Emmy-winning producer Caitlin Mae Burke and Stray director Elizabeth Lo will join Simon Price as mentors for this year’s Antenna Documentary Film Festival Rough Cut Lab.
Now in its sixth year, the initiative involves three to four creative teams that will receive access to coaching and advice on storytelling, editing, marketing, sales, and festival strategies for feature-length documentary projects at a rough-cut stage.
Of the new mentors, Burke serves as head of production and development at Sandbox Films, a documentary studio that provides creative and financial support for artist-driven films, such as the Academy Award–nominated Fire of Love.
In Lo, participants will benefit from the experience of a director whose films have premiered at festivals, including Venice, TIFF, Sundance, and Tribeca. Her latest feature, Mistress Dispeller, had its world premiere at the 81st
Venice International Film Festival, where it won two awards, and was selected for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
Price, a mentor for last year’s initiative, has amassed more than 30 credits over the past two decades, including Ruin, Antarctica: A Year on Ice, Free in Deed, The Leunig Fragments, Martha: A Picture Story, In My Blood It Runs (2019), and Bad Behaviour.
Antenna Documentary Festival director Dudi Rokach said he couldn’t wait to see what stories would come from this year’s initiative.
“We are super excited to be able to offer Australian filmmakers this unique opportunity to work with,
and be mentored by some of the most prominent figures in the industry,” he said.
The Antenna Rough Cut Lab is supported by Screen NSW and the City of Sydney. It will be held on July 19 and 21.
Applications are now open and will close on July 4.