Untapped alumni Kalu Oji and Natasha Henry will join filmmaker Michael Hudson and writer Catherine Smyth-McMullen in moderating sessions for this year’s initiative.
Hudson, a writer, director, producer, and proud Bangarang and Yorta Yorta man from northeast Victoria, will moderate the first masterclass with Danny Philippou; Henry, who is a Sydney-based Australian Papua New Guinean screenwriter, story developer, and cultural script development specialist, will moderate the second masterclass with Alice Bell; Smyth-McMullen, a screenwriter with experience across film and TV, will be part of the third masterclass with Sabir Pirzada; and Kalu, an Igbo-Australian writer/director from Melbourne, is set to moderate the fourth with Noora Niasari.
Launched in 2021 by Australian in Film (AiF) and Screen Australia, Untapped is a development program designed to assist undiscovered and historically excluded Australian writers and directors in creating career pathways into the LA market.
This year’s masterclasses will be held from March until June, after which up to six recipients will be selected to participate in an online development lab between August and November, with each receiving individualised mentorship, story consultation, creative feedback, and professional development support.
Supporting partners for Untapped include Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, South Australian Film Corporation, and VicScreen, while industry Partners include the Australian Directors Guild, Australian Writers Guild, Screen Canberra, Screen Producers Australia, Screen Tasmania, Screen Territory, Screenwest and Screenworks.
Applications for this year’s initiative close March 15 at 11:59 pm (AEDT). Find out more information on how to apply here.