In the early 90s, American independent film burst on the media scene with the promise of new visions, new stories, and new approaches. Ted Hope was among the first producers to emerge from the pack and remains one of the few consistently delivering vital and exciting new work. As times, platforms, and tastes change, Ted’s work continues to break new ground, reach new audiences, and define the term “independent.”

A survey of Hope’s films – numbering close to seventy-includes many highlights of the last two decades. As generative as he is with movies, Ted is no less so in business; Ted co-founded and ran the 90s production & sales powerhouse Good Machine, which he and his partners sold to Universal in 2002. Good Machine was honoured by a retrospective at the Museum Of Modern Art in 2001. Hope subsequently co-founded the New York production company This Is That with his former assistant Anthony Bregman and Anne Carey, whom Hope met on his first day at NYU Film School. In its eight years, This Is That produced nineteen features, receiving numerous awards, including four Academy Award Best Screenplay nominations. Most recently, he founded Double Hope with his wife, filmmaker Vanessa Hope.

Hope is one of the film industry’s leading social media voices, posting regularly on his HopeForFilm blog. He also co-founded HammerToNail.com, a film review site focused on Truly Independent Film. Hope curates a monthly screening series at the Film Society Of Lincoln Center, and he will be launching an app this summer, designed to improve film’s business and culture. For all of this and more, Hope has been recognized as one of the most influential people in Independent Film.

Ted’s film Ti West’s THE SIDE EFFECT shot in fall of 2012 and starred Liv Tyler. Ted produced DARK HORSE, his third collaboration with Todd Solondz, which premiered at the Venice & Toronto Film Festivals. Like he did with HAPPINESS, he is also produced it’s distribution.Ted executive produced Karlovy Vary International Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize winner, COLLABORATOR, written and directed by Martin Donovan and starring Donovan, David Morse and Olivia Williams. He executive produced Sean Baker’s STARLET, which premiered in competition at SXSW, and Music Box released in 2012.  Among his other recent productions are the Directing Award winner at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, written and directed by Sean Durkin and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Hugh Dancy, and John Hawkes. With COLLABORATOR and MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, Hope now has twenty “first features” to his credit, including those of Alan Ball, Todd Field, Michel Gondry, Hal Hartley, Nicole Holofcener, Ang Lee, and Bob Pulcini & Shari Berman, among others.

Hope has received numerous awards and honours. In 2009, he was the recipient of the Vision Award from the LA Filmmakers’ Alliance, as well as the Woodstock Film Festival’s Trailblazer Award. His films have received some of the industry’s most prestigious honors: THE SAVAGES (2007) earned two Academy Award nominations; 21 GRAMS (2003), two Academy Award nominations and five BAFTA nominations; and In the Bedroom (2001), five Academy Award nominations. Ted holds a record at Sundance: three of his twenty-three Sundance entries (AMERICAN SPLENDOUR (2003), THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN (1995), and WHAT HAPPENED WAS… (1994) ) have won the Grand Jury Prize; no producer has won more. Two of his films,AMERICAN SPLENDOUR (2003), and HAPPINESS (1998), have won the Critics Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Hope consults and lectures throughout the world, including at the Forbes Global CEO Conference and as the Keynote Speaker at both the Power To The Pixel trans-media conference in London and Sundance’s Art House Convergence. Many film festival juries, including Sundance, SXSW, and Karlovy Vary have enjoyed Ted’s participation. He has appeared on A&E, CCTV 7 (China), CNN, Fox News, NPR, Sundance Channel, and numerous other media outlets.  Additionally, Ted is a board member of the IFP and serves on the advisory boards of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, The Film Collaborative, Power to the Pixel, and the Woodstock Film Festival. Ted teaches The Future Of Film at NYU Graduate Film School, in conjunction with the think tank he helped found there, The Cinema Research Institute.

Hope lives in New York City with his wife and son.

New Zealand director, producer and screenwriter Jane Campion is one of contemporary cinema’s most notable filmmakers. She is the first and only female director to receive the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival (1993) and only the second of four women ever to be nominated as Best Director at the Academy Awards (1994), both for THE PIANO. Jane went on to win Best Screenplay.

Jane studied anthropology at Victoria University in Wellington and painting at London’s Chelsea School of Arts and the Sydney College of the Arts before moving to film in the early 1980s studying at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

Her first short film, PEEL (1982), winner of the Short Film Palme d’Or in 1986 at Cannes Film Festival was followed in 1989 by SWEETIE, AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE (1990), THE PIANO (1993), THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY (1996); HOLY SMOKE (1999); IN THE CUT (2003) and BRIGHT STAR (2009).

In 2013 Jane created and co-wrote (with Gerard Lee), directed (with Garth Davis) and executive produced the mystery thriller TOP OF THE LAKE, a six-hour TV mini-series for the BBC, UK TV and the Sundance Channel.

In 2014 Jane was the Jury President of 67^th Festival de Cannes.

In Conversation with Jane Campion, Sun 11 October 3.10pm

Directing Masterclass with Jane Campion, Sun 11 October 10.30am

Guillermo Arriaga is a world renowned Mexican author, screenwriter, director and producer. His work as a screenwriter is one of the most revolutionary and interesting in world cinema.

“I have learned that the first rule of screenwriting, or any art, is having no rules.” Guillermo Arriaga

His debut feature film AMORES PERROS (2000), starring Gael Garcia Bernal, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Feature Film in 2001. It went on to win the BAFTA Award for Best Feature Film (not in the English Language), along with a host of other Best Screenplay and Best Direction awards at film festivals around the world.

He went on to write the screenplay for 21 GRAMS (2004) starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro – his second collaboration with Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. It was nominated for a BAFTA Best Screenplay award, as well two Academy Awards for Best Actress (Naomi Watts) and Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro).

In 2005 he won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his third feature film THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones.

His next film BABEL (2006), starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, won the Academy Award for Best Score and was nominated for six others including Best Screenplay and Best Picture.

His latest feature film and directorial debut, THE BURNING PLAIN (2007), starring Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Basinger, had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival. Here Guillermo was nominated for the Golden Lion (Best Screenplay), and Jennifer Lawrence won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Emerging Actress.

In 2010 he wrote and directed THE WELL, a short film about Mexican Revolution. In 2013 he finished directing his new short film THE GOD’S BLOOD with Oscar nominee Demian Bichir.

He is also considered one of the most influential writers in contemporary literature. He has written three novels: The Guillotine Squad (1991), A Sweet Scent of Death (1994) and The Night Buffalo (1999) along with one book of short stories: 201 Return.

“Guillermo has quite literally changed the way motion pictures are made.” Walter Parkes, Producer (The Burning Plain, Minority Report, Gladiator)

Speaker Session: Writing with Guillermo Arriaga

Keynote Address: Guillermo Arriaga: Reel Vision in a Digital World

An acclaimed artist, comedian, writer, actor and director, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS marks Taika Waititi’s third feature film, and the first in collaboration with his long time comedy mate, Jemaine Clement who appeared in his first feature EAGLE VS SHARK.

Taika became an international name in 2005 when his short film TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT, was nominated for an Oscar. The concept was eventually expanded to a feature length film, BOY, shot in 2009, which went on to break all box office records in New Zealand, becoming the highest grossing local film of all time.

Session info: The Marketing and Distribution of What We Do in the Shadows with Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Chelsea Winstanley

Raised in Idaho, Heather Rae (Cherokee) has been doing groundbreaking work as a producer and executive for more than twenty years. She has produced over ten feature films, numerous documentaries, and in 2009 she was named one of Variety’s Ten Producers To Watch for her success with both independent and mainstream films.

From 1996 to 2001, Heather directed the Native Program at the Sundance Institute where she cultivated the work of more than 50 Native American filmmakers and screenwriters. She was also a programmer for the Sundance Film Festival.

In 2005 she produced well-known documentary TRUDELL, a chronicle of legendary Native American poet/activist John Trudell’s travels, spoken word performances and politics, which premiered at Sundance.

She then produced critically-lauded film FROZEN RIVER (2008), the story of two women who smuggle illegal immigrants from Canada to the United States. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance that year, as well as two Gotham Awards, two Independent Spirit Awards, including Piaget Award for best producer, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Her 2010 film THE DRY LAND, which follows the struggle of a returned US soldier to readjust to homelife, premiered at Sundance and went on to win three Grand Jury awards at other festivals. Her next film, award-winning feature film MAGIC VALLEY (2011) premiered at Tribeca. Moving into a new sphere, she then produced Sundance comedy hit ASS BACKWARDS, written by June Raphael and Casey Wilson (BRIDE WARS).

Her recent films include SXSW darling I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS (starring STRANGER THINGS’ Natalie Dyer), and Netflix Original TALLULAH, written and directed by ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK writer Sian Heder. TALLULAH reunites JUNO actors Allison Janney and Ellen Page, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. She recently completed work on Olivia Milch’s Blacklist script, DUDE.

Heather has sat on the board of trustees for the Sundance Institute and advised to such organisations as The Rockefeller Foundation, IFP, Film Independent, The Ford Foundation, The Tribeca Institute, and First Americans in the Arts.

See Heather in the following sessions:

Keynote with Heather Rae – Sat 24th September, 10am.

Masterclass with Heahter Rae: Decolonising the screen –  Sun 25th September, 2:15 pm.

A double Academy Award nominated and double BAFTA winning screenwriter and film producer of the film THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2014) as well as a celebrated novelist, New Zealand-born Anthony McCarten is a filmmaker, novelist and playwright. He received early international success with his play Ladies Night, which remains New Zealand’s most commercially successful play of all time.

In 2011, his adaptation of his own novel DEATH OF A SUPERHERO had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, won the 2011 Les Arcs European Film Festival Audience Choice Prize and Young Jury Prize, and the Audience Award and ‘Special Mention’ of the Jury at the Mamer-en-Mars European Film Festival. Prior to this, VIA SATELLITE, which he adapted from his own stage play, and directed himself, was invited to several film festivals including London, Cannes, Toronto, Melbourne, Hawaii and Seattle. His follow-up feature as writer/director,  SHOW OF HANDS(2008), premiered at the Montreal International Film Festival and was an official selection for the Shanghai Film Festival 2009, and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the New Zealand Film Awards.

McCarten produced and wrote THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2014), concerning the life of Prof. Stephen Hawking, and his first wife, Jane Hawking. On January 15, 2015 the film received 5 Academy Award nominations, with McCarten earning two as producer and screenwriter in the categories of Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. He won two BAFTA awards for his roles as producer Best British Film and screenwriter Best Adapted Screenplay.

He is currently working on several upcoming projects: a biopic of Winston Churchill, another of Freddie Mercury, the 2008 siege of The Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, the origin story of bungee jumping, an adaptation of his latest novel Funnygirl, and a project for George Clooney.

In 2015 he was inducted as a Literary Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Authors.

He lives in London.

Writing Masterclass with Anthony McCarten, Sat 10th October, 2.45pm

One of Australia’s most prolific thespians, Rachel Griffiths is also an Academy Award nominated and multi-award winning actress. After a successful career on the Australian stage, Rachel Griffiths burst onto the international scene in 1994 with P.J. Hogan’s much loved feature film MURIEL’S WEDDING. Her film credits since then include MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING alongside Julia Roberts, THE ROOKIE, THE HARD WORD with Guy Pearce, BLOW, STEP UP, BURNING MAN, NED KELLY, PATRICK, SAVING MR BANKS with Tom Hanks, BEAUTIFUL KATE and HILARY & JACKIE, a performance which earned her an Academy Award nomination.

In television Rachel earned a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Brenda in the critically acclaimed and long running HBO series SIX FEET UNDER. She also received an Emmy Award nomination for her role in fellow US series BROTHERS & SISTERS. Other television credits include the HBO/NBC CoPro CAMP and the Julian Assange biopic UNDERGROUND, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rachel featured in the hugely successful series HOUSE HUSBANDS in 2014 as well as a directing spot on NOWHERE BOYS for Matchbox Pictures. Other television credits include MAG WARS and DEADLINE GALLIPOLI for Foxtel alongside Sam Worthington, Hugh Dancy and Charles Dance.

On stage Griffiths received Helpmann and Green Room Awards for her role as ‘Catherine’ in the of David Auburn’s Pulitzer production of Proof. Perhaps most notably, Rachel tread the boards in the Broadway production of Other Desert Cities opposite Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach and Thomas Sadoski.

Keynote Address: Rachel Griffiths, Sat 10th October, 4.20pm

In Conversation with Rachel Griffiths, Sun 11th October, 1.45pm

With over 20 years experience in the film industry, Cliff Curtis has appeared in and produced many of New Zealand’s most celebrated movies – including THE PIANO, ONCE WERE WARRIORS, WHALE RIDER and THE DARK HORSE, whilst carving a career as a chameleon character actor in Hollywood.

Starting his professional career in regional theaters across NZ, Curtis made his feature film debut in a small role in THE PIANO (1993). He explored a wide range of genres in NZ films including DESPERATE REMEDIES, JUBILEE and RIVER QUEEN. But it was ONCE WERE WARRIORS (1994) and WHALE RIDER (2002) that bought him to a wider audience. To date he has received four NZ Film and TV awards as well as the Best Actor in a Feature Film – Asia Pacific Screen Awards for his role as Genesis Potini in THE DARK HORSE (2014). This role also garnered him the Best Actor Award at the Seattle International Film Festival.

In Hollywood, Curtis has played an array of diverse roles and ethnicities, starring in movies alongside Hollywood legends such as Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, Al Pacino, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony Hopkins and George Clooney.

He starred in AMC’s FEAR THE WALKING DEAD alongside Kim Dickens. The show premiered on August 23, 2015, and was the most watched series premiere in U.S cable TV history.

Also a producer, Curtis formed Māori film production company Whenua Films in 2004 with cousin Ainsley Gardiner. The pair produced Taika Waititi’s WWII short film TAMA TU (2005), debut feature, geek comedy EAGLE VS SHARK (2007), and BOY (2010), the feature inspired by Waititi’s Oscar-nominated short TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT. Accumulating a cache of local and international acclaim and awards for each project, it was BOY that became the highest grossing local film in NZ history only to be surpassed this year by another Waititi directed feature.

In 2013 Curtis created production company Arama Pictures to continue his commitment to indigenous storytelling inspired by the work of mentors Merata Mita, Don Selwyn & Barry Barclay.

Curtis continues to alternate financing and producing local stories with acting roles in Hollywood counting over 50 credits to date between producing and acting in TV, theatre and film.

Hear from Cliff on Script to Screen podcasts in the following session:

In Conversation with Cliff Curtis – Sun 25th September, 3:25pm.

Since early in his career, the films of Sebastián Silva, a Chilean writer and director, have received international acclaim.

He studied filmmaking at the Escuela de Cine de Chile for a year before leaving to study animation in Montreal. In 2007, he co-wrote and directed his first feature, LA VIDA ME MATA which garnered multiple awards, including Best Film from the Chilean Critics Circle.

Silva’s success continued with his next film, LA NANA (THE MAID) which premiered in World Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury prize. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, as well as an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Foreign Film category. Sebastián followed up THE MAID with his film OLD CATS, which premiered at the 2010 New York Film Festival.

In 2012 Sebastián directed two films, MAGIC MAGIC and CRYSTAL FAIRY. MAGIC MAGIC, which he wrote and directed, is a dark thriller starring Michael Cera, Juno Temple and Emily Browning with Christine Vachon and Mike White producing. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival as well as the 2013 Cannes Film Festival as part of Directors’ Fortnight. CRYSTAL FAIRY similarly premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The film starred Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffman, and was produced by Pablo Larrain and Juan de Dios Larrian.

Sebastián’s film NASTY BABY, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, stars Sebastián himself as Freddy, a Brooklyn artist, alongside Tunde Adebimpe as Mo, who are a gay couple grappling with the complications of conceiving a child via artificial insemination, and enlist the help of their friend Polly, played by Kristen Wiig.

Filmmaking Masterclass with Sebastián Silva, Sat 10th October, 11.20am

In Conversation with Sebastián Silva, Sun 11th October, 9.00am

So Yong Kim is an award-winning Korean American filmmaker.  Kim received the Special Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival for her debut feature, IN BETWEEN DAYS. Inspired by her youth, the film was shot in Toronto, mostly improvised by its teenage cast members, whose awkward, raw romance and alienation from their surroundings were expressed through intimate digital photography.  The film was released by Kino Films.

Her critically acclaimed second feature TREELESS MOUNTAIN, filmed in Kim’s home town in South Korea, follows the intimate story of two young girls who are abandoned by their mother and must find their own resilience to continue.  The film was released by Oscilloscope Laboratories, and distributed worldwide.

Kim’s third feature, FOR ELLEN, stars Paul Dano and Jon Heder, and is often cited as Dano’s best work. The film premiered at Sundance and was theatrically released by Tribeca Films in 2012. In 2014 Kim released SPARK AND LIGHT, a short film starring Riley Keough commissioned by fashion house Miu Miu as part of their ongoing series Women’s Tales.

Kim premiered her fourth feature, LOVESONG, at Sundance Film Festival in 2016 starring Riley Keough and Jena Malone. LOVESONG was released in 2017 by Strand Releasing and is currently available on Netflix.

Kim also directed episodes of TRANSPARENT for Amazon, AMERICAN CRIME for ABC, THE GOOD FIGHT for CBS and ROOM 104 for HBO.

So Yong appeared at the 2017 BSS in the following session:

Keynote Addresses: Authenticity & Pretence – Saturday 30 September, 10.10am.

Listen to So Yong on Script to Screen Podcasts in the following session:

Directing with So Yong Kim – Sunday 1 October, 11.10am.

Sam Neill has appeared in more than 60 feature films, from Kiwi classics and British dramas to Hollywood blockbusters. He also co-directed the acclaimed CINEMA OF UNEASE (1995), a documentary about New Zealand film which The New York times labelled the highlight of the Century of Cinema series.

Sam Neill entered the world as Nigel Neill, born in Omagh, Northern Ireland in 1947. His father was a third generation New Zealander serving in the British Army, who returned home to join the family liquor business in 1953.

Growing up in the antipodes, Neill received as close to a classic English education as it was possible to get, attending Anglican boy’s secondary school, Christ College, in Christchurch. Along with his family background, this no doubt helped set Neill in the mould of the urbane English gent he would play many times in his career. But growing up in a far off colony also gave Neill his point of difference – a sense of belonging somewhere ‘else’, which also comes through strongly in his work.

He loved movies, especially anything by Alfred Hitchcock, and involved himself in drama; acting was a talent that came easily to him. As well as performing at school, Neill took part in the annual Shakespearian productions put on by celebrated novelist Dame Ngaio Marsh.

Neill’s thespian ambitions blossomed while studying for a BA in English at Canterbury University. He joined a travelling theatre troupe, the Players’ Drama Quartet, and spent a year with them, criss-crossing New Zealand in a mini-bus.

Neill then joined the Government-owned National Film Unit, and over the next six years  gained a grounding in all aspects of documentary production. He directed roughly nine shorts there, a number of which played before movies in theatres – including  FLARE; A SKI TRIP, and SURF SAIL, which followed the first crossing of Cook Strait by wind surfers. He also directed pieces on Ian Athfield (ARCHITECT ATHFIELD) and the Red Mole theatre troupe (RED MOLE ON THE ROAD).

Neill continued to participate in fringe theatre productions and short films, including Barry Barclay’s ASHES. His feature film debut came with LANDFALL (1974). Directed by Neill’s Film Unit colleague Paul Maunder, the experimental feature followed four people who attempt to live an alternate lifestyle. Little seen in New Zealand, LANDFALL won the top award at the Pacific and Asian Film Festival in Shiraz.

Neill put the experience to good use when his ASHES performance helped him win the leading role in breakthrough NZ feature SLEEPING DOGS (1977). His performance as man on the run from a totalitarian Government was perfectly in synch with the material. New Zealand audiences saw an everyman hero to whom they could relate. But more importantly for Neill’s later trajectory, international audiences recognised his star quality as well.

A fork in the road came with an offer to star in Gillian Armstrong’s MY BRILLIANT CAREER (1979) – a title that would be prophetic for Neill. The move to Australia saw him spend time in prosaic Australian TV shows like THE SULLIVANS, but it got him noticed. One of those who saw his potential was veteran English actor James Mason.

Mason recognised kindred qualities in the young man from New Zealand. Not only did he recommend Neill for the lead role of the Anti-Christ in third OMEN movie THE FINAL CONFLICT; Mason also bought him “an air ticket to Europe and found me an agent”. Starring opposite fellow Kiwi Lisa Harrow, Neill’s strong performance helped bring him to the attention of filmmakers beyond the Antipodes.

But it was his starring role in hit British TV series, REILLY: ACE OF SPIES (1983) that consolidated Neill’s reputation, in the process earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.

Neill followed REILLY with a mix of European art movies, films in Australia, and television productions on both sides of the Atlantic. Over coming years he worked with directors Wim Wenders, Claude Chabrol, and Fred Schepisi (EVIL ANGELS). Neill starred opposite Sean Connery in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, and fellow Kiwi John Clarke in memorable Australian comedy DEATH IN BRUNSWICK. In the process he became a dependable, even bankable leading man, but Neill’s star was set to rise still further in one extraordinary year.

In 1993 Neill played one of the scientists in Speilberg blockbuster Jurassic Park, and followed it with a powerful performance as a stuck-in-the-mud colonial in Jane Campion classic The Piano. Remembering the later, Neill told The Guardian, “it was very hard to do that movie, chopping off your wife’s finger in a rainstorm in the mud. Could have a bad effect on you. Holly Hunter was such a firebrand. She fought back like buggery. After three takes I was absolutely exhausted”.

Neill has continued to play a wide range of roles across different genres, exhibiting a consistent ability to woo audiences, whether playing hero, villain, or the wizard Merlin (for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe). He has even won the pop culture accolade of being a guest on The Simpsons (in an episode on the show’s fifth season).

Neill has regularly starred or co-starred in Australian productions (TV’s ROBBERY UNDER ARMS,  DEAD CALM, SIRENS, THE DISH, LITTLE FISH, John Clarke’s STIFF. After more than 14 years working beyond New Zealand shores, he returned home to shoot THE SINKING OF THE RAINBOW WARRIOR (playing real-life Superintendent Allan Galbraith) and THE PIANO. Since then he has joined Kiwi director Gaylene Preston for romantic thriller PERFECT STRANGERS (2003) and NO.2 director Toa Fraser for award-winner DEAN SPANLEY (2008) –  playing the title role of a very unusual priest, opposite screen legend Peter O’Toole. The following year Neill starred as the mysterious Mr Jones in Jonathan King’s retooling of Kiwi sci-fi classic UNDER THE MOUNTAIN (a clip of his work in the film can be seen here).

Neill returned to his birthplace of Northern Ireland to film TV series THE TUDORS. 2011 saw him due to appear in a wide range of projects; from the partly Kiwi-shot disaster tale Ice, to JJ Abrams time-travelling drama ALCATRAZ, to acclaimed Tasmanian-set feature THE HUNTER, opposite Willem Dafoe.

The 1995 documentary, CINEMA OF UNEASE, co-directed by Neill with Judy Rymer, remains a definitive, though contentious, study of New Zealand’s “dark and brooding” cinema and culture. The film was made as part of a series of international documentaries marking 100 years of cinema.

Cate Shortland is one of Australia’s most lauded filmmakers, and in her 15 years in the industry has created some of Australia’s most significant drama work.

Cate wrote and directed her debut feature film SOMERSAULT, a coming-of-age drama which follows a young girl as she runs away to the Australian Alps. The film premiered at Un Certain Regard at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, where it gained much attention, and went on to screen at a number of other film festivals worldwide including TIFF, Sydney, Edinburgh, Tokyo and Stockholm film festivals. It sold to international distributors including Magnolia (US), Paramount (Germany), and had a theatrical release in over 15 countries. At home in Australia it made history by winning 13 of its 15 nominations at the Australian Film Institute Awards.

In television Cate is known as both a writer and director. As a screenwriter she has worked on acclaimed TV mini series THE KETTERING INCIDENT, a chilling eight-part mystery set in the wilds of Tasmania (currently available on NZ’s VOD service Lightbox), THE DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, DEADLINE GALLIPOLI, and THE SLAP. As a director, Cate’s credits include directing multiple episodes of THE SECRET LIFE OF US and the mini series THE SILENCE.

In 2012, Cate co-wrote and directed her second feature film LORE, a german co-production which follows the journey of a young girl fleeing Allied Forces in the immediate aftermath of WWII in Germany. The german language film is based on british book THE DARK ROOM by Rachel Seiffert. It premiered in competition at the Sydney Film Festival, and went on to win four awards at the Stockholm International Film Festival, including the Bronze Horse for best film. It won critical acclaim internationally, and gained theatrical releases across Europe and the US. It was Australia’s entry in the Academy Awards in 2013.

Most recently, Cate directed THE BERLIN SYNDROME based on a book by Melanie Joosten, adapted by Shaun Grant. The film released internationally in 2017.

Hear from Cate Shortland on Script to Screen podcasts in the following sessions:

Screenwriting Masterclass with Cate Shortland – Sat 24th September, 2:45 pm.

The Makings Of Great TV with Cate Shortland & Tony Krawitz – Sun 25th September, 9:40 am.

In January 2010, David Michôd’s debut feature film Animal Kingdom won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. It went on to win 10 Australian Film Institute awards from a record 18 nominations, was named Best First Film by the New York Film Critics Circle and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress Jacki Weaver.

David’s second film THE ROVER, featuring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, screened in official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

His third feature, WAR MACHINE, featuring Brad Pitt, Ben Kingsley, Meg Tilly, Will Poulter and Lakeith Stanfield, premiered for Netflix in May 2017.

David co-wrote (with director Spencer Susser) the feature film HESHER, starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Natalie Portman, that screened in Sundance 2010’s US competition.

The documentary SOLO (which David co-directed with Jen Peedom), about Andrew McAuley’s ill-fated attempt to kayak from Australia to New Zealand, received best documentary awards from the Australian Film Institute in 2009, and the Film Critics Circle of Australia and Australian Directors Guild in 2010.

David’s short films, including NETHERLAND DWARF and CROSSBOW, have screened at the Venice, Berlin and Sundance film festivals, winning awards around the world.

David is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts (School of Film & Television), and was the editor of Australia’s Inside Film magazine between 2003 and 2006.

Listen to David on Script to Screen Podcasts in the following sessions::

Directing with David Michôd – Saturday 30 September, 3.00pm

In Conversation with Luke Davies and David Michôd – Sunday 1 October, 2.40pm

Alix Madigan produced WINTER’S BONE, directed by Debra Granik and starring Jennifer Lawrence, which was the winner of The Grand Jury Prize for best dramatic feature at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010. She was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for best picture for WINTER’S BONE and the film received three other nominations. It also won The Gotham Award for Best Picture and won two Independent Spirit Awards.

Alix most recently produced LAGGIES, starring Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell and Chloe Moretz and directed by Lynn Shelton and WHITEBIRD IN A BLIZZARD, starring Shailene Woodley and directed by Gregg Araki, both of which premiered at Sundance in 2014 and will debut later in 2014. Also, she produced MAY IN THE SUMMER which was in the Dramatic Competition at The Sundance Film Festival in 2013 and starred Hiam Abbass, Bill Pullman and Alia Shawkat, directed by Cherien Dabis. She released THE AUTOMATIC HATE, directed by Justin Lerner. in 2015.

She has served in various producing capacities on films such as the cult comedy SMILEY FACE, directed by Gregg Araki and starring Anna Faris, MARRIED LIFE, directed by Ira Sachs and starring Rachel McAdams and Pierce Brosnan, CLEANER, directed by Renny Harlin, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ed Harris, Neil LaBute’s YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, starring Ben Stiller and Natassja Kinski, CASE 39, directed by Christian Alvert, starring Renee Zellweger and GIRL MOST LIKELY starring Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening and directed by Shari Berman and Bob Pulcini, which was released in July, 2013.

Alix’s first produced movie was SUNDAY, directed by Jonathan Nossiter, which won The Grand Jury Prize for best dramatic feature and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

Currently, Alix is a staff producer for Anonymous Content, a multimedia company based in Los Angeles which produces a range of context including series TRUE DETECTIVE starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. She has served at various companies before her current position at Anonymous Content, including Propaganda Films, Skouras Pictures and Avenue Entertainment. She serves on the board of Film Independent.  She graduated from Dartmouth College and has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

Session info: In Conversation with Alix Madigan (US)

Session info: Producing masterclass with Alix Madigan (US) From Inception to Audience – Becoming the Engine

Australian-born, Los Angeles-based Luke Davies is an internationally renowned, award-winning screenwriter, novelist and poet.

Davies’ screenplay LION, directed by Garth Davis (TOP OF THE LAKE), stars Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, and was produced by See Saw Films (Oscar-winning producers of THE KING’S SPEECH). In May 2014, after a bidding war at the Cannes Film Festival, worldwide rights to LION were purchased for $13 million by The Weinstein Company – based on the screenplay alone, and without any cast in place.

For LION, Davies won the BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay, and was nominated for a 2017 Academy Award in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

Davies’ screenplay LIFE, about the friendship between James Dean and Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock, was directed by Anton Corbijn and stars Robert Pattinson, Dane DeHaan, Joel Edgerton and Sir Ben Kingsley. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015.

Davies’ adaptation BEAUTIFUL BOY (Plan B / Amazon Studios) is directed and co-written by Oscar-nominated Felix von Groeningen, produced by Oscar-winners Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner and stars Steve Carrell.

Davies has written, and will showrun with director David Michôd, a television mini-series adaptation of the Joseph Heller novel CATCH-22, produced by Anonymous Content and Paramount Television.

NEWS OF THE WORLD, Davies’ next feature project, is an adaptation of Paulette Jiles’ best-selling novel, and is set up at Fox 2000, with Gail Mutrux and Tom Hanks / Playtone attached to produce, with Tom Hanks to star in the lead role.

Davies’ novels are the cult best-seller Candy, Isabelle the Navigator and God of Speed. Candy was shortlisted for Australia’s NSW Premier’s Awards and published in France, Spain, Germany, Israel, Greece, the UK and USA. God Of Speed was published in the US in 2014.

Davies adapted CANDY for the screen with director Neil Armfield. The film starred the late Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish and Geoffrey Rush, and premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. Davies won both an AWGIE Award and an AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for CANDY.

Davies’ short film AIR, his first as writer/director, starring actor Andrew Garfield, premiered at the Marfa Film Festival in Texas in 2010, and also screened at the Venice International Short Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Davies is the long-term film critic for the Australian magazine The Monthly, as well as an occasional book reviewer and essayist for other magazines and newspapers. His memoir/essay The Cisco Kid was nominated for a Southern California Journalism Award with the Los Angeles Press Club. He has featured as a storyteller on the award-winning NPR programs This American Life and Unfictional.

Davies has published five volumes of poetry (the latest, Interferon Psalms, won the inaugural Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Poetry, at $80,000 Australia’s largest and most prestigious literary prize). His poetry collection Totem won the South Australian Premier’s Literary Award for Poetry, the Age Poetry Book of the Year and the overall Age Book of the Year Award, an unusual feat for a book of poetry. In 2004 Davies was also awarded the Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal for Poetry. His volume Absolute Event Horizon was shortlisted for the National Book Council Poetry Prize. Running with Light won the Judith Wright Poetry Prize at the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards.

In 2010 Davies also won Australia’s top essay prize, the John Curtin Prize for Best Essay, at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, for his 15,000 word Monthly essay The Penalty is Death, about the lives inside of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamaran, two drug runners on Bali’s death row. (They would be executed by firing squad, to great public controversy, in 2015.)

Davies’ children’s book Magpie was published by ABC Books in 2010. His play Stag was produced for the Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf2Loud stage in 2006.

Listen to Luke on Script to Screen Podcasts in the following sessions:

Adaptation with writer Luke Davies – Saturday 30 September, 11.40am

In Conversation with Luke Davies and David Michôd – Sunday 1 October, 2.40pm

Australian producer Liz Watts has over 13 years of experience in the screen industry, having produced and executive-produced over ten feature films and numerous television dramas. Amongst her credits are many critically acclaimed titles, by some of Australia’s most anticipated directors.

Her feature films include ANIMAL KINGDOM (2010, Director David Michôd), THE HOME SONG STORIES (2007, Director Tony Ayres), LITTLE FISH (2005, Director Rowan Woods), Cannes & Sundance selected JEWBOY (2005, Director Tony Krawitz), and Berlin selected WALKING ON WATER, (2002 Director Tony Ayres).

Liz’ last feature THE ROVER, reteaming with writer/ director David Michôd, premiered in Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2014. THE ROVER stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson, and is sold by FilmNation.

Liz produced the acclaimed German Australian co-production LORE, directed by Cate Shortland, and DEAD EUROPE, directed by Tony Krawitz, with Emile Sherman & Iain Canning, both of which premiered at Festival Special Presentation Toronto International Film in 2012.

As Executive Producer, her credits include THE HUNTER (2011, Daniel Nettheim), starring Willem Defoe, LOU (2010 Belinda Chayko, starring John Hurt), PRIME MOVER (2009 David Caesar), and in 2015, THE KETTERING INCIDENT 8 part TV series for Foxtel, and upcoming feature film JASPER JONES with director Rachel Perkins.

Liz’s television credits include two seasons of LAID (ABC TV, Marieke Hardy & Kirsty Fisher creators, Trent O’Donnell, Abe Forsythe Directing), MARTHA’S NEW COAT (2003, SBS, Director Rachel Ward), DELIVERY DAY (2001, SBS, Director Jane Manning) as well as documentaries including BURIED COUNTRY (2000, SBS); THE PITCH (1998, ABC) and ISLAND STYLE (1999, SBS).

Liz is a 2011 Churchill Fellowship recipient, and she served as Board Member of the Sydney Film Festival for 5 years and as Vice President of the Board of MetroScreen for 6 years. She is currently a Board member of the South Australian Film Corporation.

Producing Masterclass with Liz Watts, Sun 11th October, 1.45pm

Jonathan Raymond is a novelist and screenwriter based in Portland, Oregon. In his work for screen, Jonathan is known for his creative collaborations with revered auteurs Kelly Reichardt and Todd Haynes.

As a writer, Jonathan Raymond is known for his novels including The Half-Life (2004) and Rain Dragon (2012). In 2008, Raymond published his first collection of short stories, entitled Livability, which won the Oregon Book Award’s Ken Kesey Award for Fiction in 2009. The collection was also a Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writer’s” selection. Raymond’s writing has appeared in Tin House, the Village Voice, Bookforum, Artforum, and other publications. His latest novel, Freebird, released in January 2017.

Two of his short stories, Old Joy and Train Choir, caught director Kelly Reichardt’s attention, and together, based on these stories, they co-wrote the screenplays for two feature films, OLD JOY and WENDY AND LUCY, both of which she directed.

OLD JOY (2006) tells the tale of old friends reuniting for camping trip, and stars Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy). The film premiered at Sundance in 2006, and went on to win awards including the Tiger Award for Best Director at Rotterdam IFF, and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Producer (Neil Kopp).

WENDY AND LUCY (2008) follows a broke girl travelling to Alaska in search of work, with her dog as her companion. It premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2008, and stars Michelle Williams, who received unanimous critical acclaim for her role (as well as her co-star, dog – Lucy, winning the Palm Dog for best performance by a dog). The film won AFI Award for Movie of the year amongst countless other awards and nominations in North America and world wide, and appeared on numerous ‘Top 10 Movies of the Year’ lists including the New York Times and The Village Voice.

Kelly and Jonathan’s next collaborations were Oregon-based western, MEEK’S CUTOFF (2010), which played in competition at Venice Film Festival, winning the SIGNIS Jury Prize, and then suspenseful drama, NIGHT MOVES (2013) starring Dakota Fanning and Jesse Eisenberg, which also played in competition in Venice.

Most recently, Jonathan collaborated with I’M NOT THERE director Todd Haynes, co-writing HBO’s 5 times Emmy Award-winning miniseries MILDRED PIERCE, starring Kate Winslet. Together they were nominated for an Emmy for Best Screenplay.

Jonathan appeared at the 2016 BSS in the following sessions:

Writing masterclass with Jonathan Raymond: Screenwriting as earth art – Sat 24th September 11:00 am

In conversation with Jonathan Raymond: Wildess, Control and Collaboration – Sun 25th September, 11:10 am.

Hear from Jonathan on Script to Screen podcasts in the following session:

In conversation with Jonathan Raymond: Wildess, Control and Collaboration

Opeyemi Olukemi is Senior Director of Interactive for Tribeca Film Institute, where she oversees the TFI New Media Fund and leads the Institute’s digital and interactive programs.

A fierce advocate for cross-disciplinary collaboration and immersive storytelling, Opeyemi has provided the interactive field with 360-degree support. She spearheaded a day-long immersion into the world of digital storytelling (TFI Interactive), an arena showcasing immersive technologies and projects (TFI Interactive Playground), a creative incubator that mentors storytellers and technologists in creating interactive prototypes (Tribeca Hacks) and an interactive resource report (Tribeca Sandbox).

In 2015 Opeyemi introduced DEF CON at the Tribeca Film Festival, where the worlds of hacker culture and filmmaking merged to address issues of surveillance, technological education and access.

Previously a Senior Project Manager at ScrollMotion, she worked with and oversaw teams of designers, programmers, and third-party vendors in the production of new media applications for clients such as Disney, O: The Oprah Magazine, and Genentech.

Opeyemi is also Assistant Professor of Integrated Media at Brooklyn College’s Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, a mentor at NEW INC and a 2016 Rockwood JustFilms Fellow.

See Opeyemi Olukemi in the following session:

Interactive Masterclass with Opeyemi Olukemi: Storytelling For The Future – Sun 25th September, 9:40 am.

David Wenham has received critical acclaim for his diverse performances in film, theatre and television. He is one of Australia’s most respected actors.

Best known internationally as Faramir in Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed second and third LORD OF THE RINGS instalments THE TWO TOWERS and RETURN OF THE KING in which he shared in the Screen Actors Guild Award®, Broadcast Film Critics Award and National Board of Review Award in the category of Best Ensemble. He has recently appeared in ORANGES AND SUNSHINE alongside Emily Watson and Hugo Weaving; POPE JOAN; Baz Luhrmann’s AUSTRALIA with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and PUBLIC ENEMIES starring alongside Johnny Depp.

David’s accolades include Best Actor Awards at the 2003 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, IF Awards, and The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) for GETTIN’ SQUARE, Best Actor nominations at the AFI Awards for Paul Cox’s MOLOKAI: THE STORY OF FATHER DAMIEN, THE BANK . and BETTER THAN SEX; and a Best Actor nomination at the 1999 FCCA Awards and AFI Awards for his haunting portrayal of a psychopath named Brett Sprague in THE BOYS alongside Toni Collette.

Some of David’s other feature film credits include 300, in which he worked with director Zack Synder, MOULIN ROUGE!, COSI, MARRIED LIFE. VAN HELSING, THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI and THE PROPOSITION. in 2014 David reprised his role as ‘Dilios’ in 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE.

David is well known to Australian television audiences as the loveable Diver Dan in the award winning ABC TV series SEACHANGE, a role which earned him an AFI Award nomination in 1998. He won the same award the previous year for the critically acclaimed ABC TV miniseries SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR’S BABIES. His recent television credits include KILLING TIME, DRIPPING IN CHOCOLATE and 2013 international miniseries TOP OF THE LAKE which co-stars Elizabeth Moss and Holly Hunter.

TOP OF THE LAKE is written and created by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and filmed and set in New Zealand. Top of the Lake earned international acclaim since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The miniseries is currently nominated for 8 Emmy Awards including Outstanding TV Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or A Dramatic Special.

He featured in the SBS series BETTER MAN opposite Bryan Brown and Claudia Karvan which screened 2013.

Most recently David directed the short film COMMISSION featuring Hugo Weaving and Josh McConville. COMMISSION will screen as part of the feature film collaboration of iconic Australian writer Tim Winton’s THE TURNING. Other contributors include Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, Simon Stone, Robyn Nevin and Mia Wasikowska.

Workshop: Acting with David Wenham

In Conversation: Robyn Malcom Talks to Guest David Wenham

Born in New Rochelle New York, Barrie M. Osborne earned a degree in sociology from Carleton College, Minnesota. Osborne rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before entering the film industry as an apprentice editor and assistant production manager. He was accepted into the Directors Guild of America trainee program and worked under the tutelage of directors such as Alan Pakula, Sydney Pollack and Francis Ford Coppola, who hired Osborne as production manager on APOCALYPSE NOW.

For the next 30 years Osborne worked as a production manager, director, film producer, and executive producer. His awe inspiring body of work as a producer or executive producer includes THE BIG CHILL, THE MATRIX, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, DICK TRACY, RAPA NUI, CHINA MOON, FACE/OFF and THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN.

Osborne subsequently went on to produce THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy for which he received an Academy Award for Best Picture alongside Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh.

He has recently executive produced the THE GREAT GATSBY remake, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Walt Disney fantasy adventure film PETE’S DRAGON, in 2016.

See Barrie in the following session:

In Conversation with Barrie Osborne – Sat 24th September, 4:30pm.

Born in Canada and raised in New Zealand, Alison Maclean came to international attention when her short film KITCHEN SINK (1989) was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and won eight awards at festivals worldwide. Starring a young Theresa Healey, it is arguably the most successful short film to come from New Zealand. Her debut NZ feature film CRUSH (1992), produced by Bridget Ikin, also played in competition at Cannes, and was the only debut feature in competition.

Alison then moved to the US and directed her second feature, JESUS’ SON (1999), which won the Little Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival and earned Alison a Best Director nomination.

Alison has since made her home in New York, working professionally as a director for the last two decades in commercials and television drama. She has directed episodes of the critically acclaimed series SEX IN THE CITY, CARNIVALE, THE TUDORS, THE L-WORD, and GOSSIP GIRL.

In addition to drama, Alison co-directed the documentary PERSON OF INTEREST, which screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, and the comedic documentary/narrative hybrid Intolerable, which screened at the Edinburg, Toronto, L.A., and Hamptons International Film festivals. 

Alison has continued make short films, and is developing a number of feature projects. She directed the NZ feature film THE REHEARSAL, for which Maclean co-wrote an adapted screenplay with novelist Emily Perkins, from Eleanor Catton’s first novel of the same name.

In Conversation with Alison Maclean, Sat 10th October, 2.45pm

Neil Cross is a British novelist and screenwriter best known as the creator of the multi-award winning international hit BBC crime series LUTHER, starring Idris Elba, and the international hit horror movie MAMA.

Neil was born in Bristol in 1969. He lived in Edinburgh, Brighton, Leeds and London before settling down. He is the author of several novels including Always the Sun, Burial and Captured, and his bestselling memoir Heartland was shortlisted for the PEN/Ackerley Prize in 2006. He was lead scriptwriter for the acclaimed series 6 and series 7 of the BBC spy drama series SPOOKS. He is the creator and sole writer of LUTHER, for which he has twice been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing and which screens in more than 160 territories worldwide.

He continues to write for the screen in Britain and the United States. Recent projects include a new pre-apocalyptic crime drama, HARD SUN, forthcoming on BBC One in the UK and with Hulu in the US; a new series of LUTHER, and a reboot of the iconic 80s movie ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK for 20th Century Fox. Further projects include two episodes of DOCTOR WHO; CROSSBONES, the action adventure-series for NBC starring John Malkovich, and a number of yet-to-be announced feature projects. Neil was included in Variety magazine’s prestigious list of “10 Screenwriters to Watch” for 2011.

While working in England and Los Angeles, he continues to live in Wellington, New Zealand with his wife and two sons.

See Neil in the following session:

From Concept to Screen with writer Neil Cross – Saturday 30 September, 4.40pm

Briar Grace-Smith is of Ngā Puhi descent, and is an award-winning writer of short fiction, stage plays and feature films. 

Her plays include Ngā Pou Wāhine, Purapurawhetū and When Sun and Moon Collide. She is an inaugural Arts Foundation Laureate and was the writer in residence at Victoria University in 2003. She has also worked as a Development Executive for the New Zealand Film commission and taught ‘Writing for Theatre’ at IIML (2015).

Briar is a Sundance alumni and the writer of the feature films THE STRENGTH OF WATER and the horror comedy FRESH MEAT. Her television credits include FISHSKIN SUIT, BEING EVE, KAITANGATA TWITCH and the Māori Television drama THIS IS PIKI. She was a director and co-writer of the short film, NINE OF HEARTS, and recently wrote and directed CHARM for the collaborative feature project WARU (BSAG Productions), which brought together the work of eight Māori women directors.

See Briar Grace-Smith in the following session:

WARU: Breaking the silence – Sat 24th September, 11:00 am.

Park Chan-wook is a Korean film director, screenwriter, producer and former film critic who has emerged as one of the most significant talents in cinema in recent years. He is best known for his films JOINT SECURITY AREA, THIRST and what has become known as THE VENGEANCE TRILOGY consisting of SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, OLD BOY and LADY VENGEANCE.

Park’s incredibly diverse body of work has garnered recognition in his homeland as well as from a number of leading international film festivals. Most recently his short film NIGHT FISHING , shot entirely with Apple’s iPhone, won the Golden Bear (Short Film) at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival.

In 2009 Park received worldwide attention for his vampire thriller THIRST, which earned him the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. This monumental film was the first Korean film ever to secure North American distribution rights and Hollywood studio investment at the production stage. LADY VENGEANCE was awarded the Cinema Avvenire and Il Leoncino d’oro awards in competition at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. This was preceded by OLDBOY, which won the prestigious Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Park’s interest in film began in college as a philosophy student at Sogang University where he founded a film club and developed a strong interest in film theory and criticism. His film JOINT SECURITY AREA became the biggest box office hit in the history of Korean cinema at the time of its release (since then, the record has been passed onto other films).

Park’s ninth and latest feature film is his first English language film STOKER starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman, which released in March 2013 to critical acclaim world over. STOKER is distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Workshop: Directing with Park Chan-wook

In Conversation: Robert Sarkies talks to guest Park Chan-wook

Peter Mullan is an award-winning Scottish actor, writer and director who is known both for his hard-hitting performances in front of the camera, and the powerful execution of his stories behind it.

In 1995 his gritty short film FRIDGE won the Jury Award for Best Drama at Palm Springs International Film Festival.

After appearing in BRAVEHEART and TRAINSPOTTING Peter broke out as an actor in 1998, with his performance in Ken Loach’s MY NAME IS JOE winning him the prestigious Best Actor award at Cannes. In the same year his writing and directing debut ORPHANS was selected for the Venice Film Festival and won four awards.

Peter’s popular reception at Venice was to be revisited in 2002, where he won the Golden Lion for his second feature film THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, which depicts the treatment of ‘fallen women’ in convent laundries around Ireland. The film also won “the discovery award” at Toronto Film Festival.

His Cannes-winning performance in MY NAME IS JOE (1998) led to numerous roles across film and television in the UK and US including: MISS JULIE (1999), cult horror SESSION 9 (2001), opposite Brenda Blethyn in ON A CLEAR DAY (2005) and on popular children’s television show SHOEBOX ZOO (2004-2005).

Later roles on blockbusters like WAR HORSE (2011) and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (2010-2011) have always been balanced with award-winning performances on critically acclaimed and independent films and television including TYRANNOSAUR, BOY A and THE FEAR.

Peter has also had a large theatrical career, particularly involved in the political theatre scene in Glasgow but also with theatre companies 784, Wildcat Theatre and the Moscow State Theatre. He was also a nominee for Best Newcomer at the Shakespeare Theatre Awards and co-wrote an anti poll tax show which played to 40,000 people in ten weeks.

Peter’s feature film NEDS (2010) won him the Scottish BAFTA Awards for Best Writer and Best Director and also Best Film at St Sebastian Film Festival.

Most recently, Mullan appeared in Jane Campion’s critically acclaimed mini series TOP OF THE LAKE (2013). For his performance as Tui’s father Matt he received international acclaim and awards and was nominated for an Emmy.

Session info: Masterclass with Peter Mullan (Scotland)

Session info: In Conversation with Peter Mullan (Scotland)

Gaylene Preston has been celebrated as one of New Zealand‘s leading filmmakers, having made some of the most enduring popular classics of New Zealand cinema. Gaylene is a storyteller whose work has a distinctive flavour; that entertain while presenting serious subjects with humour and warmth. Her compassion and understanding of real life, and real people, combined with her talent for portraying on film metaphoric stories, has contributed to Gaylene’s reputation as a distinct local voice. 

Her career has spanned three decades, and her generosity of spirit and her powerful mentorship and advocacy skills have been central to the development of New Zealand’s filmmaking community.

Gaylene’s feature films include MR WRONG (1985), RUBY AND RATA (1990), WAR STORIES OUR MOTHER NEVER TOLD US (1995), PERFECT STRANGERS (2003), and HOME BY CHRISTMAS (2010).

Her documentaries include ALL THE WAY UP THERE (1978), LEARNING FAST (1980), MAKING UTU (1982), KERI HULME – KAI PURAKAU (1987), HONE TUWHARE – NO OTHER LIPS (1996), GETTING TO OUR PLACE (1999), PUNITIVE DAMAGE (Co-producer, 1999), TITLESS WONDERS (2001), COFFEE, TEA OR ME? (Producer, 2003), LANDS OF OUR FATHERS (Executive producer, 2004), EARTHQUAKE! (2006), TIME OF OUR LIVES (2007), LOVELY RITA (2007), STRONGMAN THE TRAGEDY (2011).

Her television series include BREAD AND ROSES (1993) and HOPE AND WIRE (2014), a three-part drama focused on the social and psychological upheaval during the Christchurch earthquakes.

Gaylene’s films have been in official selection for most major international film festivals including Venice, Sundance, Toronto, London, Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand and have won awards in the USA, Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.  

In 2001 she was honoured by the New Zealand Arts Foundation, becoming New Zealand’s first Filmmaker Laureate. In 2002 Gaylene was appointed an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her services to filmmaking.

Gaylene is currently working on a feature documentary for international distribution following one of the most powerful New Zealanders in the world.

Tusi Tamasese was born in Samoa and raised in the villages of Vaimoso and Mulifanua.  At the age of eighteen he moved to New Zealand and attended the University of Waikato, The New Zealand Film and Television School and Victoria University of Wellington where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies and a Masters of Arts degree in creative writing.

In 2011, the feature film script Tusi had written for his MA degree, which won the Embassy Trust Award and Dominion Post Award, became his feature film directorial debut O LE TULAFALE/THE ORATOR. THE ORATOR was shot in Samoa, and is entirely in the Samoan language. The film had its world premiere in competition at the 2011 Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti (New Horizons) section and went on to win numerous awards in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand (Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay at the 2012 “Moa” New Zealand Film Awards). THE ORATOR was New Zealand’s first-ever entry into the best foreign-language film category for the Academy Awards.

In 2015 Tusi was named a new Generation NZ Arts Laureate.

His second film ONE THOUSAND ROPES was shot in Wellington and premiered at the Panorama Section of the Berlin International Film Festival 2017.

He lives with his wife Melanie and three children in Wellington.

See Tusi in the following session:

Case Study: ONE THOUSAND ROPES – Saturday 30 September, 3.00pm.

One of the world’s most brilliant and audacious cinematographers, Christopher Doyle has undeniably created some of the most beautiful and innovative cinema imagery of all time.

He left his native Sydney beach culture on a Norwegian merchant ship at the age of eighteen, and his subsequent experience as a Kibbutz-nick cowboy in Israel, quack doctor in Thailand, and “green agriculturalist” in India, inform but don’t really explain his work. In the late seventies, Doyle was “re-birthed” as Du Ke Feng, which means “like the wind.”

Soon after, he moved to Taiwan where he started to photograph and film, theatre and dance. It was his 8mm and video work that moved director Edward Yang to hire him for his debut film THAT DAY, ON THE BEACH.  Fluent in Mandarin, French and Cantonese, Du Ke Feng subsequently became a sought after cinematographer in Taiwan, China and Hong Kong.

He has been exploring the art form ever since. Du Ke Feng has realized over fifty Chinese-language films, and his alter ego Christopher Doyle has made more than twenty in various other languages and film cultures. His body of work is famously distinct, characterised by images that are lush, kinetic and highly textural.

Du Ke Feng worked with Hong Kong director Kar-Wai Wong on DAYS OF BEING WILD, which began a collaboration between the two that included some of the most iconic Asian films of the next two decades: CHUNGKING EXPRESS, ASHES OF TIME, FALLEN ANGELS, HAPPY TOGETHER, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and 2046.

Du Ke Keng/Doyle went on to create stunning visual aesthetics for Zhang Yimou’s award-winning wuxia film HERO, Gus Van Sant’s masterful PARANOID PARK, M Night Shyamalan’s fantasy/thriller LADY IN THE WATER and the rich cinematic experience of Jim Jarmusch’s THE LIMITS OF CONTROL.

Doyle’s most recent collaboration with visionary Alejandro Jodorowsky on his carnivalesque memoir ENDLESS POETRY (POESIA SIN FIN) screened at the 2016 Directors Fortnight section at Cannes Film Festival.

See Christopher at the following sessions:

Cinematography Talks: Three Elements Make a Film – Sat 24th September 11am.

Address: Christopher Doyle – Sat 24th September 12:25pm.

Philippa Campbell produced Jane Campion’s acclaimed television mini-series Top of the Lake, winner of two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy, among other accolades. Her feature films include Cannes selection Rain, comedy horror hit Black Sheep and Sundance award winner No. 2. As well as playing in A-list festivals, her films have been distributed in major international territories including the US. Philippa began her career in theatre as an actor and director and, prior to producing, worked in network television as script editor and writer of over 120 hours of drama across a range of genres. Philippa has consulted to screen production development workshops in New Zealand, Australia, India and Italy.

Carthew Neal graduated from the Ingenious Media and National Film and Television School’s Creative Producing Course covering six royalty based entertainment industries and championed by Sir Richard Branson.

Carthew has fourteen years experience in producing content and building communities online. In 2014, he produced transmedia series, HOOK UPS with writer Jessica Hansell, Madeleine Sami’s comedy series, SUPER CITY and environmental format WA$TED.

Session info: The Marketing and Distribution of What We Do in the Shadows with Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Chelsea Winstanley

Director Gillian Armstrong has been making award-winning films and documentaries since the seventies including MY BRILLIANT CAREER, OSCAR AND LUCINDA, CHARLOTTE GREY and LITTLE WOMEN.

Gillian was born in Melbourne. She discovered her passion for film at Swinburne Art School, graduating in 1971. After a year in Sydney as an assistant editor, she was one of twelve, along with Phillip Noyce and Chris Noonan, selected for the inaugural year of the AFTRS. Her graduation films SATDEE NIGHT, GRETEL and 100 A DAY won numerous awards and were selected for the Sydney Film Festival and Grenoble International Festival of Short Films in 1974.

Gillian became an integral part of Australia’s new wave of film in the 1970s.  In 1975 Gillian directed SMOKES AND LOLLIES, the first in a series of films portraying the coming of age of three Adelaide girls.  FOURTEEN’S GOOD, EIGHTEEN’S BETTER, followed in 1980, then BINGO, BRACES AND BRIDESMAIDS (1988), and the award-winning NOT FOURTEEN AGAIN (1996). LOVE, LUST AND LIES is the latest film in the series was released in May 2010. THE SINGER AND THE DANCER starring Ruth Cracknell won the SAMMY Awards for Best Short Film and Best Actress (Ruth Cracknell) and won the Silver Award for Short Fiction at the 1977 Australian Film Awards.

In 1979 Gillian became the first Australian woman in fifty years to direct a feature film. MY BRILLIANT CAREER, starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, won seven AFI Awards, including Best Director and Best Film, and was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in competition. 1982’s STARSTRUCK, a musical with Jo Kennedy, broke more moulds as one of Australia’s first pop/rock musicals.

In 1984, Armstrong made her first American film, MRS SOFFEL, starring Mel Gibson and Diane Keaton. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress and a Golden Berlin Bear in 1985. After 1986’s HBO concert special HARD TO HANDLE on Bob Dylan, Armstrong directed HIGH TIDE, starring Judy Davis and a young Claudia Karvan. It won Best Film at the Houston Film Festival, the Grand Prix at the International de Creteil, and Best Actress (Judy Davis) at the New York Film Critic’s Circle.

THE LAST DAYS OF CHEZ NOUS was nominated for eleven AFI Awards including Best Film and Best Director, and three Film Critics’ Circle of Australia Awards. LITTLE WOMEN followed, garnering three Oscar nominations including Best Actress (Winona Ryder). It has become an American classic, screened annually at Christmas.

OSCAR AND LUCINDA, starring Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett in one of her first screen roles, won five AFI Awards and one Academy Award. In 2001 CHARLOTTE GRAY, starring Cate Blanchett and Billy Crudup, won the 2002 Las Vegas Critic’s Society Award for Best Actress.

In 2006 Gillian directed the acclaimed feature documentary UNFOLDING FLORENCE: THE MANY LIVES OF FLORENCE BROADHURST which was selected for the Sundance, Montreal, Karlovy Vary, Valladolid and Sheffield Film Festivals.  The film won an Australian Writers’ Guild Award (Katherine Thomson), Australian Screen Editors Award (Nicholas Beauman) and Australian Cinematography Award (John Radel) and was nominated for three Australian Film Industry (AFI) Awards including Best Documentary.

DEATH DEFYING ACTS, another of Gillian’s features, is the story of Harry Houdini and a Scottish psychic starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Gillian was part of the inaugural ASDA committee and was ASDA’s first president.

In 1993 she received an A.M. for distinguished services to the Australian Film Industry. She as been awarded the Dorothy Azner Directing Award at the Los Angeles Women in Film Crystal Awards, the Chauvel Award from the Brisbane International Film Festival for her contribution to the Australian Film Industry and the Women in Hollywood Icon Award in recognition of her contribution to the film industry. She holds an Honorary Doctorate in Film from Swinburne University and a Doctor of Letters, honoris causa from the University of New South Wales.

As Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times said in his review of LITTLE WOMEN, the film says, “…a great deal about Gillian Armstrong’s own character and integrity as an artist.  As she has proceeded from one distinctive accomplishment to the next, alternating between America and her homeland, Armstrong has remained uncompromised…”

Andrew Bovell is an Australian writer who writes for film, theatre and television.

In 1992 he wrote the original screenplay for STRICTLY BALLROOM and in 2001 he went on to adapt his stage play Speaking in Tongues in to the feature film, LANTANA (2001), which won a cascade of awards worldwide including the AWGIE Award for Best Feature Film – Adaptation, the AFI Award for Best Screenplay, the Harper’s Bazaar AFI Screenwriting Prize, the British Independent Film Award for Best Foreign Language Independent Film – English Language, the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Screenplay and the London Critics Circle Film Award Screenwriter of the Year Award.

His other film credits include; EDGE OF DARKNESS (with William Monahan); HEAD ON (with Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson); THE BOOK OF REVELATION (with Ana Kokkinos); BLESSED (with Christos Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves & Patricia Cornelius) adapted from their stage play Who’s afraid of the Working Class.

Andrew’s most recent screenplay, A MOST WANTED MAN (Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Philip Seymour Hoffman), was adapted from the novel by John Le Carre, and was directed by Anton Corbijn in late 2012.

Andrew’s television credits include the telemovies THE FISHERMAN’S WAKE and LUST for ABC; PICCILO MONDO for SBS and DOGWOMAN for Channel 9.

Andrew’s theatre credits include Scenes from a Separation (with Hannie Rayson) which premiered at MTC in 1995; Speaking in Tongues which premiered at Griffin Theatre in 1996 and has had seasons at Hampstead Theatre in the UK (2000), Roundabout Theatre, New York (2001), West End Season (2009) and over 50 other productions worldwide; Who’s afraid of the Working Class (with Christos Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius and Irine Vela) which was produced by Melbourne Worker’s Theatre (1998) and toured Australia (1999); Holy Day which had seasons at State Theatre Company of South Australia (2001) and STC (2003) won the Louis Esson Prize for Drama at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the AWGIE Award for Best Stage Play (2002);  When the Rain Stops Falling which premiered at Brink Productions for 2008 Adelaide Festival of the Arts and subsequently toured to STC (2009), MTC/Melbourne International Festival of the Arts (2009), QTC and throughout Australia (2010).

The play won Queensland and Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for Best Play, the Adelaide Critics Circle Individual Award, Sydney Theatre Award for Best New Australian Work and 3 Greenroom Awards including Best New Writing for the Australian Stage.

Other productions include The Almeida Theatre in London (2009) and The Lincoln Center in New York (2009) where it received 5 Lucille Lortel Awards. Andrew adapted The Secret River from Kate Grenville’s novel which premiered at the Sydney Theatre in 2013, transferring to the Perth International Arts Festival and the Centenary of Canberra.

Andrew’s play Speaking in Tongues played in Auckland at the Herald Theatre from in 2013

Speaker Session: Writing With Andrew Bovell: Why I Write

Born in 1951 in Holland, Rolf de Heer migrated to Australia with his family in 1959. He worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for seven years, then in 1977 was granted entry into Australia’s Film Television and Radio School. He has gone on to make more than a dozen films of different genres, generally low budget, and has gained substantial international recognition.

BAD BOY BUBBY won the Grand Special Jury prize and the International Film Critics Prize at Venice in 1993, and four Australian Film Institute awards in Australia. THE QUIET ROOM (1996) and DANCE ME TO MY SONG (1998) were both selected for Official Competition at Cannes, cementing de Heer’s place in the international film arena. THE TRACKER premiered to critical acclaim at Venice in 2002. ALEXANDRA’S PROJECT was invited into Competition at Berlin, 2003, while TEN CANOES won the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2007.

Rolf’s recent project, CHARLIE’S COUNTRY with David Gulpilil, released in 2013.

Directing with Rolf de Heer: Size Does Matter – The Cinema of Engagement

Moderator: Cinematic Vision on a Shoestring

Cezary Skubiszewski (“scoobee shesky”)is one of Australia’s leading film composers whose work has claimed numerous awards.

Cezary’s first film score was for LILIAN’S STORY (1996), directed by fellow Pole Jerzy Domaradzki and staring Toni Collette. This was followed by BOOTMEN (2000) and LA SPAGNOLA (2001), for which he collected Best Original Music awards from the Australian Film Institute. His other early works include BLACK & WHITE (2002), THE BRUSH OFF (2004), THE BOOK OF REVELATION and BLESSED.

His work on the 1999 film TWO HANDS saw Cezary collect the Best Film Score Award from APRA at the annual Screen Music awards. This was followed in later years by the mini-series AFTER THE DELUGE (2003) starring Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths, and DEATH DEFYING ACTS (2007) for which he also received Best Film Score Awards.  He then went on to compose scores for THE BOOK OF REVELATION (2006) and BLESSED (2009).

His latest work composing for NIGHT (2008) BRAN NUE DAE (2009), RED DOG (2011) and THE SAPPHIRES (2012) – which received critical acclaim at an international level, have seen him win awards from Inside Film and the Film Critics Circle of Australia.

Cezary’s has also composed music for a number of adverts,including SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPICS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL FINALS, MELBOURNE 2006 COMMONWEALTH GAMES, CARLTON DRAUGHT BIG AD campaign and the VB BOTTLE SYMPHONY which became a worldwide hit.

For the past four years he has been the Musical Director of APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards and has a number of upcoming projects including SERRANGOON ROAD (2013) and THE BROKEN SHORE (2014).

“I still think that I’m on a journey to discover more about myself, about what I can come up with. With every job, you feel like you are always challenging yourself” Cezary Skubiszewski

Score Composing with Cezary Skubiszewski: Composing for the Screen and the Functions of Film Music