AFTRS

This week: Friday November 18 - Ivan Sen, Landing the Dream

After his acclaimed feature debut in 2002; Beneath Clouds, Ivan Sen has followed his own idiosyncratic filmmaking path, making bold films, like Dreamland with almost complete control of the filmmaking process. Ivan's latest feature, Toomelah, saw him working essentially as a one man crew, moulding drama from real life in a remote Aboriginal community in Queensland. A raw, brutally honest drama about a 10-year-old boy living in an Aboriginal community who is being trained-up to be a gangster, Toomelah was selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes earlier this year.

 

Guest: Ivan Sen

* Includes special screening of Toomelah.

 

November 11 - Cate Shortland: Directing across borders & formats

 

The last decade has seen Director Cate Shortland go from award winning shorts, a highly acclaimed film debut (Somersault), a slew of TV work and now a German language period feature, Lore currently in post production. A tenacious, diverse filmmaker, Cate will delve into how her approach to storytelling for the screen has led her to work across borders and formats.

 

Guest:

- Cate Shortland

 

November 4 - Cross Cultural, Cross Generational, 33 Postcards

Pauline Chan's new film 33 Postcards - a Chinese Australian co-production releasing in Australia next week - is a cross cultural, cross generational drama starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan that explores the relationship between a Chinese orphan girl and her Sydney  sponsor.  Join us as Pauline Chan and Penny Carl-Nelson unravel the challenges involved in making such a culturally diverse story for the screen.

Guests:
- Pauline Chan, director, co-producer
- Penny Carl-Nelson producer

 

October 28: Docu-drama & cutting through

Four years ago Macario De Souza shot, directed and edited Bra Boys, the highest grossing documentary in Australian history. De Souza has teamed up with former head of drama at Channel Ten and Logie award winning producer Sue Masters (Sea Change, Secret Life of Us, Brides of Christ) for Fighting Fear, a feature length docu-drama set for release on November 10,  told through the eyes of two friends, Pro-surfer Mark Mathews and MMA fighter Richie Vaculik. Macario and Sue will address the notion of documentary cutting through in a crowded movie market.

 

Guests:

• Macario De Souza - Writer/Director
• Sue Masters -Producer
• Michael Lawrence - Producer

 

October 21: Multi-AWGIE winner Katherine Thomson on the art of writing

Nominated for five NSW Premier's Literary Awards, (winning for Harbour) and three Australian Film Institute Awards, Katherine Thomson has won multiple AWGIEs (three in 2006 alone, two as co-writer of the television series Answered by Fire and a third for her screenplay for the film Unfolding Florence - The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst). She has been vice-president of the Australian Writers' Guild and President of Sydney PEN and in 2005 she received the ANPC Award for her contribution to the Australian theatre industry.

A much in demand screenwriter Katherine has also written extensively for television where her credits include Grass Roots, Blackjack, Wildside, Fallen Angels, Halifax fp, GP and Something in the Air.

With a particular ability at dramatising historical events Katherine will share her wealth of experience creating engaging stories for the screen including the soon to be released Killing Time.

Guest: Katherine Thomson

 

October 14 - The challenge of mixing drama & comedy

 

Writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky who previously directed Better Than Sex and Gettin' Square, describes Burning Man his latest feature as a "Sexy, irreverent and ultimately tear-jerkingly story of a father and son's journey back to happiness". Described by the Hollywood Reporter as "An unconventional film about grief with alienation-courting tactics that pay off in the end", Jonathan will reveal his take on the experience of making Burning Man.

Guest:  Jonathan Teplitzky

 

October 7: The Hunter

 

A psychological thriller starring Willem Dafoe The Hunter is yet another quality title from the
Porchlight films stable, the production house that brought us Animal Kingdom and Little Fish. Moody and atmospheric this psychological thriller has a strong accent on character. Director Daniel Nettheim and producer Vincent Sheehan will be delving into the process of filming their feature in the wilds of Tasmania.

The filmmakers encourage Friday on My Mind guests to see The Hunter, which is released this week, before this Friday's session.

 

Guests:

• Daniel Nettheim
• Vincent Sheehan

 

 

September 30 : Caught Inside - Descent into full blown nightmare

 

New Australian psychological thriller Caught Inside - where a group of tight-knit surfers on 'surfari' fall foul of a psychopath - is the first feature for AFTRS Alumnus Adam Blaiklock as director & co-writer, after much success directing award-winning short films, commercials, television programs and theatre. Joined by producer Paul S. Friedmann  the duo will share their experiences of getting this feautre up and its inclusion in this year's  South by Southwest (SXSW) festival.

Guests:

- Adam Blaiklock
- Paul S. Friedmann

Includes a special pre-screening of Caught Inside

 

 

Friday September 23: Satire and Subjectivity

At Home With Julia, the four-part comedy series currently airing on the ABC, is a satirical take on life at the Lodge. The series has to date drawn significant attention, with some labelling it sexist and demeaning. Executive producer/co-writer Rick Kalowski and series Director Erin White will share the ins and outs of getting this series to the screen.

 

Guests:

- Rick Kalowski
- Erin White

 

Friday September 16:  Best of Input & The Song of Lunch

 

This week the Best of Input TV conference is in town, so we're speaking to two overseas guests about how to make creative, innovative and compelling content for the small screen: Greg Sanderson, a commissioning editor at BBC Arts and Pier Wilkie, TV drama producer.

Guest: Greg Sanderson

Includes a special screening at 6:00pm of The Song Of Lunch, starring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson

 

 

September 9: Michael Rymer Face to Face

 

Since his feature debut Angel Baby swept the AFI awards in 1995, Michael Rymer has built a solid career as a filmmaker with a broad range - from making Hollywood features like Queen of the Damned to producing and directing the SciFi series Battlestar Gallactica.  Michael now has a new Australian film - Face to Face - an adaptation of a David Williamson play due for release on September 8 starring Sigrid Thornton and Vince Colosimo. Michael will share his experiences of working  across a variety of formats and genres.

 

• Guest: Michael Rymer

 

September 2: Crowdfunding & The Tunnel

 

Local horror film The Tunnel represents an innovative model of crowd funding and multi platform distribution, which includes: theatrical,television, streaming and download. This week we will hear from The Tunnel's co-writer/co-producer Enzo Tedeschi as to how their unconventional approach has opened up new possibilities for getting stories made and seen.

Guests:

• Co-writer and co-producer Enzo Tedeschi
• Actor, cinematographer Steve Davis

Includes a special screenign of screening of The Tunnel.

 

August 26: Thoughtful storylines

Judy Morris is a filmmaker with experience on both sides of the lens with a string of
acting credits to her name in film and television as well screenwriting, producing and directing credits. Judy's screenwriting credits include Babe: Pig in the City, Happy Feet
(which she co-directed) and the recently released The Eye of the Storm (an adaptation of Patrick White's novel directed by Fred Schepsi). Judy will share her experiences and ideas about writing for the screen.

Guest: Judy Morris

August 19: Eminent film director Bruce Beresford

One of the leading lights of Australian New Wave cinema in the 1970s & 80s Bruce Beresford has gone on to become a critical and commercial success on the world stage making more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career - including: Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy, Black Robe, Double Jeopardy, Mao's Last Dancer - accruing two Academy Award nominations and winning countless awards for his work. Bruce will provide personal perspective on the craft of directing and the art of staying 'alive' in the film industry.

 

Guest: Bruce Beresford

 

August 12: Veteran producer Antony I. Ginnane

This week the legendary maverick of the Australian film industry Antony I. Ginnane, outgoing president of the Screen Producers Association of Australia, will be sharing some of the insights he's gained over a 40 year career. Since 1970, Antony has produced,
co-produced and executive produced over 60 feature films, TV movies and mini series in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the Philippines and Eastern Europe - financing, producing and EP'ing are on the agenda!

 

Guest: Antony I Ginnane

 

August 5: Mitzi Goldman and A Common Purpose

Mitzi Goldman has written, produced, edited and directed documentaries - that deal with social issues, personal history and cultural heritage - for over 20 years. Her latest, A Common Purpose, about a landmark trial in South Africa in which 25 people were convicted of the murder of one man, won the audience award for best documentary at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival. Mitzi will share her thoughts and experiences about documentary filmmaking in Australia today.

Guest: Mitzi Goldman
Includes a screening of A Common Purpose

 

July 29: Ned Lander - Australian stories for Australian screens

Ned Lander - writer, producer and director - has four decades' experience making content for Australian screens. A commissioning editor and then general manager of SBS Independent, Ned has overseen titles such as The President Versus David Hicks, Who Do You Think You Are? and East West 101. His interest in indigenous stories has been ongoing, co-writing and directing Wrong Side of the Road, producing Rachel Perkins' debut feature Radiance and serving as EP on the TV series First Australians. Ned will share experience of  working across features, television, fiction and non-fiction.

Guest: Ned Lander

July 22: Shedding light on the specialist craft of Scenic Art & Matte Painting

It is generally too cost-prohibitive to use authentic materials to build a film set which is where skilled artists come into the frame to replicate the real world: bricks, velvet, blue sky...and generate colour and texture.

This week two prominent practitioners will shed light on their highly specialised craft that is often overlooked but always in demand.

Steven Sallybanks who has criss-crossed the globe working for production designers such as Peter Lamont (Titanic, Bond), Stuart Craig (Harry Potter), Roger Ford (Peter Pan, Chronicles of Narnia) and Anthony Pratt (The Pacific, Hope & Glory) and Ben Walker is a matte painter currently working at Animal Logic with feature credits that include  Australia, Knowing, Legend of the Guardian's of Ga'Hoole and Sucker Punch.

Guests:

- Steven Sallybanks
- Ben Walker

 

July 15 - Stephen Sewell: screenplays, scripts and the new frontier

Screenwriter and playwright Stephen Sewell, is best known for the AFI award winning adaptation of his own play The Boys as well as his work as script editor on films such as Chopper.  Recently, Stephen's work has expanded beyond films and plays into interactive &  immersive media and alternate reality games. Stephen will share his thoughts on the changes at play for screenwriters and playrights in light of the myriad of writing opportunities now on offer from new media

Guest: Stephen Sewell

JULY 8 - Love, loss and LBF

A modern story of love, loss and desperation ultra low budget indie feature LBF - described by its filmmakers as a 'pop art film' based on the novel Living Between Fucks - punches above its weight with a stylish aesthetic and a visceral script. Sydney based writer/director Alex Munt will be joined by DOP Gareth Tillson and other key crew  to discuss the making of LBF, its world premiere at SXSW and their plans for video on demand distribution.

Guests:

• Alex Munt Writer/director
• Gareth Tilson DOP

• Incldues special screening

 

July 1 - Mario Andreacchio - Dragon Pearl & Cracking the Chinese market

Join us this week to hear Adelaide based producer/director Mario Andreacchio talk about cracking the Chinese market and co-productions. Andreacchio's Chinese-Australian children's film The Dragon Pearl - starring Sam Neil and released on 3,500 screens in China - topped the Chinese box office on its opening weekend. This success has not only made Mario determined to make more films in China, but also convinced him that Australian filmmakers need to streamline their practices.

Friday June 24 - Marc Rosenberg on making movies 'Stateside'

After a string of acclaimed Australian features including December Boys, Dingo, Encounter at Raven's Gate, writer/producer Marc Rosenberg (and an AFTRS graduate) has just wrapped his first U.S. film, the high concept thriller Elevator. Join us this week to hear Marc share his thoughts on what it takes to make the career move stateside. . .


Friday June 17  - THIS IS ENGLAND

British producer Mark Herbert, CEO of Warp Films, has a history of backing films that deliver strong statements and new perspectives on society.  Producer of winning feature films like This is England (directed by Shane Meadows and now a TV series) and Four Lions (directed by Chris Morris), Mark is acutely aware of the challenges non-Hollywood producers face to reach international audiences and will share his thoughts and experiences.

Guest:

• Mark Herbert

June 10 - Blame and the process from Pre to International Sale

Blame is the scorching feature debut for writer/director Michael Henry - a taught thriller about lust, betrayal and revenge. Filmed using a minimum number of locations, on a low budget, in regional WA Blame is an example of smart storytelling and performance.  The director and producer of Blame will take us through their process, from pre-production to
international sale.

Guests:

• Michael Henry Writer/Director
• Michael Robinson Producer

Includes special screening of Blame


Friday June 3 - Truthfulness, realism & humanity.

With a career focused on creating documentaries that hone in on key moral questions Tom Zubrycki, one of Australia's best known and critically acclaimed documentarians, has long been interested in addressing pressing social issues in his films.  Tom will join us to talk about the art of making documentaries, including his latest doco The Hungry Tide, which is in competition at the Sydney Film Festival.

Special guest:

• Tom Zubrycki

Friday May 27: Designing worlds -Melinda Doring


Working at the crossroads of interior design, architecture and fashion, production designer Melinda Doring is an expert at expressing a script's theme with colour, shape and texture. Since her feature debut with Somersault, she has been in constant demand on Australian
productions, from The Home Song Stories to Fred Schepisi's upcoming The Eye of the Storm. Melinda will reflect on what it takes to successfully transform written words into physical reality, and how to enhance emotion and subtext through careful placement of
objects in the frame.


Friday May 20 Making the Cut - Roland Gallois


Editor Roland Gallois will delve into the inner workings of the craft of editing by drawing on his experiences working on Beck Cole's debut feature Here I Am, Warwick Thornton's Samson & Delilah, Andrew Lancaster's Accidents Happen and the soon to be released The Hunter with William Dafoe. Roland will share his ideas about cutting, 'listening to footage' and being part of the team that brings a story to life.

+ Includes a special pre-screening of Here I Am

Guest:

• Roland Gallois

Friday May 13 - Louis Nowra on cinema and writing for the screen


Louis Nowra, one of Australia's most accomplished and varied writers - with a list of novels, plays, operas and films to his name - has worked as a screenwriter in Australia and Hollywood for directors such as Rachel Perkins (Radiance) and Kathryn Bigelow (K-19: The Widowmaker). Join us to hear Louis' thoughts and ideas on cinema and writing for the screen.

Guest:

• Louis Nowra

Friday May 6: Fat Pizza, Housos & Paul Fenech


Anarchic, politically incorrect satires of suburban life that challenge taboos and push the boundaries of taste are the hallmark of writer, producer, director and performer Paul Fenech whose comic style sits somewhere between Barry Humphries and Sacha Baron Cohen.  Often underrated and overlooked, much like his outer suburban characters, Fenech has nevertheless created: three TV shows - Pizza, Swift and Shift Couriers and the upcoming Housos; and the feature, Fat Pizza, which grossed over seven million at the Australian box
office.

Guest:

• Paul Fenech

Friday April 29 Drama from real life horror - Snowtown

Transposing a slice of real life horror to the big screen is a tricky business - but filmmakers throughout history have been inspired to greatness by the worst in human behaviour. Snowtown is a controversial new film based on the 'Bodies in Barrels murders', the debut feature from director Justin Kurzel and winner of the Audience Award at the Adelaide Film Festival. So what was Kurzel's approach to this brutal, confronting story?

Guest:

• Justin Kurzel

Includes special screening



Friday April 15 New Strategies for Web Serials - Dan Ilic & Jarod Green

This week we explore the flourishing world of webisodes and serials, with a focus on strategies for developing content with a commercial angle. Comedian and director Dan Ilic is making a name for himself with the webisodes he has created for Fairfax and The Commonwealth Bank and Jarod Green is one of the creators behind the uber successful Beach Az series.

Guests:

• Dan Ilic
• Jarod Green
• Craig Anderson

Friday April 8 Australian documentary living legend Bob Connolly

This week, an insight into the rigours and demands of long format documentary making with master filmmaker Bob Connolly. For over three decades, co-directing with the late Robin Anderson, Bob brought us observational masterworks like Rats in the Ranks and Joe Leahy's Neighbours.
Now, with new collaborator Sophie Raymond, he brings us Mrs. Carey's Concert.

Includes special preview screening  

Guest:

• Bob Connolly

Friday April 1 Bevan Lee on writing commercially successful TV

A TV veteran of 30 years, Bevan Lee knows all there is to know about writing
a commercially successful TV series. After learning the craft with the Grundy organisation
on shows like Sons and Daughters and Prisoner, he went on to work as a network script
executive at the Nine Network and later at Seven. Bevan will explore the ins and outs of writing specifically for the small screen.

Bevan's credits include; Water Rats, Halifax f.p, Packed to the Rafters, All Saints, Always Greener, City Homicide, Headland and the latest shot fired by the Seven Drama team - Winners & Losers.

Guest:

• Bevan Lee

Friday March 25 Jocelyn Moorhouse & Olivia Stewart on structure, plot, character and audience.

Australian writer/director Jocelyn Moorhouse and British producer Olivia Stewart are both acclaimed filmmakers in their own right, and their opinions on the alchemy and craft of screenwriting are informed by years of experience in Australia, Europe and
Hollywood. Drawing on their experiences as script advisors for Screen NSW's Aurora workshop they will share their thoughts on structure, plot, character and audience.  

Guests:

• Jocelyn Moorhouse: Writer/Director Proof, Director How to Make An American Quilt, Producer Muriel's Wedding
• Olivia Stewart: Producer The House of Mirth, Co-Producer Velvet Goldmine and Brassed Off

Friday March 18 Super hero indie romance: Griff The Invisible

Writer/director Leon Ford and producer Nicole O'Donohue will be speaking about their super-hero indie romance Griff The Invisible, starring Ryan Kwanten, fresh from screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and releasing locally this week. With its off beat characters, playful script and unashamedly romantic heart, 'Griff' is the perfect case study for those interested in genre and genre crossing.


Friday March 11 Penny Chapman on entertaining, challenging and informing audiences


Producer Penny Chapman has spent three decades at the highest levels of Australian television, working across quality drama and documentary, as head of drama and head of television at the ABC on groundbreaking drama series like Blue Murder and Brides of Christ and most recently executive producing the upcoming TV series The Slap. Hear Penny reflect on how she's managed to entertain, challenge and inform audiences through an eclectic range of projects over the years, plus give insights into producing the second season of the logie award winning children's series My Place and the new feature length documentary on the Tampa crisis Leaky Boat.


Friday  March 4 The cross-platform world of Phillipa Finch


The Gradual Demise of Phillipa Finch is a 2D animated micro series incorporating interactive web components and an iPhone game and is one of the first truly cross-platform local initiatives for the ABC and production company Hopscotch films.

Sydney artist Emma Magenta teamed with Hopscotch film producer Rachel Okine to create this wry, savvy take on love and heartbreak voiced by Toni Collette. So how did it get up? And how does it point the way forward to future directions in cross-platform storytelling and marketing?

Guests:

• Writer/director Emma Magenta
• Hopscotch Production and Acquisitions Executive Rachel Okine

Friday February 25: Mad Bastards - Brendan Fletcher


Fresh from presenting his film at Sundance writer-director Brendan Fletcher will talk about how he had to break the mould of conventional film production to tell this story and how the relationships formed with his cast of non-actors in the Kimberley region of Western Australia came to influence his script and film. One shoot became two shoots, separated by months of editing and re-writing and this is an exceptional case study on how to make a movie that evolves during the shooting process - and how to convince the funding bodies to support you through it.

Guest:

• Writer/Director Brendan Fletcher

 

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