The Australian Writers’ Guild has announced the next cohort of First Break participants, with 13 aspiring screenwriters selected to take part in the WA initiative.
Delivered with support from Screenwest and Final Draft, the development program is designed to give practitioners the opportunity to gain in-demand and practical skills, develop their understanding of the industry, and build connections.
Amanda Bridgeman, Cody Cameron-Brown, Catherine Gillard, Mimi Helm, Matt Hodgkinson, Renee Kennedy, Abbey King, Jesse Laurie, Luke Martin, Nathan Mewett, Luisa Mitchell, Tahlia Norrish, and Emma Vickery will complete three day-long online workshops, covering note-taking, script coordinating, and the basics of a writers’ room.
Each writer will then be added to the Pathways website on the First Break tab, joining graduates from First Break NSW and First Break VIC who completed the program in 2022, and benefitting from exposure via the AWG’s multiple databases.
The Pathways First Break tab will be a permanent resource for industry members looking for new writers who have skills to offer in writers’ rooms.
Screenwest head of creative for content and industry development, Martha Coleman, said it was “terrific” to see so many WA screenwriters jump at the opportunity to upskill by participating in First Break.
“The AWG had an overwhelming number of high-quality applications,” she said.
“All the participants will gain highly sought-after notetaking skills, and we look forward to seeing them in professional writers’ rooms in the near future.”
First Break WA will commence in October.