SCREEN FOREVER / News / Buyers, Funders, and An Emmy Award Winner 

05 Feb 2024

With less than two months until SCREEN FOREVER 38 kicks off on the Gold Coast (19-21 March), Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has today released a sneak peak of the program which will have producers running to register.

Starting strong on Day One, recently appointed Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan will participate in an In-Conversation session, sharing exclusive insights into the year ahead and detail her thoughts on the challenges, opportunities, and priorities as the new CEO of Screen Australia.

Days Two and Three will see delegates deep dive into what’s trending with Australian broadcasters, with the return of the highly anticipated Meet the Buyers series. Essential attendance for any producer looking to sell their project locally, these content-focused panels will tackle what each Buyer is looking for to fill their slate, what trends and challenges they’ve faced in recent years, and what changes they are expecting to impact development over the coming months.

This year’s sure to be packed sessions will see Unscripted, Entertainment, Indigenous and Factual department heads from Nine Network, Foxtel Group, ABC, SBS, NITV, and Stan converge for two sessions focused purely on the Unscripted space, while the heads of Scripted and Originals from the Foxtel Group, ABC, SBS, and Stan will gather for a third panel to dissect what they are looking for from comedies, dramas, and everything in between.

Jumping across the Tasman Sea, delegates will have the opportunity to find out how to sell their content internationally with the brand-new Meet the Commissioners: NZ. Commissioners from Sky New Zealand, TVNZ, and Warner Bros Discovery New Zealand will contribute their expert opinion on the popularity and saleability of Australian content in the New Zealand market and vice versa.

The ever popular Meet the Funders series is also returning to give delegates the unique opportunity to engage directly with our national and state screen agencies. Across three distinct sessions, executives from Screen Australia and all state screen agencies will take centre stage to discuss new funding initiatives, available support for emerging creatives, top tips for a strong grant application, collaborating across state borders, and more.

Last but certainly not least, Emmy-winning Founder and President of Invention Studios, Nicholas (Nicky) Weinstock, is travelling down under to share what he’s learnt during his extensive career developing film and television projects for American and international platforms. A former novelist, Weinstock’s producing slate includes movies Get Him to the Greek and Bridesmaids, Showtime limited series Escape at Dannemora (which was nominated for 12 Emmy Awards), and most recently the Emmy Award-winning Apple+ series Severance, which he continues to executive produce.

With projects currently in development in over a dozen countries - including Australia - Weinstock stated, "I am thrilled to get the chance to attend SCREEN FOREVER, both to see many of the great Australian writers, producers, and executives I've been conspiring with and – even more exciting – to meet new ones and hatch more partnerships and plans for game changing series.

“The ambition and talent in Australia is bursting its seams these days, and it's a privilege to be able to come connect with some of the people looking to change the industry, locally and worldwide, with bold ideas and high-quality storytelling. The world – and the business – could use it."

More information on SCREEN FOREVER 38 can be found at screenforever.org.au. After a completely sold-out event in 2022 and 2023, delegates are encouraged to register early to secure their spot.

Link to SCREEN FOREVER 38 program HERE.