WHAT‘S HAPPENING
News & Events
Applications now open for Talent Gateway and Global Producers Exchange
06 October 2023
Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) have announced the return of the Talent Gateway program and the Global Producers Exchange. The two joint initiatives are designed to support established Australian creatives to expand on their skills and connect with key US decision-makers, as well as help position Australian projects for success in the global market.
The SAFC is a Supporting Partner for these industry development programs along with Screen NSW, Screen Queensland and VicScreen . Industry Partners are Australian Directors’ Guild, Australian Writers’ Guild, Screen Producers Australia, Screen Canberra, Screen Tasmania, Screen Territory, Screenwest and Screenworks.
Screen Australia’s CEO Graeme Mason said, “As we enter the third year of these highly successful programs, we continue to witness the significant impact they have. Previous participants are already making very confident strides in the competitive global market, refining their skills, and building the scale of their work, and their reputations internationally.”
“We’re thrilled to partner once again with Australians in Film (AiF) to offer these invaluable professional and business development opportunities to another crop of Australian creatives. These flagship initiatives provide critical pathways for our screen professionals to share unique Australian stories on a global stage, creating opportunities for our local industry and our unique cultural voice.”
Australians in Film Executive Director Peter Ritchie said, “Over the past several years, AiF with the incredible support of Screen Australia, has uniquely positioned itself to connect Australia’s leading screen professionals with potential US partners through these professional business programs. We couldn’t have done any of this essential foundational work for the sector without the incredible support of Graeme Mason. We acknowledge his immense contribution and foresight.”
“Both Talent Gateway and Global Producers Exchange evolve each year. The ever-changing US market is a behemoth, and both programs reflect these often rapid changes. The guest speakers and mentors that speak in our programs always provide the most current up to date thinking and knowledge from Los Angeles.”
Guest speakers who attended last year’s Exchange and Gateway programs included educator and Producer Sheila Hanahan-Taylor (Final Destination franchise) and Manager and Producer Andy Cohen (Grade A Entertainment), who served as lead mentors in both Global Producers Exchange and Talent Gateway programs. Leading guest speakers included David Levine (Chief Creative Officer of Anonymous Content), Lindsay Doran (Producer, Script Consultant – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Kristen Campo (Producer – L-Word: Generation Q, See), Valarie Phillips (Partner and Co-Head of the Motion Pictures Literary Division at A3 Artists Agency), Tanya Cohen (Managing Partner at Range Media Partners), Ben Kramer (Co-Head of Media Finance at Creative Artists Agency), Alix Madigan (Producer – Winter’s Bone, The Age of Adaline), Bridget Bedard (Producer – Ramy, Transparent) and Trevor White (Producer – King Richard, Wind River), among others.
South Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou were selected as participants for the 2023 Talent Gateway program, participating in a bespoke program of roundtables, masterclasses, introductions with key US based screen decision makers and individualised mentorships running from November 2022 to June 2023.
Screenwriter and director Monica Zanetti, another 2023 participant said, “Talent Gateway not only gave me the framework to think about my projects for an international market but also the support and tools to make it happen.”
South Australian producer Kirsty Stark of Epic Films was one of eleven participants in the Global Producers Exchange 2023. Easy Tiger’s CEO Ian Collie, also part of the cohort, describe the Exchange as “Totally invaluable. You can never learn enough about Hollywood especially at the moment with the global industry in such a state of flux. All participants were a great source of knowledge in terms of contacts, trends, protocols, and ways to navigate the complex and labyrinthine system that is Hollywood.”
Information about the 2023 delegates is available here.
Global Producers Exchange, Talent Gateway and Untapped are part of a suite of initiatives developed to support the advancement of scripted Australian projects – and to ensure our stories resonate more competitively internationally, as well as locally.
TALENT GATEWAY
Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) are partnering to provide Australian screen creatives who have a high level of recent international success with the skills, knowledge, access, and relationships necessary to succeed in the global market.
Up to six delegates will be selected to participate in the Talent Gateway program of roundtables, master-classes, introductions with key US based screen decision makers, and individualised 1:1 mentorships. Each delegate will receive grants of up to $20,000 to enable them to take part in the program which runs from Feb 2024 to June 2024. Funding will also be used to develop, refine and market the IP on their slate that receives any positive interest, to quickly engage international partners for their careers and projects.
For further details, eligibility requirements and how to apply see the guidelines here. Applications close 5pm AEST Thursday 2 November 2023.
GLOBAL PRODUCERS EXCHANGE
Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) are partnering to provide Australia’s leading producers with the skills, knowledge, access, and relationships necessary to succeed in the global market, and to attract foreign investment and marketplace partnerships for Australian scripted content.
Up to six production companies / producers will be selected to participate in the Global Producers Exchange development lab of roundtables and master-classes with key US based screen decision makers, and individualised 1:1 mentorships. Each delegate will receive grants of up to $60,000 to enable them to take part in the program which runs Feb 2024 to June 2024. Funding will also be used to work with writers and directors to quickly develop, refine and market the scripted projects on participant’s slate based on feedback and positive interest from mentors and US executives throughout the program.
For eligibility requirements and how to apply see the guidelines here. Applications close 5pm AEST Thursday 2 November 2023.