The Handmaid’s Tale creator, showrunner and EP Bruce Miller and Sera Gamble, co-creator of You and The Magicians will be among the headline speakers at Screen Forever conference in February.
Hosted by Screen Producers Australia (SPA), the 2021 event is a hybrid given travel and capacity restrictions. Miller and Gamble’s sessions will premiere at The Star Gold Coast and then be broadcasted to delegates around the world via a bespoke digital platform.
Miller will appear in conversation with SBS’s Fiona Williams, host and producer of Eyes on Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Podcast. The session will centre on adapting and expanding a classic story into a serialised narrative and discuss how the show echoes contemporary issues like gender discrimination, violence, nationalism and the climate crisis which have been amplified by the global pandemic.
Gamble will discuss her journey from the writers’ room to running the show on the set of cult CW series Supernatural, and what it takes to progress established IP like You and The Magicians – both based on novels by Caroline Kepnes and Lev Grossman respectively – from script to screen.
SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said: “Screen Forever has a reputation for attracting world-leaders in content creation and Bruce and Sera are no exception. I trust both our on ground and online delegates will find their sessions inspiring, insightful and informative.”
SPA has also called for applications for its annual Ones to Watch program. This year’s program will be offered entirely online as a three-month intensive, with a shift in focus to hone in on the core knowledge and skills a producer requires to take their career, business and content to the next level.
Those chosen for the program will receive access to Screen Forever, a Screen Business Essentials workshop and a series of skills focused webinars to get their projects “pitch perfect” for the conference, in addition to one-on-one mentoring with a leading producer from within the SPA membership.
The $15,000 SBS first look grant is also returning, but this year the pitches will take place during Screen Forever.
“Producers play an integral role in content creation, overseeing every step in the screen value chain from securing intellectual property to financing, production and distribution. It takes a gifted individual with the right business acumen, creativity and grit to succeed in this role, and identifying and moulding talented individuals early in their careers has a multitude of benefits for the industry.
“By providing ongoing industry touchpoints from within our acclaimed membership and presenting exclusive access to training and funding opportunities, we can help these talented individuals take the difficult step up the career ladder and export more rich and diverse Australian stories to the world,” said Deaner.
Applications for Ones to Watch close November 29.
Screen Forever runs 16-18 February, 2021. Registrations for the conference are open today for SPA members, and from tomorrow for non-members.