+Screen Stories Symposium

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Benjamin Law is an author, journalist, columnist, screenwriter, playwright and broadcaster. He’s known for books like ‘The Family Law’, ‘Gaysia’, ‘Moral Panic 101’ and ‘Growing Up Queer in Australia’. His TV credits include ‘The Family Law’ and ‘Wellmania’, and he wrote the Melbourne Theatre Company play ‘Torch the Place’. He’s also appeared in TV shows including ‘Waltzing the Dragon’, ‘Australian Survivor’ and ‘Filthy Rich and Homeless’ and contributes to Good Weekend magazine every Saturday.

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International Emmy Award winning writer and director Julie Kalceff’s credits include First Day, which she created, wrote, directed and co-produced. First Day (Season 1) won an International Emmy Award, a Rose d’Or and a GLAAD Media Award. Season 2 was nominated for an Emmy Award, an AACTA Award, the MIPCOM Cannes Diversify TV Award and an ADG Award. Julie co-directed and co-wrote the feature film documentary Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes and was a director on feature film anthology Here Out West. Julie created, wrote, directed and produced digital drama series Starting From Now, which has amassed over 250 million views.

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Pat Abboud is a Walkley-winning broadcast journalist, filmmaker, writer,
director, presenter. He is the founder of Only Human Productions and a creative partner
at Dreamchaser Studios. Pat was awarded LGBTQ+ Media Disruptor of the Year and 2023 Freelance Journalist of the Year by the Walkley Foundation. He is a 3-time winner at the New York Festivals TV & Radio Awards, 4-time winner at the Australian Podcast Awards, a recipient of the SXSW Innovation Award, a Webby Award and 2-time LGBTQ+ Presenter of the Year finalist. Pat’s work has been nominated for the Rose D’Or in Europe, a duPont Colombia award in the USA and International Documentary Association awards. DNA Magazine recently described Pat as “a prolific storyteller breaking the mould – he’s Australia’s Louis Theroux”.

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Dena Curtis is a Warlpiri, Warrumungu, and Arrernte filmmaker from Central Australia.

She is the newly appointed Head of NITV. Her career in media began at Papulu Apparr Kari Language Centre in Tennant Creek in 1998, followed by a role as a Production Assistant at the CAAMA Productions in 2000. Dena gained formal training through the AFTRS, completing a graduate diploma in Television Editing. In 2005, Dena wrote and directed her first short film, Hush, which garnered international acclaim, screening at festivals like ImagineNATIVE and the Melbourne International Film Festival. Her subsequent short film, Jacob, released in 2008, further solidified her reputation, winning multiple awards and screening at prestigious festivals including TIFF and Flickerfest. From 2010 onwards, Dena took on roles at National Indigenous Television and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation before establishing Inkey Media in 2015, focusing on projects that showcase Indigenous stories and stories of resistance and resilience. Her work includes developing and producing the acclaimed children’s series Grace Beside Me and co-producing award-winning documentaries like Ella. Most recently, Dena executive produced Rebels with a Cause and produced the series’ First Weapons, which won GOLD at the New York Festivals Film and TV Awards.

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Bjorn Stewart is a Kuku Yalanji and Wemba-Wemba creator based in the Blue Mountains. For the past 15 years, Stewart has performed, written and directed on numerous Australian series such as; ‘Gold Diggers’, ‘Summer Love’, ‘Get Krack!n’, ‘Black Comedy’ and the AACTA award-winning series ‘All My Friends are Racist’. In theatre, Stewart has worked with companies such as; Belvoir St. Theatre, Griffin Theatre Company, Moogahlin Performing Arts and Ilbijerri Theatre Company. From his upbringing in Western Sydney and studying Performance Art at University of Wollongong. Stewart’s eclectic style brings a unique perspective from the urban Indigenous experience.

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Hannah is an award-winning screenwriter and the creator of the hit Netflix series Heartbreak High, which spent over a month after its release in the Global Top Ten Series on Netflix for both Season 1 and Season 2. Hannah won the AACTA Award for Best Screenplay, was nominated for the Australian Writer’s Guild Award (AWGIE) for Television Series, and the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Best Screenplay and was recognised with the 2024 Mona Brand Award for Women Stage and Screen Writers for her work on Heartbreak High. Hannah previously wrote for both seasons of ABC Television drama The Heights, and was a writer and associate story producer for Home and Away.

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Michael Lucas has worked across several genres, from the period drama of The Newsreader, to the relationship dramedy of Offspring, the prison thriller of Wentworth, and the comedy of Five Bedrooms. His screenwriting debut was the 2012 romantic comedy Not Suitable For Children. He then both wrote and script produced five seasons of the much-loved series Offspring, before creating and producing the six-part political drama Party Tricks, the ensemble comedy Five Bedrooms, and most recently, the hugely acclaimed ABC drama The Newsreader. His work has received four AWGIE awards, two AACTAs and an International Emmy nomination.

(He/They)

Kaya Wilson is writer, tsunami scientist, and lover of all things ocean who somehow finds himself living in Canberra. His first book, the memoir ‘As Beautiful As Any Other’ was listed by the Guardian as one of the best books of 2021 and shortlisted for ACT Book of the Year. His second book, a queer coming of age novel titled ‘Romeo: A tale of Four Jumps’ was funded by an ArtsACT grant and is on the cusp of publication.

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Monica Zanetti is an award-winning screenwriter and director. She is the co-creator and director of the new series WHILE THE MEN AWAY for SBS which premiered at the 2024 Berlinale. Monica’s breakout work was the film ELLIE & ABBIE (& ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT) which was based on her stage play of the same name. The film won the 2021 AACTA award for Best Independent Film and is now playing on NETFLIX and other streaming services worldwide. She recently was nominated for an Australia Directors Guild award for her work on the SBS series IGGY & ACE. Her earlier work includes writing on the NETFLIX series SISTERS and the ACORN series MY LIFE IS MURDER. Monica has sold and set up pilots for several major companies including AMAZON STUDIOS and currently has several works in development including an American feature film with Billy Porter’s company INCOGNEGRO.

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Amy is one of the original Intimacy Coordinators in the first cohort of practitioners beginning in 2018, working across stage and screen. Amy has 20 years experience working with sexuality, embodiment, consent and intimacy; specifically within the adult industry, client therapy and education spaces. Amy was a Director/Senior Photographer of ethical erotica for 4 years. She is a qualified Psychosomatic Therapist, Sexological Bodyworker and Somatic Sex Educator. Amy has a trained background in theatre, dance and the performing arts. Amy mentors and consults on sexuality and gender best practice. Her work in LGBTQIA+ advocacy and education is a key component of her cultural influence in the Intimacy Coordinator industry.

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David has been working in the games industry for over 25 years as a writer and narrative designer, and is best known for his time as Lead Writer on the Dragon Age series of roleplaying games by world-renowned studio, BioWare.

He co-founded the indie game development team, Summerfall Studios, in Melbourne in 2018, and finally moved to Australia from Canada in 2021. Summerfall released its first title, Stray Gods: the Roleplaying Musical, last year to critical success and the AGDA award for Game of the Year 2023.

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Lazy Susan Films is an independent production company that helps bring original and significant projects into being. Founded by Hannah Ngo and grounded in uplifting the communities we’re from, Lazy Susan produces for diverse voices to tell socially relevant stories. Over the past three years, Hannah has produced a catalogue of award-winning programs that have screened at top festivals around the world including Series Mania, C21 International Drama Awards, SITGES, Austin Film Festival, AACTA and Cinesfest Oz. These programs include series Latecomers (SBS/CBC), Iggy & Ace (SBS), Me & (Her)pes (OML) and most recently Bird Drone, an animated short film that has screened at 260 Festivals with 11 Academy Award qualifying.

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Kirsty Stark is an Emmy award winning producer whose screen credits include children’s series First Day (8 international awards including an Emmy), 13x AACTA award winning drama series Stateless (co-producer for Matchbox Pictures), and groundbreaking ABC iview series, Wastelander Panda.

Having come to producing via five years in camera department, she has a strong commitment to change behind the scenes, particularly in areas that promote crew wellbeing, career sustainability and industry diversity. In 2023, Kirsty launched CrewHQ, an online platform to support freelance crew across their careers. Bringing together her experience in production and camera department, as well as her history of coaching and mentorship, the site combines a nationwide hiring marketplace for freelancers with an annual conference, CrewCon. Kirsty is also Co-Chair of The Mercury.

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Alistair Baldwin is a writer, director and comedian working across screen and stage. His credits include Erotic Stories, The Weekly, Hard Quiz, Get Krack!n, Reframe 2022 and AACTA-winning webseries Latecomers. He has provided story conferencing/development services to a range of projects (including Amazon Original Deadloch & ABC/BBC co-pro Return To Paradise). In 2024 Inside Film named Alistair one of Australia’s ‘Rising Talents’ in screenwriting. His debut play Telethon Kid premiered in 2023 at Malthouse Theatre and was nominated for the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting.

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Elliott Magen is a film editor based on Cameraygal land (Sydney). He has a passion for projects with a social conscience, that challenge conventional modes of storytelling through documentary, drama and multi-screen video installations.

Elliott is the Editor/EP of the feature documentary MAKE IT LOOK REEL (Dir: Kate Blackmore, 2024) which premieres at the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival. He won the 2017 ASE Award for Best Editing in Open Content for THE GLASS BEDROOM (Dir: Kate Blackmore, 2017) and was nominated for an ASE award with the editors of THE AUSTRALIAN WARS – Episode 3 (Dir: Rachel Perkins, 2022). He also edited the 2022 AACTA Award winning short drama FINDING JEDDA (Dir: Tanith Glynn-Maloney, 2021) and CORAL: REKINDLING VENUS (Dir: Lynette Wallworth, 2012) which screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

(They/He)

AP Pobjoy is a trans and queer ADG nominated writer, director and documentary-maker based on unceded Gadigal Land. They were the recipient of the Film Victoria 2021 Screen Development Internship, having worked inside Film Victoria, ABC, Fremantle Media and Aquarius Films in feature and series development. Their credits include Retrograde, Scattered, whilst directing Why Did She Have to Tell The World? for the ABC and vertical online series Unerased. AP is also a recipient of the 2022 UNTAPPED Initiative supported by Australians in Film and Screen Australia.

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Lise Leitner is a games creative and writer based in Naarm/Melbourne. They’ve worked in marketing and communications for more than ten years and have worked for cultural institutions and museums in Australia and in their home country of Belgium. As a writer and translator, they’ve contributed to game titles like Slay the Spire, Trash and MMORPG Tycoon 2, and they’ve written articles, game reviews, and short stories for outlets like SBS, Overland, Joy94.9, and more. Currently, they’re working at VicScreen as the Production Executive (Games and Interactive). Lise sometimes tweets about stuff @lisekarel.

(She/Her/Hers)

Before becoming the deadly trans woman the fascists fear, Samara-Jade was born in rural Australia. She then had a heart attack before discovering dresses with pockets. Now, she is a freelance writer, narrative designer and QA wench. In between delivering talks and making games, she still does MMA but it’s mostly for kicks.

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Holly’s journey into the TV/Film industry began as a distraction while completing her PhD in Malaria Research in London. She has been working in the industry in the UK and Australia for over 20 years. Not surprisingly she was drawn to documentary productions and spent time working at the Specialist Factual unit at the BBC headquarters at White City and was head researcher at the ABC flagships weekly Science TV show, Catalyst.

Prior to joining Screen Canberra, Holly served as Head of Production and Executive Producer at Wildbear Entertainment, where she managed people, as well as film and television projects across multiple offices in Australia and New Zealand. Her TV producing credits include Ride: A brutal fairy-tale (Adelaide Film Festival, Boulder Film Festival and ABC), Animal Bushfire Rescue (PBS Nature, ARTE), Human Animal (ARTE, ZDF), Great Australian Stuff with Tony Armstrong (ABC), Reefshot (STAN Original), Australia after War (ABC) and Building to the Sky (Discovery Science, Red Arrow).

(She/Her/Hers)

Rosie Lourde is a filmmaker with experience across various roles, formats, and genres, who has a passion for advocacy. She is known for her feature directorial debut ROMANCE ON THE MENU, which trended on Netflix and earned a Director’s Guild award nomination. Rosie also made her mark in horror with the CanneSeries-screened DASHCAM, as well as the viral digital series STARTING FROM NOW with over 250M views. Rosie EP’d heartfelt and hilarious comedy WHITE FEVER for ABC, and is currently EP’ing YA sports docu-series, YOUNG BLOODS following 8 teens through the Sydney Swans Academy. As an actor, Rosie features in season 3 of ABC’s TOTAL CONTROL, and appears in Paramount+ series ONE NIGHT as well as ABC’s HOUSE OF GODS. Rosie is currently the Chair of Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Taskforce, was previously an Investment Manager at Screen Australia’s Online Production fund, and was also co-VP of WIFTNSW.

(He/Him/His)

Bobby Romia is the Head of Development at Screen Australia. He is a former producer, writer and broadcaster with over 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Screen Australia, Bobby was Acting Senior Investment Manager at Screen NSW where he managed projects including Bali 2002, Underbelly: Vanishing Act, After The Verdict, Bump, Upright, Here Out West, The Secret She Keeps, Frayed, June Again, The Drover’s Wife, True Colours and Hardball, and talent escalation initiatives such as Talent Camp NSW and the Emerging Writers’ Incubator. Bobby previously worked as a Commissioning Supervisor (Scripted Drama, Comedy & Entertainment) and Producer at SBS Australia and NITV. He has also worked with Screentime Australia, Hopscotch Films, eOne Entertainment, and Screentime New Zealand in Auckland. Bobby holds a Master of Arts in Screenwriting at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).

Kyas has spent her career working in the screen and creative arts sector, championing and advocating for practitioners to elevate their voices.

As the Head of Screen NSW, Kyas spearheads the state’s film and production strategy and advances NSW’s position both in digital games and as one of the leading national and international screen and post-production destinations. Prior to joining Screen NSW, Kyas served as the Head of Commissioning and Programming at NITV.

Her extensive creative expertise spans across feature films, documentaries, television series, and web series, having worked with esteemed organizations such as SBS, the Australian Film Television and Radio School, and Screen Australia. Kyas currently sits on the Board of AusFilm and has held positions as a board member for the Australian International Documentary Conference and as an ambassador for the Natalie Miller Fellowship.

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Daniel Krige is an award-winning filmmaker. His shortform comedy series, THE AGENT, won a slew of awards around the globe. His features WEST and INHUMAN RESOURCES were released to wide acclaim internationally, and were picked up by HBO and Amazon for North America. He is currently working as a Screen Investment Manager at Screen NSW.

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Sophie Harper is the Executive Director of the Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG), where she champions the rights, remuneration, and recognition of screen directors. Prior to the ADG, Sophie held senior roles at Screen Canberra, where she managed the $5 million CBR Screen Fund, and Screen Australia, contributing to industry development and strategic initiatives. Internationally, she was Vice Principal and taught at the European Film College in Denmark. With a background in documentary podcasting and extensive experience in policy, research, and creative leadership, Sophie now leads the ADG, supporting, advocating for and celebrating Australian directors.

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Zaina Ahmed is the Scripted Development Executive at SBS, where she works across the broadcaster’s slate of bold and provocative scripted series, including the Digital Originals program. Before joining the broadcaster in May, Zaina was the Associate Producer of SBS Original series, Erotic Stories, and has previously worked in television development at Wooden Horse, TV sales at eOne and TVC production at Collider. She is also serves as Coordinator for Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Taskforce.

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Phoebe Willems is an Investment and Development Manager in Screen Australia’s online team, assessing production and development funding applications for short and long form projects. In the past, Phoebe has worked as a script report writer and was a co-writer on Season 3 of the online series Flunk. Phoebe has a Masters of Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts and in a past life was a gymnastics coach.