Recent years have seen exceptional television drama out of Australia. Like in the US and Europe, much of the most sought after acting, writing and directing talent is working across both film and TV.

Amongst her lauded film credits, writer/director Cate Shortland (SOMERSAULT, LORE) has written on the esteemed award-winning Australian dramas The Slap, Devil’s Playground, Deadline Gallipoli and The Kettering Incident. Currently, she has her own show in development with Matchbox Pictures.
Celebrated film writer/director Tony Krawitz (Dead Europe) has also been lured into the invigorating world of television, his many impressive credits include directing Devil’s Playground, A Place to Call Home and most recently atmospheric mystery The Kettering Incident.

Join Cate & Tony as they provide us a writer’s and director’s behind the scenes perspective on the crafting of high-end television across the ditch.

This session took place on Sun 25 Sept, Big Screen Symposium 2016, Auckland, NZ.

An acclaimed author, Jonathan Raymond is also the award-winning screenwriter behind the courageously minimalistic festival hits Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, Old Joy and Night Moves – on which he collaborated with revered indie director Kelly Reichardt. Jonathan also co-wrote the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce, winner of five Emmy Awards, with legendary director Todd Haynes.

In this conversation Emily Perkins talks to Jonathan about what risk means to him within the creative process, remaining open to new possibilities while searching for the heart of the material, and finding and investing yourself in the work while truly sharing the vision with your collaborators – in Jonathan’s case two of the boldest auteurs in independent cinema today.

Jon’s session took place on Sat 24th September, 11am at the Big Screen Symposium 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Moderated by Brita McVeigh.

“I’m fascinated by tightly-knit communities and how they operate – how characters battle for individuality or for their place within the society.”

Esteemed Australian director Tony Krawitz has directed across drama, documentary and television. His dramatic features Jewboy and Dead Europe were based in the Jewish and Greek communities respectively. The Tallman was set on an island off the Queensland coast in one of the largest Indigenous communities in Australia that had been ripped apart by a murder.

For each of these films, Tony embedded himself within a community as an essential part of reaching a deep and nuanced understanding of and connection to his material. In this session, Tony discusses his immersive process and how it differs – and how it is the same – across adaptation, original story, and documentary.

Presented by Greenstone.

Tony’s session took place on Sun 25th September, 2:15pm at the Big Screen Symposium 2016 in Auckland, NZ.

In a powerful response to the total absence of feature films made by Māori women directors since Merata Mita – Waru is a ground-breaking 80-minute film made by eight Māori women directors, that follows the lives of eight women all connected by a single, heart-breaking event.

Each episode is a self-contained 10 minute vignette, told in real time, and shot in a single take. Each one follows a different lead character during the same moment in time. The project was instigated by producers Kerry Warkia and Kiel McNaughton of Brown Sugar Apple Grunt, and the whole film was shot over eight days.

Join the writers and directors Katie Wolfe, Briar Grace-Smith, Ainsley Gardiner, Chelsea Winstanley, Paula W. Jones, Renae Maihi, Casey Kaa, Awanui Simich-Pene and Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu – as they each in turn present a short address on what risk means to them in the context of this new collaboration – still in progress.

Session: Sat 24 Sept, 11am, Big Screen Symposium 2016, Auckland, NZ.

Moderated by Brita McVeigh.

“When writing, drawing from the subconscious is slower and more arduous, difficult to find – but perhaps in the end the pain creates something beautiful and idiosyncratic, and this is often the part that the viewer takes away and remembers, the part that gets under our skin.”

Cate Shortland is the acclaimed writer/director of the award-winning and profoundly memorable features Somersault and Lore, as well as a screenwriter on some of Australia’s most renowned television drama.

Cate uses examples from her film work to chart her writing process: from the genesis of an idea, to taking risks with character, to building scenes from the page up with actors and choreographers – and the vital role of imagery, landscape, and the subconscious.

Cate’s session took place on Saturday 24th September, 2:45pm at the Big Screen Symposium 2016, in Auckland, NZ.

In this intimate conversation with Bailey Mackey, esteemed actor Cliff Curtis shares his process when preparing for each role, his approach to risk-taking, his experiences at home and beyond, and what makes him tick.

Homegrown star and greatly respected actor Cliff Curtis has starred in many of NZ’s most celebrated films including The Piano, Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider and The Dark Horse, whilst also carving a career as a chameleon character actor in Hollywood. He has also produced films including Boy and Eagle Vs Shark with producer Ainsley Gardiner.

He currently stars 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.

This session took place on Sunday 25th September, 3.25pm at the Big Screen Symposium 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand.