SCREEN FOREVER / News / Supercharged Opportunities

19 Feb 2025

Today, Screen Producers Australia (SPA) is pleased to announce more details of key local and international screen executives, all confirmed to participate in the upcoming SPA Connect Market (Tuesday, 6 May – Thursday, 8 May 2025) and Online Global Market (Tuesday, 29 April – Wednesday, 30 April 2025) taking place as part of SCREEN FOREVER 39, Australia’s premier screen industry event.

The SPA Connect Market is responsible for over $100 million in business annually and is critical to the health of the local sector and the ongoing strengthening of international business. 

Over 70 buyers, sellers, distributors, sales agents are making their way to Queensland’s Gold Coast to meet with Australian producers, all hoping to forge business relationships, take advantage of lucrative opportunities, and secure business deals at Australia’s premier screen industry event.  

Local in-person screen executives participating in the market include, several executives from the ABC, Alexandra Burke, Head of Acquisitions and Distribution, Arcadia, Jenny Buckland, CEO, Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF),  Michael Matrenza, Head of Marketing and Australian Acquisitions, Madman Entertainment, Petrina Hull, Acquisitions & Development Manager, Odin’s Eye Entertainment,  Tanya Esposito, Managing Director, One Tree Entertainment, Andrew Devlin, Sales & Acquisitions Manager, Pinnacle Films, Edwina Waddy, Head of Australian Content, Roadshow, Joseph Maxwell, Head of Unscripted, SBS, Dena Curtis, Head of Indigenous Commissioning and Production (NITV), SBS, Katharine Thornton, CEO, Sharmill Films, Greg Denning, Head of Sales, Acquisitions and Development Manager, STUDIOCANAL and Andrew Mackie, Joint Managing Director and Maria Sechos, Acquisitions Manager at Transmission Films.

Feature film buyers confirmed to take part in the Online Global Market, which in a change from previous years, will occur a week before SCREEN FOREVER 39, include Jacob Silvera, Director of Distributions and Acquisitions at Buffalo 8 (US), Mark Gooder, Co-President of Cornerstone Films (US) and Toby Hill, Acquisitions & Development Consultant from WestEnd Films (UK).

Other confirmed buyers that delegates can look forward to meeting with during the Online Global Market include factual buyers Zoe Stinson, Acquisitions and Productions Executive at TVF International (UK), Loren Baxter, Head of Acquisitions & Co-Productions at Off The Fence (UK) and Cecilie Olsen Marret, SVP Global Content, Non-Scripted at ITV Studios (UK).

Children’s content won’t be overlooked as buyers joining online will include Lionel Marty, Managing Director & Founder at APC Kids (France), Alice Curie, Acquisitions & Co-Productions Executive – Kids & Family EMEA at Warner Bros. Discovery (France) and Veronica Manzerolle, Director, Programming & Acquisitions at WildBrain (Canada).

Scripted buyers will attend in force online and include Charlotte de Vion, Senior Creative Acquisitions Manager at Federation Studios (France), Hattie Burles, Acquisitions Manager (Scripted) at Frèmantle International (UK), Lindsey Martin, SVP, International Co-Productions and Development at CBS Studios International (UK), Dermot Horan, Director of Acquisitions and Co-Productions at RTE (Ireland), James Copp, Co-head of Content at Night Train Media (UK), Lauren Whitelaw, Head of Programming at OUTtv (Canada), Yi Qiao, Director Drama at ZDF Studios GmbH (UK), Noel Manzano, SVP International Programming at AMC Networks (US) and Michaela Qvale, Manager, TV Development at Miramax (US).

SPA encourages delegates to familiarise themselves with beneficial structural changes to the online and in-person Ready, Steady, Pitch! offerings, which will come into effect in both upcoming markets.

Ready, Steady, Pitch! project submissions are currently open to Gold Coast Badge holders.  Registered delegates are encouraged to submit brief details of up to three projects they want to pitch at the market.

Submitting is easy, delegates provide topline details, including the title, format, genre, duration, and a compelling logline. Delegates shouldn’t delay—submissions close at 11:59 PM AEDT on Monday, 3 March 2025.

Projects will then be showcased to buyers from the Online Global Market (29–30 April 2025), the in-person SPA Connect Market, and Production Partnerships Forum companies.

Any remaining SPA Connect Market bookings will be available on a first-come, first-served basis when bookings open for the Online Global Market at 12:00pm AEDT on Tuesday, 1 April 2025, and the in-person SPA Connect Market at 12:00pm AEST on Tuesday, 8 April 2025.

The exciting changes will make it easier for delegates and hosts to connect, collaborate, and create impactful deals. With a fresh approach to matchmaking, projects and buyers will find their perfect fit faster, leading to more productive market experiences.

To help delegates maximise their market opportunities, SPA has already hosted three of the four webinars in the SPA Connect Market Briefing Series, where executives from Dynamic Television, Newen Connect, and XYZ Films have shared details on how they work with Australian producers and what projects they are looking for at SCREEN FOREVER providing priceless information on how to make the right impression during meetings with them.

The fourth and final webinar is today, Wednesday, 19 February from 6:30 – 7:00pm AEDT, with Noel Hedges, EVP, Acquisitions at Lionsgate. Register HERE.

More on the Online Global Market and the SPA Connect Market HERE. Delegates are advised to read the descriptions for each of the offerings to ensure they are entirely across all changes and aware of important dates and times for each offering.