In Kenyan filmmaker, Wanuri Kahiu’s Keynote address, she explores the AFROBUBBLEGUM movement. What if our art, our stories, our voices were more about celebrating joy than overcoming suffering? Would we think ourselves more worthy of happiness? Using examples of joy traditions and cultures expressed through African art, Wanuri presents an argument for the zeitgeist of joy and hope. This session is presented by . Anna’s keynote address took place on Saturday 28 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ. The Big Screen Symposium is New Zealand’s annual premiere film event, proudly brought to you by Script to Screen and janda. This podcast is available on Podbean, Spotify and Apple

Writer/director, David Lowery’s keynote address dissects his experience of capturing the zeitgeist in his career to date.  How can you ensure your story is relevant and interesting to modern audiences?  David breaks down his rollercoaster ride from trying to make films for posterity to making films that affect people deeply and collaborating closely with a tight-knit filmmaking family.

The Right Honorable Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is also our Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, focuses her keynote address on the value of storytellers to New Zealand culture. Laying a challenge to government to shift focus from the economic impact of the screen industry to the importance of storytellers and their place in modern society. How does storytelling impact the way we navigate the modern world and how can we increase access to and participation in the arts in New Zealand? The Prime Ministers address took place on Friday 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ. The Big Screen Symposium is New Zealand’s annual premiere film event, proudly brought to you by Script to Screen and janda. This podcast is available on Podbean, Spotify and Apple

CEO of the Swedish Film Institute, Anna Serner, has garnered international attention for her radical work towards gender equality in the screen industry.  In this electrifying talk, she provokes us to think differently about gender equality and lays out her step-by-step plan to achieve it. This session is presented by WIFT NZ. Anna’s keynote address took place on Saturday 28 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ. The Big Screen Symposium is New Zealand’s annual premiere film event, proudly brought to you by Script to Screen and janda. This podcast is available on Podbean, Spotify and Apple.

Fremantle’s Director of Drama, Jo Porter joins Phillipa Campbell in conversation to discuss her experience developing, producing and selling the trailblazing six-part Australian television series Picnic at the Hanging Rock. Together they explore the powers and pressures of adapting a beloved novel and the process of navigating a co-commission.

Jo’s session took place on Fri 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

Premiering at Berlin in 2019, Vai is the second feature to come from the team behind groundbreaking 2017 film, Waru  A collaborative anthology, the film brings nine Pasifika female writer/directors together to realise a story that follows the life of a woman named Vai as she travels across the Pacific.  A film about empowerment through culture, we hear how these nine trailblazing women brought their visions to life. This session took place on Friday 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

Stop-motion animation has enjoyed a renaissance over the past two decades despite the advancement of modern animation techniques. World-renowned experts in this field, Rachel Larsen and Antony Elworthy share insights into how they bring stop motion productions to life with filmmakers like Tim Burton, Wes Anderson and Harry Sinclair.

Antony and Rachel’s session took place on Saturday 28 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

Can new technologies address environmental issues and competing world views? Leading global thinker, Lynette Wallworth discusses her work in the Virtual and Augmented Reality sphere and the ways in which she “brings together technological advances and ancient understandings, new media and old practices, electronics and the electricity of human touch.”

Lynette’s session took place on Friday 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

Anna Deanworks at the forefront of audience engagement across the digital, film and social landscapes. In this session, Anna shares key learnings on changes to audience engagement in recent years. She provides practical tips to help you articulate your project in a way that connects, and challenges you to think about what your audience actually wants rather than what you think they should know. This session is presented by Loading Docs.

Anna’s session took place on Saturday 28 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

In this session filmmaker David Lowery uses a scene from his latest feature The Old Man & the Gun as a starting point to follow the evolution of an idea from first draft to final cut. He leads us on his own very specific filmmaking journey in order to explore the tangents and the detours that inspiration can take on its way to the big screen. This session is presented by The Weta Group of Companies.

David’s session took place on Friday 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

Being funny is a seriously tricky business, even if you’re a natural. In this session, some of NZ’s top comedic writing talent explore what makes their characters funny and how they’ve successfully taken NZ comedy to the world. Listen to Jackie van Beek, Madeleine Sami, Paul Yates and Melanie Bracewell chat with Alice Snedden about how they crafted the laughs. This session is presented by . This panel discussion session took place on Friday 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ. The Big Screen Symposium is New Zealand’s annual premiere film event, proudly brought to you by Script to Screen and janda. This podcast is available on Podbean, Spotify and Apple.

Stray is the debut feature film from award-winning writer/director/producer Dustin Feneley and producer Desray Armstrong. In this session, Dustin and Desray discuss how Stray was financed as an independent film; focusing on securing private investment and their record-breaking crowdfunding campaign. They’ll also explore the entrepreneurial skills, drive and tenacity needed to succeed as independent filmmakers.

Dustin and Desray’s session took place on Friday 27 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.

There are times for all filmmakers where there is no clear path ahead. Lynette Walworth and David Lowery share insights from their filmmaking journeys with moderator, Brita McVeigh. They explore the roadblocks they’ve faced, the deviations from the path and ultimately the way through in this intimate and enlightening conversation.

David and Lynette’s session took place on Saturday 28 Oct at the Big Screen Symposium 2018 in Auckland, NZ.