+Screen Stories Symposium

Adrian Chiarella is an award-winning screenwriter and director, based in Melbourne, Australia.

His debut feature Leviticus premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight Section to rave reviews. Produced by Causeway Films, Leviticus is a bold and haunting queer horror that follows two teenage boys whose first love turns deadly after a brutal conversion-therapy ritual leaves them stalked by a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most – each other. Following its success at Sundance, Leviticus was purchased by NEON and went on an incredibly successful festival run, screening at South by South West and Sydney Film Festival before it’s theatrical release.

Adrian made his television directing debut, with an episode of the Stan and Sundance Now comedy drama, Totally Completely Fine (Fremantle Media, 2023), starring Thomasin McKenzie. This was immediately followed by directing two episodes of the third instalment in the hit television series, Five Bedrooms (Hoodlum Entertainment/Paramount+). 2023 also saw Adrian make his episodic writing debut, writing a standalone episode for the Lingo Pictures’ anthology series Erotic Stories (SBS, dir. Madeleine Gottlieb). The series, which explored sex and intimacy between typically underrepresented characters on screen, went on to receive unwavering critical acclaim, an AACTA Award nomination for Best Drama Series, and in 2025 won Adrian the AWGIE Award for Television Series for his episode “Walking Gambit”.

Adrian wrote and directed three hugely successful short films, the first being Touch (2014), earning him an Australian Directors Guild nomination after screening at numerous festivals around the world. The second was Black Lips (2018), funded by Create New South Wales and SBS and screened at Palm Springs International Shortfest, Rhode Island Film Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, BFI Flare, Outfest Fusion, and Melbourne Queer Film Festival, where it won best short film. In 2021 his short film Dwarf Planet was funded through the Australian Directors’ Guild and premiered in competition at Clermont-Ferrand before playing as a finalist in the Dendy Awards at Sydney Film Festival and was nominated for an AACTA for best short drama.

Adrian is a graduate of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and has previously worked as an editor, script editor and development producer.

Adrian is a proud Wonnarua man, originally from Bourke NSW. Currently working as Series Creator and head writer on Television Series, LANDGRABBERS with Kindling Pictures. Adrian has both written and directed on the Logie Award Winning series® RFDS (Royal Flying Doctors) Season 1, 2 and 3. Previously he wrote on the multi award winning ABC-TV series, THE NEWSREADER for both Season Two and Three and was nominated for a 2024 AACTA Award® for Best Screenplay in Television for his Season Two Episode, The Hungry Truth. He has written on the award winning, TOP END BUB for Goalpost Pictures and Amazon Studios.. He also wrote and directed two episodes of Blackfella Films’ landmark drama series REDFERN NOW for ABC-TV.
Adrian’s television Directing credits include; RUSH; WONDERLAND; THE GODS OF WHEAT STREET; 8MMM ABORIGINAL RADIO; International Emmy Award Nominated® READY FOR THIS; WENTWORTH; and THE WARRIORS.

Adrian’s documentary work includes his debut Feature Documentary for NITV with Gillian Moody of Kalori Productions entitled KINDRED, which received a DGA nomination for Best Direction in a Documentary Feature for his work as well as receiving the MIFF Inaugural First Nations Film Creative Award. Adrian directed the critically acclaimed documentary OUR BUSH WEDDING in 2005; co-wrote and directed WHEN THE NATIVES GET RESTLESS in 2007; BOXING FOR PALM ISLAND in 2010, which was selected to open the Message Sticks Film Festival that year; Political documentary 88, looking at the Bicentennial celebrations of the British colonisation of Australia; and the widely acclaimed, BLACK DIVAZ, which was produced by Kalori Productions / Pursekey Productions which was released in 2018. Black Divaz premiered at Queer Screen as part of the Sydney Mardi Gras 2018 Film Festival and screened on NITV – SBS.
Adrian has just completed directing feature documentary about the life and career of Tina Arena, titled, UNRAVEL ME for the seven-network produced by Helium Pictures.

Alistair Baldwin is a screenwriter, director, playwright and improviser. His credits include Erotic Stories, The Weekly, Hard Quiz, Get Krack!n and the AACTA Award winning series Latecomers. He also co-created and directed the new SBS Digital Original series Miss Sultanah. In 2024, Alistair was named one of Inside Film’s Rising Talents in Screenwriting. His debut play Telethon Kid premiered at Malthouse Theatre in 2023 and was nominated for the Griffin Award and the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting.

AP Pobjoy is an award-winning, ADG-nominated writer and director and named one of Inside Film’s Rising Talents of 2026. AP is the creator, lead writer and one of the directors behind SBS drama series HOMEBODIES, which premiered in competition at Series Mania 2026, receiving a Special Mention in the Short Form category. Named a Global Breakout by Deadline, the series received two Logie nominations, including Best Miniseries or Telemovie, with Claudia Karvan winning Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her portrayal of the mother of a trans son. AP’s previous work includes the SPA-nominated UNERASED and Iris Prize nominated TV documentary Why Did She Have to Tell the World? AP was the recipient of the 2022 UNTAPPED Initiative, supported by Australians in Film and Screen Australia, where they were mentored by producers Valerie Stadler (Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe) and Andrea Sperling (Transparent, But I’m a Cheerleader). AP has worked across development roles at ABCTV, Fremantle, VicScreen, Aquarius Films and Unless Pictures.

Benson Wu (he/him) is a well-regarded arts leader and festival professional with a successful career across major cultural events in Australia and internationally. He is currently the inaugural CEO of Queer Screen, the organisation behind Sydney’s Mardi Gras Film Festival (February) and Queer Screen Film Fest (September). From 2018 to 2024, he was the Co-Founder and Festival Director of the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia, where he championed Taiwanese cinema and fostered cross-cultural exchange.

With extensive expertise in both marketing and programming, Benson has contributed to leading festivals including the Sydney Film Festival, SXSW Sydney, as well as international events such as the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival and Cinema at Sea – Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival.

Bobby Romia is a producer, screenwriter, screen executive and broadcaster with over 17 years of industry experience. Currently the Co-Managing Director and Producer of production company, Atypical Originals, with business partner Tianna Roberts. Bobby was the Head of Development at Screen Australia and Acting Senior Investment Manager at Screen NSW where he led hundreds of successful scripted feature film, television and online projects and talent escalation initiatives including Underbelly: Vanishing Act, True Colours, Hardball, June Again, AWG The Creators, and The Audience Design Initiative. Bobby worked as a Commissioning Supervisor and Producer at SBS Australia and NITV including productions The Family Law, Deep Water, Eurovision, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, The Logan Project, Living Black and Awaken. He also worked with Screentime Australia, Hopscotch Films, eOne Entertainment, and Screentime New Zealand in Auckland. Recently, he served as Executive Producer on Crashout, Co-Producer on The Other Side and Producer on Do Not Wake. Bobby holds a Master of Arts in Screenwriting at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).

Celeste Diep (she/her) is a Cambodian Australian trans filmmaker and AFTRS Directing graduate based in Sydney.

Her short Interview with a Hero screened at SXSW London, Sydney, Melbourne, Atlanta and Nashville film festivals, winning Best Director at St Kilda and Best Film at ReelGood. Happy New Year, Ms. Luna won Best Film at Cannes’ American Pavilion Showcase.

Her latest film, Love and DDR at Blacktown Mall, premieres at the Sydney Opera House in October 2026.

A programmer for Queer Screen and the Taiwan Film Festival, Celeste champions BIPOC and queer representation while developing two features centred on trans experiences.

Deanne Weir is a screen producer, investor and company director. She is passionate about storytelling, changemaking and gender equality. Deanne’s companies WeirAnderson Films and WeirAnderson.com invest in predominantly female-driven screen projects and technology businesses that change the way we experience the world. Released films include I Used to Be Normal, Babyteeth, I Am Woman, Blaze, How to Please A Woman, Seriously Red, Run Rabbit Run, Careless, The Wolves Always Come at Night and Addition.

Deanne has extensive experience as an Executive Producer and is the lead producer of the upcoming feature film Boss Cat. Other projects coming to market in 2026 are Sweet Milk Lake, Homebodies and Aftermath.

Deanne was Chair of the Sydney Film Festival until 2023 and previously served as Deputy Chair of Screen Australia.

Deanne is Chair of the civic tech company Seer Data & Analytics. She is an advisor to the board of the culture-tech company Othelia and to Phoebe Saintilan, the founder/CEO of publishing platform Missing Perspectives. Deanne was Chair of ASX-listed Ai-Media Technologies Ltd. for 14 years, retiring in February 2024.

Deanne leads The WeirAnderson Foundation and has previously been a Chair of Foundation-supported organisations Global Sisters and Australians Investing In Women, and a board member of International Women’s Development Agency. Her passion for human rights and time as a lawyer led Deanne to the Grata Fund, where she served as Chair until the end of 2025. Deanne was a Trustee of global non-governmental organisation The Asia Foundation.

Hannah Ngo is an AACTA and Screen Producers Australia award-winning producer with a reputation for bringing underrepresented perspectives to entertaining storytelling. She is drawn to mystery, thriller and elevated genre work, driven authentically by emotionally arresting topics.

Hannah was a Producer on the critically acclaimed debut horror LEVITICUS that premiered in the ‘Midnight’ section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews before its NEON acquisition. LEVITICUS was also selected for the 2026 SXSW and NDNF festivals, before its theatrical release on June 19th.

Prior to her debut feature, she produced a catalogue of award-winning shorts including the recent, BIRD DRONE, with 454 Official Selections (69 Countries), 15 Academy Award Qualifying Festival Selections winning 126 Awards.

Her other credits include LATECOMERS (SBS/CBC) that premiered at prestigious Series Mania and IGGY AND ACE (SBS) which also premiered at Series Mania and the C21 International Drama Awards the year prior.

Jane Fiona is a Game Director and founder of the videogame development studio Funny Fintan Softworks, which recently released its debut game “Don’t Stop, Girlypop!” Jane was also the Vice Chair of the WA Games Industry Council (WAGIC) in 2024.

She began developing ‘Don’t Stop, Girlypop!’ as a high school student in year 10 and went on to receive funding support from Screenwest, Screen Australia and a publisher, Kwalee.

Keiynan Lonsdale is an Australian multi-disciplinary artist from Western Sydney — actor, singer-songwriter, dancer, director, and advocate. Raised by a single mother alongside eleven siblings, Lonsdale began performing competitively from the age of four, first replicating Michael Jackson routines before developing his own choreography and creative voice. He trained at the now famous Brent Street Performing Arts on scholarship, where his love for music, movement, and storytelling deepened into a lifelong practice.

After graduating, his craft expanded across film and television — rising to international recognition with breakthrough roles in Dance Academy, The Flash, The Divergent Series, and the culture-shifting romantic comedy Love, Simon. Most recently he starred in Netflix’s #1 global film War Machine.

As a musician, his debut album Rainbow Boy crossed 52 million streams entirely organically and earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist. Known for cinematic visual storytelling that merges music, movement, and screen — and for his advocacy around identity, representation, and human connection — Lonsdale’s second studio album is now in active release, & is his most fully realised creative statement to date.

Lisa Rose is CEO of Screenworks, a not-for-profit organisation supporting and developing the screen industry across regional, rural and remote Australia. She took up the role in July 2026 after eight years as Festival Director of Queer Screen, where she led the strategic, operational and curatorial delivery of the Mardi Gras Film Festival and Queer Screen Film Fest, as well as industry programs for emerging practitioners. Lisa is passionate about diverse representation on screen and behind the camera, championing queer and under-represented voices, and building career pathways that help storytellers from all backgrounds and places thrive in the Australian screen industry.

Malinda Wink is the Executive Director of Minderoo Pictures. Minderoo Pictures invests in scripted and documentary projects in development and production, thematically aligned with the work and priorities of the Minderoo Foundation. Projects in the portfolio include David Attenborough: Ocean, Silenced, Prima Facie, Songs Inside, The Cranes Call, Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, Love Apptually, and Mozart’s Sister. In addition to equity investment, Minderoo Pictures provides grants and strategic support for impact campaigns of projects in the portfolio. Ms Wink was Executive Producer of several of Australia’s most high-profile social impact documentaries of recent times including 2040, The Final Quarter about champion AFL player, Adam Goodes, and Big Deal: Is Our Democracy for Sale? and is a highly regarded leader within the global screen industry and not-for-profit sector.

Before joining Minderoo Pictures, Ms Wink was Doc Society’s Global Director of Good Pitch and launched their Australian programs, including the ABC’s Climate and Environment Shorts initiative. She was previously Executive Director of Good Pitch Australia whose films included That Sugar Film, Gayby Baby, The Opposition, Blue, Frackman, and In My Blood It Runs, and Executive Director of Ian Darling’s Shark Island Institute.

Mat Kesting (he/him) is a festivals and programming specialist and has worked in the sector since the late 90s. Since 2019 Mat has headed the Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) as CEO & Creative Director. He oversees the AFF Investment Fund and has commissioned over 70 projects, driven year on year box office and audience growth, overseen AFF’s transition from biennial to annual presentation and a doubling of the AFF Investment Fund. Mat is passionate about AFF, supporting diverse stories to reach the screen, cultivating audiences and loves bringing people together. He enjoys championing opportunities for filmmakers through initiatives such Adelaide Goes to Cannes (France) and AFF x JAFF Market (Indonesia) to help connect Australian filmmakers with international opportunities and audiences, as well as creating opportunities like the AFF x Pride Foundation Australia short film co-commission.

Nicholas Verso is a Logie award-winning Australian writer/director. His short film, The Last Time I Saw Richard, won the Australian Academy Award and his debut feature film Boys In The Trees, made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. In 2023, he won the Logie for his first original series as creator – Crazy Fun Park – a horror-comedy for the ABC and his latest series, Invisible Boys, premiered on Stan to critical and commercial acclaim including a Peabody nomination. His other television work includes the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning Nowhere Boys, The Unlisted, Itch, In Our Blood, Swift Street and won Australian Director’s Guild Awards for his work on Indigenous series Grace Beside Me as well as Crazy Fun Park.

William is narrative designer and playwright. An IGDA-Foundation and Screen Queensland Residency alumnus, they currently reside in Brisbane, where they’re blessed to be working on games both at home and abroad. As an artist, William is fascinated with bespoke narrative systems, non-linear debauchery, and queer history and the lack thereof. With 14 years of combined narrative experience across theatre and games, they fervently believe there’s no scaffold for the perfect game, only a demand for reckless curiosity and relentless care in the search for one. They’ve worked as Staff Writer on the steam best seller ‘Date Everything’, and as Senior Narrative Designer for the AGDA nominated ‘Momento’.

Rosie Lourde is a storyteller traversing roles, formats and genres with a passion for advocacy. Rosie was nominated for a Directors Guild Award for her feature directorial debut, romcom ROMANCE ON THE MENU (Netflix trending). Rosie is also known for horror short DASHCAM (CanneSeries/Shudder), sci-fi VR short BREACH (Sundance shortlisted), digital series STARTING FROM NOW (YouTube 250M+ views), comedy series WHITE FEVER (ABC), and indie features SWEET MILK LAKE and CRASHOUT, alongside documentaries YOUNG BLOODS (TikTok) and THE LONG GAME (AFL). Rosie was previously Chair of Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Taskforce and is a co-Founder of +Screen Stories alongside Screen Canberra and UTS.