Fifteen Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) practitioners are set to participate in Cinespace Inc's Package to Pitch program, an online masterclass on pitching into the market.
Essie Davis and Leah Purcell will battle it out in the best performance by an actress category at next month's Asia Pacific Screen Awards, while 'Nitram' lead Caleb Landry Jones and Australian/Afghan film 'When Pomegranates Howl' are also among the nominees.
“Everyone needs to see themselves reflected on screen.”
A Diversity in Australian Media forum in Sydney next week will highlight how much progress the screen industry has made over the past 10 years in better reflecting Australia's diverse society - and how much remains to be done.
Actor, writer and producer Joy Hopwood is directing her second feature, 'Rhapsody of Love', a rom-com starring Asian-Australians Damien Sato and Kathy Luu.
"[Multicultural filmmakers] will have an idea that is really authentic and true to themselves but by the time they put it down on paper, they’re already starting to think about how a white panel will judge this story, as well as whether it will appeal to them and whether they will emotionally connect."
Christmas has come early for 19 feature films, 11 television dramas, and two online projects, which will collectively share $1.2 million of Screen Australia development funding.
Feature film 'The Drovers Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson', upcoming series 'First Weapons', and SBS Digital Original 'Latecomers' are among the titles that will be unpacked as part of this year's Screenworks Regional to Global Screen Forum.