Championing the growth of diverse Australian stories on film is the focus of the 2022 CinefestOZ Industry Program, which will kick off on Wednesday 24 August with an Inclusion in Action workshop before the main program on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 August in Western Australia’s South West.
Headline speakers include Adam Piron – Director of Indigenous Programming at The Sundance Institute in the US, producer/ writer Tony Ayres and actor/director Richard Roxburgh will be joined by Marissa McDowell – Commissioning Editor NITV/SBS; and Alison Hurbert-Burns – Executive Director, BINGE.
CinefestOZ CEO Malinda Nixon said she was thrilled with the calibre of international and Australian talent who were speaking at the Industry Program and looked forward to welcoming local and national film representatives in person and online.
“We are fortunate to have so many talented speakers join our Industry Program this year, who will share their knowledge of the film industry and lead audience discussions, many that will focus on developing more content that reflects and celebrates our differences.
“The Industry Program provides our visiting guest speakers and film professionals with the opportunity to discuss and debate issues and trends affecting the film industry, learn and share knowledge and make important connections for future business opportunities.”
“Running in tandem with the CinefestOZ film festival (23-28 August), the Industry Program also provides interstate and international delegates the opportunity to see the calibre of our local productions and scope the destination for potential future film locations.”
The CinefestOZ Industry Program is supported by Business Events Perth, City of Busselton, Lotterywest, ScreenWest, South West Development Commission and US Consulate.
The Inclusion in Action workshop will be at 4PM WST at the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre, while the main program will be held at the Esplanade Hotel Busselton with each day rounded out by Sundowner Drinks, exclusive to Industry Pass holders in the VIP lounge.
Industry Program Highlights
DAY 1. WEDNESDAY 24 AUGUST – 4PM AWST, Dolphin Discovery Centre, Bunbury
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Inclusion in Action – Join Bus Stop Films CEO, Tracey Corbin-Matchett and COO/Producer Dianna La Grassa to explore inclusive practices in the film industry. This unique training workshop is for production companies, screen industry practitioners, policy makers, producers and industry services to gain a better understanding of the rights and capacity of people living with disability, open pathways to employment and better engage with people living with a disability on both sides of the camera.
DAY 2. THURSDAY 25 AUGUST – from 9.30AM AWST, The Esplanade Hotel, Busselton
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Sundance Institute’s Director of Indigenous Programming – Adam Piron: Adam belongs to the Kiowa and Mohawk Tribes. In addition to his role as leader of Sundance’s engagement and investment in global Indigenous storytellers, Adam also programmes the short film category of the Sundance Film Festival. Join Adam as he shares insights into the way the Sundance Institute’s Action and Artist Programs have impacted diversity, equity and inclusion and helped build a global Indigenous film community as well as identifying key learnings that we can apply to the Australian industry.
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Strengthening First Nations Storytelling: Our expert panel of First Nations filmmakers discuss best practice in working with First Nations stories and storytellers and the ways, as an industry, we can further support and develop a pipeline of First Nations creative talent and expand our cultural reach on screen, both nationally and internationally.
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Documentary – Leading the Way for Gender Equality – the Australian Documentary sector is making strides in supporting the next generation of female filmmakers, crew, technicians, executives and creatives with innovative strategies in regards to funding and commissioning. But what is it like in the field and what are the key issues we still need to address in order to reach gender parity?
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Projecting certainty in uncertain times: There is no question: times are changing, the industry is evolving, what does the future hold in practical terms for producing television and film projects in this country?
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In Conversation with Richard Roxburgh: Well-known for his role as badly-behaved barrister Cleaver Greene in the hit series Rake, and his feature film roles, Richard Roxburgh is also an accomplished writer, producer and director (Romulus, My Father, starring Eric Bana). Join us as we journey through Richard’s illustrious career.
DAY 2. FRIDAY 26 AUGUST – from 9.30AM AWST, The Esplanade Hotel, Busselton
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In Conversation – Tony Ayres: His critical and commercial success is testament to his creativity and unique voice. As a founding partner of Matchbox Pictures and now Tony Ayres Productions, Tony leads the charge in bringing Australian stories and talent to international screens. From independent film, to network TV to international streaming hits, join us for a wide-ranging discussion highlighting the career of this icon of Australian screen storytelling.
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Meet the Streamer – BINGE: Executive Director, Alison Hurbert-Burns shares her insights into the content and commissioning strategies that are driving BINGE’s growth, capturing Australia’s attention and building audiences for its slate of original Australian productions.
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Post Production – Bringing it Home: A look at how the WA post-production and visual effects sector has grown, its international relevance and what lies ahead in terms of virtual studios.
CinefestOZ Film Festival will run from August 23 to 28 in the South West, championing Australian stories and film. The Full Festival Program is live with tickets available via the CinefestOZ app and on the website.
CinefestOZ would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land we live and work on and pay our respect to the Elders past, present and future.
CinefestOZ thanks Presenting Partner Tourism WA, Premium Partners Screenwest and City of Busselton and Community Partner Rio Tinto. The festival acknowledges its strong support from Lotterywest and Screen Australia.
