A networking breakfast hosted by Australians in Film (AiF) and a discussion with Naomi Watts are the newest additions to next week’s SXSW Sydney.
Taking place from 8.30-10am on Wednesday at Novotel Central, the Ask Me Anything (AMA) Networking Breakfast includes actor and AiF board advisor Charmaine Bingwa, director Trent O’Donnell, showrunner Sarah Scheller, writer/director Kylie Aoibheann, producer and AiF chair Emma Cooper and AiF executive director Peter Ritchie. The session will be moderated by AiF advisory board member and literary manager Bec Smith.
It follows the announcement of two AiF SXSW Sydney sessions last week – A Spotlight on Blossom Films, featuring Nicole Kidman and Per Saari, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a panel discussion with contributions from Phillip Noyce, Amy Wang, Jason Clarke and Bingwa.
The AMA Networking Breakfast will be preceded by Menopause and Midlife: A Springboard for Reinvention, in which Watts will take to the stage alongside Mamamia co-founder Mia Freedman at the UTS Great Hall to Watts to talk about her “second act” – life pre, mid, and post-menopause, the genesis around her beauty and supplement brand Stripes, and her mission to normalize the conversation about women’s health in midlife.
Speaking about the session, Watts said she looked forward to sharing her experience as part of the inaugural conference.
“SXSW in Austin is always a rollercoaster of inspiration, fresh ideas, and amazing speakers. I’m so glad that it’s happening in Australia, and I just can’t wait to have some real talk about the whirlwind of menopause, women in their prime years, and the hustle of a career in midlife and beyond,” she said.
“This is not the end, we’re not invisible or irrelevant. It’s the beginning of something wonderful, actually — we’ve earned this time, we’ve earned our stripes.”
The conference will be held from Sunday, October 15 to Sunday, October 22 primarily across The University of Technology, Sydney; The Powerhouse Museum and The International Convention Centre.
Find the full list of sessions here.