The creatives behind some of Australia’s recent comedy and drama successes have joined the speaker lineup for next month’s Future Vision conference, which has also unveiled a team of creative advisors.
Harriet Dyer, Asher Keddie, Justin Kurzel, Shaun Grant, Hannah Carroll Chapman, Corrie Chen, and Dylan River will join previously announced international guests Richard Gadd, Sally Wainwright, and Soo Hugh at the event, which will take place July 14-16 at ACMI in Melbourne.
A new team of creative advisors comprising Imogen Banks, Robert Connolly, Darren Dale, Emile Sherman, and Rebecca Yeldham will also appear alongside co-chairs Bruna Papandrea and Tony Ayres to lead panels, host one-on-one conversations, and guide discussions on how to navigate an ever-shifting entertainment landscape.
Presented by Australians in Film, in association with partners Screen Australia and VicScreen, the sophomore edition will commence with an open-access Town Hall ‘state of the nation’, including an in depth spotlight on the international guests, followed by two days of industry-only sessions. This year’s theme is ‘Optimism’.
Future Vision executive director Peter Ritchie reiterated the timely nature of the discussions amid the “dramatic upheavals” in the industry.
“Future Vision 2025 provides an opportunity for some of Australia’s best television creators to come together to find better ways of working more collaboratively for greater opportunities, internationally,” he said.
“AiF, alongside our presenting partners Screen Australia and VicScreen, are so grateful for the work of our co-chairs and creative advisors in shaping this year’s program. We are excited to hear this group in conversation.”
The schedule is as follows:
MONDAY, JULY 14 – THE TOWN HALL
An open-access day for established television professionals, industry stakeholders, and curious minds. Also available via livestream.
Program highlights for Day 1 include an in-depth spotlight on the international headliners.
TUESDAY, JULY 15 – THE ROUND TABLE
An invitation-only day for commissioners, development executives, producers, directors and writers.
● Showrunning: What is a ‘Showrunner’ and when did this concept arrive in Australia? Are we trying to import an American model into Australian TV without fully understanding what the role involves?
● Directors: What are the expectations around directors working in TV today – how has the role of a television director changed in the era of “prestige” TV, where one director can direct an entire series?
● Character vs Propulsion: The word du jour for the past several years has been ‘propulsion’. All the commissioners seem to want propulsive story telling – but what does that mean? How has film influenced the conversation and the balance between propulsive plots, tone and memorable characters?
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16 – THE WRITERS ROOM
An invitation-only session for established writers and creators.
● Brave Conversations: How do we engage in difficult conversations that make us braver as artists? How do we talk about ideas we find confronting?
● The Lost Craft of the Episodic: It’s hard to make and sustain long running shows that truly serve their audiences. But often these shows are considered the poorer cousin of ‘prestige drama’. Is there an elitism of taste in our industry? Do we need to talk about quality?
● Notes: How can we develop productive and respectful communication across entire creative teams.
To attend the industry days, applicants must have recent credits as a commissioner, development executive, producer, director, or writer on a prime-time television series within the past five years and demonstrate a proven track record in drama or comedy creation. Find more information about ticketing on the Future Vision website.
Future Vision is supported by The Walt Disney Company Australia & New Zealand, Netflix and Stan.