Screen Producers Australia has named the 12 members of the Screen Forever advisory board for this year’s event, including chair Bunya Productions CEO Sophia Zachariou.
Among the other members are Netflix’s newly appointed Australian head of public policy and government affairs, Nick O’Donnell, Film Victoria CEO Caroline Pitcher, Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira and Screen Australia head of Indigenous Penny Smallacombe and head of documentary Bernadine Lim.
The board helps to set the strategic of the conference, and according to a statement, aids in the creation of “an engaging, inspirational and business-focused program that reflects the broad spectrum of modern Australian screen content in a time when the industry is in a state of flux.”
“Each year around 850 delegates travel from over a dozen countries to do business on the Screen Forever floor. In the current regulatory and economic climate, the importance of an event that allows the industry to meet and dissect current trends and innovations in film, television and emerging platforms, and to explore how to turn market threats into opportunities, cannot be overstated.
“From experts in documentary and kids content, to international streamers and a VR / AR Strategist, I’m excited by the fresh ideas and dynamic perspectives our Board members will bring to the program this year, and have no doubt that our delegates will benefit from their combined skill, experience and passion,” stated SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.
“Screen Forever is a place for content creators and commissioners to meet, exchange ideas and tackle the key issues that face our screen industry. As we become increasingly globally focused, there’s no better time to instigate the changes we need to make as an industry to help us be more competitive internationally.
Working closely with the voard will be SPA’s newly appointed content and event curation manager Melanie Horkan, who has previously worked for TEDx Sydney and the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) 2019.
“We are living in a time of evolution – never before have we experienced so many ways to tell stories and so many ways to reach our audiences. However, many producers can feel overwhelmed in this often-fragmented market. SCREEN FOREVER provides a critical forum to illuminate issues, inspire new ideas through industry game changers and provide meaningful pathways to success for emerging and established filmmakers,” said Horkan.
The board includes:
- Chair: Sophia Zachariou CEO Bunya Productions
- Bernadine Lim, head of documentary, Screen Australia
- Caroline Pitcher, CEO, Film Victoria
- Cody Greenwood, producer, Rush Films
- Deirdre Brennan, former executive, NBCUniversal
- Elmar Trefz VR / AR creative strategist, Antler
- Jennifer Collins director of content, Fremantle
- Kylie Munnich, scripted sales & co-production executive for Seven Studios
- Larissa Behrendt academic/writer /director – UTS /Lavarch Productions
- Nick O’Donnell, head of public policy and government affairs, Netflix (AU & NZ)
- Penny Smallacombe, head of Indigenous department, Screen Australia
- Que Minh Luu, executive producer, ABC
- Tracey Vieira CEO, Screen Queensland
Screen Forever will be held November 12 – 14 in Melbourne.