Liam Heyen
Job Title
Producer / Co-Founder
Company
Mad Ones
Country (Address)
Australia
Biography
Liam Heyen (he/him) is a producer and co-founder of Mad Ones. Liam has a fast-growing body of work which focuses on elevating LGBTQI+ stories and filmmakers.
Liam’s first feature film JIMPA, an international co-production directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in early 2026. His second feature film IT'S ALL GOING VERY WELL… is written and directed by Tilda Cobham-Hervey, who also stars in the film alongside Jonathan Pryce and is currently in post-production.
In 2023 Liam produced the AACTA-nominated anthology series EROTIC STORIES starring Frances O’Connor with Lingo Pictures for SBS and ITV Studios. Prior to this, also for SBS, Liam produced LATECOMERS which screened in Official Competition at Series Mania 2023, and won numerous awards including an AACTA award, a DGA Award and a Screen Producers Award, as well as the SDIN award for its "groundbreaking portrayal of the cerebral palsy experience". Liam is an Executive Producer on HOMEBODIES - starring Claudia Karvan which premiered at Series Mania in 2026 before releasing on SBS.
Liam has produced an expansive catalogue of award-winning shorts including VOICE ACTIVATED (Tribeca 2023), YOU AND ME, BEFORE AND AFTER (TIFF 2021), STRANGERS (Iris Prize 2019) and ADULT (SXSW 2017).
Liam started his career working at Goalpost Pictures on the producing teams of projects including I AM WOMAN (TIFF 2019), CLEVERMAN (Berlinale 2016), and TOP END WEDDING (Sundance 2019), and is a graduate of AFTRS and Griffith Film School.
Liam’s first feature film JIMPA, an international co-production directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in early 2026. His second feature film IT'S ALL GOING VERY WELL… is written and directed by Tilda Cobham-Hervey, who also stars in the film alongside Jonathan Pryce and is currently in post-production.
In 2023 Liam produced the AACTA-nominated anthology series EROTIC STORIES starring Frances O’Connor with Lingo Pictures for SBS and ITV Studios. Prior to this, also for SBS, Liam produced LATECOMERS which screened in Official Competition at Series Mania 2023, and won numerous awards including an AACTA award, a DGA Award and a Screen Producers Award, as well as the SDIN award for its "groundbreaking portrayal of the cerebral palsy experience". Liam is an Executive Producer on HOMEBODIES - starring Claudia Karvan which premiered at Series Mania in 2026 before releasing on SBS.
Liam has produced an expansive catalogue of award-winning shorts including VOICE ACTIVATED (Tribeca 2023), YOU AND ME, BEFORE AND AFTER (TIFF 2021), STRANGERS (Iris Prize 2019) and ADULT (SXSW 2017).
Liam started his career working at Goalpost Pictures on the producing teams of projects including I AM WOMAN (TIFF 2019), CLEVERMAN (Berlinale 2016), and TOP END WEDDING (Sundance 2019), and is a graduate of AFTRS and Griffith Film School.
Speaking At
Founded by producers Cyna Strachan and Liam Heyen, Mad Ones is passionate about telling female-lead stories and those with a LGBTQI+ and disability focus.
Mad Ones has produced a catalogue of award-winning short films which have screened at top festivals including TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, MIFF and Sydney Film Festival. Credits include YOU AND ME, BEFORE AND AFTER directed by Madeleine Gottlieb, VOICE ACTIVATED, directed by Steve Anthopoulos, and ADULT, directed by Jamieson Pearce. Their latest short INCORRUPTIBLE, directed by Vanessa Gazy, is funded through the SNSW Short to Feature Fast Track initiative and due for completion in mid-2025.
In 2022 Mad Ones produced the acclaimed series LATECOMERS which won a 2023 ADG Award, the 2023 SPA Award for Best Online Series, the 2024 AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy as well as the SDIN Award for its “groundbreaking portrayal of the Cerebral Palsy experience”.
In 2024 Mad Ones produced their first feature JIMPA, an international co-production with Closer Films and Viking Films. Directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, JIMPA premiered at Sundance in 2025, and is due for a theatrical release later this year.
They have a exciting slate of film and television projects in development including the feature directorial debuts of Madeleine Gottlieb, Vanessa Gazy and Tilda Cobham-Hervey, an adult animation series WILLY produced with the acclaimed Ludo Studio, and another series with SBS slated for production in 2025.
The company is currently supported by Screen Australia’s Enterprise program.
Mad Ones has produced a catalogue of award-winning short films which have screened at top festivals including TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, MIFF and Sydney Film Festival. Credits include YOU AND ME, BEFORE AND AFTER directed by Madeleine Gottlieb, VOICE ACTIVATED, directed by Steve Anthopoulos, and ADULT, directed by Jamieson Pearce. Their latest short INCORRUPTIBLE, directed by Vanessa Gazy, is funded through the SNSW Short to Feature Fast Track initiative and due for completion in mid-2025.
In 2022 Mad Ones produced the acclaimed series LATECOMERS which won a 2023 ADG Award, the 2023 SPA Award for Best Online Series, the 2024 AACTA Award for Best Online Drama or Comedy as well as the SDIN Award for its “groundbreaking portrayal of the Cerebral Palsy experience”.
In 2024 Mad Ones produced their first feature JIMPA, an international co-production with Closer Films and Viking Films. Directed by Sophie Hyde and starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, JIMPA premiered at Sundance in 2025, and is due for a theatrical release later this year.
They have a exciting slate of film and television projects in development including the feature directorial debuts of Madeleine Gottlieb, Vanessa Gazy and Tilda Cobham-Hervey, an adult animation series WILLY produced with the acclaimed Ludo Studio, and another series with SBS slated for production in 2025.
The company is currently supported by Screen Australia’s Enterprise program.
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