written and developed narrative features, life rights adaptations, true crime adaptations, book adaptations, comedy, television commissions and online content for Mushroom Pictures, Mushroom Creative/Channel 9, Born Hungry, ABCKids, December Media, Cinespace, Revolution Films, AMM, Brightstar Media, NOVA Entertainment, DMG and Sony. In 2024 Kath was funded by Geelong Arts Centre to develop and present, ‘Parasail’ a play about class and mental health access. Kath also hosts Not a Rich Kid, a podcast about class and creativity.

I am a 26 year old Screenwriting student at RMIT university with ambitions to one day write and produce television, particular comedic television. I have lived and grew up in the city of Melbourne, Australia, and I would love to bring more stories from home to the screen.

My name is Mish, I am interested in, and passionate about, screenwriting. At the moment, I am studying the Advanced Diploma in Professional Screenwriting, where I have continued to work on screen stories which are darkly comic, a little absurd and fun. I hope to work in note-taking and behind-the-scenes in the future, before I focus more of my time on writing my original work, hoping to create full length films.

Maria is passionate about the film and Television industry, with a particular focus on production operations. This passion led to a career transition and was solidified while working on Neighbours at Fremantle Media. During this time, she was selected by VicScreen to join the Post-Production Department as a Post-Production Assistant.

Dale Corlett has over 30 years’ experience in developing filmmakers and screen storytellers in NZ, the USA and the UK. Prior to joining Script to Screen in 2024, he was Head of Talent Development for 9 years at NZ Film Commission and prior to that was CEO of GMAC Film in Scotland, where he was responsible for identifying and developing high quality emerging talent and supporting their progression from shorts to features. He was also proactive in the creation of innovative, diversity-led and gender focused talent development programmes across Scotland and the UK. He is a graduate of Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School who has worked as a director, actor, producer and writer. He was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA as Best Director for his debut feature film, Running Traffic.

www.script-to-screen.co.nz

Katrina Mathers is an AACTA award-winning filmmaker, actor and writer based on Boonwurrung Country. Known for many shorts including: Tropfest finalist The Referees, short feature Crazy Richard, dramas Amissa Anima; Half of Her, Project Greenlight winning No Mail, and animations Nullarbor (10m+ YouTube views), The Gallant Captain (with Graeme Base) and Mr Chicken Goes to Mars (with Leigh Hobbs). Her work has screened at major festivals including TIFF, BFI London, Annecy, Aspen and Clermont-Ferrand. She co-founded animation and VFX studio The Lampshade Collective and now runs Cherry Hands Media. Katrina also produces videos, part-time for Monash University’s DVC Education Portfolio.

Malinna Liang is a Chinese-New Zealand writer based in Auckland. She has written for My Life is Murder Aotearoa for TVNZ, Homebound 3.0 and N00b for TV3, and has contributed as a storyliner to a diverse array of projects such as Madam, Vegas, and Vince. She is currently developing several exciting projects for screen, and has received both NZOA Fresh Shorts and Diverse Development funding. In 2022, she was awarded the Great Southern Tahuna Residency, and she has been a Semi-Finalist at the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting, as well as the Runner-up in Script Pipeline’s 2020 TV Writing Competition. Her prose has been published in Landfall and A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices.

In her previous life, she made a powerful stand against racial stereotypes by dropping out of law school, failing out of Year 12 math, and quitting classical piano. Because change, as they say, begins with you.

Natalia is an award-winning screenwriter and producer from Spain, now based in Melbourne. After leaving academia in 2018, she embarked on a mission to create bold, female-driven narratives that amplify women’s voices and celebrate multicultural stories. She is currently writing a comedy inspired by her family quirks and developing Lady Priest into a series. The Job marks her directorial debut.

www.doshermanasproductions.com

Writer director producer of 4 feature films released: Innuendo, Westermarck Effect, The Lies We Tell Ourselves and COMA.

Keely Meechan is a writer and director from Aotearoa, now residing in Naarm, Australia. Her debut short Nancy From Now On earned the Emerging Talent Award at Wh?nau M?rama NZ International Film Festival and Audience Choice Award at imagineNATIVE. She directed the short documentary Fast Eddie and multiple episodes of Waiata Anthems, celebrating M?ori music and language. Keely received NZ On Air funding for writing and directing Allgoods, a docu-series exploring indigenous health issues for TVNZ+. She’s currently in post-production for Margie, a NZ Film Commission funded short film, and has several projects in development.

Bon-Wai Chou is a short story writer, screenwriter and producer. Her work has been awarded, longlisted, published and anthologised in Australia, the UK and the US. Her short film, “Mei-Mei, speak more Chinese” was part of the Multicultural Film Festival 2023 Official Selection and a finalist in the Open category.

Eva Justine Torkkola is a writer and director with Ukrainian/Finnish heritage and graduate of the Masters of Film and Television (Directing – Narrative) and the Masters of Screenwriting at the University of Melbourne.

Key initiatives: one of 25 Directors around the world selected for the ‘Under the Volcano’ Film Accelerator in Spain with mentor Werner Herzog (2024), Melbourne International Film Festival Accelerator Lab (2022), one of 20 Directors chosen for the International Filmmaking Academy in Italy with mentor Jane Campion (2019).
She has two drama features, a television series and a web series she is currently developing.

www.evajusttorks.com

2025, Sandra Sciberras is in post-production with the action film Seven Snipers as director and co-partner with her development and production company Sandy Pictures. Previously, she was screenwriter, director, and co-producer with the sci-fi action film The Dustwalker (starring Jolene Anderson, Stef Dawson, and Harry Greenwood). She wrote and directed the multi award-winning drama The Caterpillar Wish working with world-renowned director of photography Grieg Fraser (Dune, The Batman) and editor Jason Ballantine (The Flash, The King’s Man, It). She wrote/co-directed the romantic drama Surviving Georgia (starring Toby Wallace, Pia Miranda, Holly Valance, and Shane Jacobson).

https://sandrasciberras.com

Jackie Zdanowicz is an emerging writer who recently returned from a three-month internship on a tea farm in rural Japan, where she deepened her interest in storytelling grounded in place and culture.

A 2021 graduate of MAPS Film School, she went on to participate in Mercury CX’s Springboard program in 2022. That same year, she earned a place in the AFTRS South Australia Talent Camp.

Eugene E~NRG is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose creative journey spans over 30 years across writing, music, photography, theatre, performance, and film. In 2020, he founded Space Between the Gaps Films (SBtGF), an independent production company based in Brunswick, Melbourne.
With a background in award-winning short films, Eugene brings a dynamic, heart-led approach to storytelling, blending artistic experimentation with cultural insight.
SBtGF crafts bold, authentic Australian stories with global resonance—drawing inspiration from Melbourne’s diverse creative scene. Now, Eugene is leaping into feature filmmaking, continuing his passion for pushing boundaries and telling stories that move, challenge, and connect.

www.spacebetweenthegapsfilms.com

Simone is Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Princess Pictures. She has worked in the entertainment industry for many years both in front of and behind the camera. She honed her legal skills at a national law firm and then at December Media, where she worked across their entire slate of television series, documentary and giant screen films.

Simone has a great appreciation for story, as well as an understanding of the legal intricacies involved in developing, financing and distributing quality content. During her time at Princess Pictures she has worked on a plethora of live action and animation projects, overseeing complex production and financing arrangements, licensing agreements and investment deals. Simone served as a board member for Women in Film and Television Victoria for a number of years and has strong ties to the creative community.

www.princess.net.au

Isabella Holgate is a writer and filmmaker based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia. She is a Monash Arts graduate with credits in Philosophy, Literature and Film & Television.