US-based filmmaker Rita Baghdadi and actor, screenwriter, and producer Aaron Fa’Aoso will appear at next month’s Regionality Cairns, with the full line-up for documentary and factual industry event unveiled today.
Hosted by the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) and Screen Queensland, in collaboration with Screenworks, the one-day program includes masterclasses, industry panels, and sector networking with local and global documentary and factual talent.
Baghdadi, co-founder of Lady & Bird Films and director of recent Sundance selection Sirens, is set to host masterclass, Lensing the Invisible, in which she’ll discuss her filmmaking style, both as a director and cinematographer, and how to bring important regional stories to audiences around the world.
Elsewhere, Fa’Aoso, founder of the Cairns-based Lone Star Productions, will join WildBear Entertainment executive producer/principal Veronica Fury for The Art of the Pitch, a how-to session involving some of the event’s key decision maker guests.
Attendees will also get the chance to hear from representatives from the Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs Canada industry programmer and distribution manager Julian Carrington, POV associate producer Nicky Cook, and Cargo Film & Releasing vice president Daniel Cantagallo in Going North! Meet the US and Canadian Decision Makers, where they’ll discuss how to break through and negotiate the North American market.
Ending the program is Doc Passport: Pathways for Australian Films to Go Global, a session exploring the avenues for local stories to secure a worldwide audience.
Hating Peter Tatchell director Christopher Amos will feature alongside Veronica Fury and Bettina Dalton of WildBear and Oli Harbottle of leading UK-based documentary distributor Dogwoof.
Regionality Cairns participants will also have the chance to book one-on-one in-person meetings with attending decision makers from the ABC, Fremantle Media, Screen Australia, and Screen Queensland during the day’s Doc Chat 1:1 meetings, plus enjoy networking drinks to close the day’s proceedings.
AIDC CEO/creative director Natasha Gadd said Queensland documentary creators and viewers were “in for a treat”.
“AIDC is thrilled to be collaborating with Screen Queensland and Screenworks to take a taste of AIDC to Far North Queensland to connect regional Queensland talent with local and international decision-makers, inspire new skills and creative connections, and shine a spotlight on the unique and diverse storytellers from the region,” she said.
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said Far North Queensland was a fitting destination for the event.
“Far North Queensland has been the backdrop for a number of high-profile documentary features and series — from David Attenborough’s Life in Colour, Netflix’s Emmy-nominated feature Puff: Wonders of the Reef, SBS Food and NITV’s Strait to the Plate, to the upcoming Stan Original Revealed: Reefshot,” she said.
Regionality Cairns will take place Friday, September 2 at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC). Find out more information here.