Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd will head to Melbourne next month for the second edition of television summit Future Vision, joining fellow British creator Sally Wainwright and US writer, producer, and showrunner Soo Hugh on the line-up.
To be held July 14-16 at ACMI, this year’s event will carry the theme of ‘Optimism’, with sessions inviting attendees to reimagine what’s possible amid global market contraction, regulatory uncertainty and the rise of AI.
It’s a subject the Scottish actor and comedian is well versed to speak on, having taken the streaming world by storm 12 months ago with the release of his semi-autobiographical Netflix series, which detailed how an experience with a female stalker forced him to confront a long-held trauma.
The raw, unfiltered nature of the story hit a nerve globally, winning Gadd a slew of international awards, including six Emmys. It also led to some less welcome attention, with a lawyer from Scotland who allegedly inspired the character of Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, suing Netflix for defamation to the tune of $US170 million. The case is currently with the US Court of Appeals.
Gadd has already moved on to his next project, writing, executive producing,g and starring in Half Man, a six-episode limited series for the BBC and HBO that began filming in Scotland earlier this year. Jamie Bell is also part of the cast.
He said events like Future Vision were “very important”.
“They bring together people who care about pushing boundaries, taking risks, and telling stories that mean something,” he said.
Guests will also hear from Wainwright, known for creating and directing long-running Yorkshire drama Happy Valley, as well as her work on Gentleman Jack and Last Tango in Halifax.
The BAFTA Award winner said she was pleased to have the opportunity to visit the country, partly because it was where Deadloch, one of her favourite series in recent years, was shot.
“I loved [Deadloch] because it was as absurd as it was dark, which for me is always a winning combination,” she said.
“I’m thrilled to be able to visit where it was shot.”
Coming in from the US is Hugh, the Peabody-winning and BAFTA-nominated creator of the AppleTV+ series Pachinko, an adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s bestselling novel.
She said Future Vision was an invaluable opportunity to “listen, exchange ideas, and be inspired by voices that see the world a little differently”.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky to learn from extraordinary storytellers who taught me the power of vision and reminded me how deeply personal stories can resonate globally,” she said.
“I’m excited to attend Future Vision.”
As with last year, Made Up Stories founder and CEO Bruna Papandrea and writer/showrunner Tony Ayres will co-chair the three-day event, which is presented by Australians in Film, in association with partners Screen Australia and VicScreen.
The summit will begin with an open day, where the public can hear from established creatives and industry stakeholders, before moving into two days of invite-only sessions with top-tier writers, directors, producers, and commissioning executives.
The program includes a mix of keynote addresses and case studies, with the open day to be available via livestream for those who cannot make it to Melbourne.
In a statement, Papandrea and Ayres said they couldn’t wait to engage with the international guests in Melbourne and “bring their thinking and provocation to the thought leaders at home”.
“We are so enormously thrilled to have three of our television heroes coming to Future Vision this year,” they said.
“Richard Gadd, Sally Wainwright, and Soo Hugh are undoubtedly some of the most exciting television creators in the world today. They create unforgettable worlds and characters that explode onto our screens, and they are masters of their craft.”
Australians in Film executive director Peter Ritchie said the summit would highlight the “real opportunities” for the Australian screen sector globally.
“We are so enormously grateful to our headline international guests, our co-chairs, Screen Australia and VicScreen, all our industry partners, attendees, and guests who are coming together so generously to prioritise a strategic approach to the ways we commission, develop, and execute our Australian screen stories for international audiences.”
Future Vision is supported by The Walt Disney Company Australia & New Zealand, Netflix and Stan.
Tickets here.