Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) are delighted to announce the return of Talent Gateway program and the Global Producers Exchange. The two joint initiatives are designed to support established Australian creatives to expand on their skills and connect with key US decision-makers, as well as help position Australian projects for success in the global market.
Supporting Partners for these programs are Screen NSW, Screen Queensland, South Australian Film Corporation and VicScreen. Industry Partners are Australian Directors' Guild, Australian Writers' Guild, Screen Producers Australia, Screen Canberra, Screen Tasmania, Screen Territory, Screenwest and Screenworks.
Screen Australia's CEO Graeme Mason said, "As we enter the third year of these highly successful programs, we continue to witness the significant impact they have. Previous participants are already making very confident strides in the competitive global market, refining their skills, and building the scale of their work, and their reputations internationally."
"We're thrilled to partner once again with Australians in Film (AiF) to offer these invaluable professional and business development opportunities to another crop of Australian creatives. These flagship initiatives provide critical pathways for our screen professionals to share unique Australian stories on a global stage, creating opportunities for our local industry and our unique cultural voice."
Australians in Film Executive Director Peter Ritchie said, "Over the past several years, AiF with the incredible support of Screen Australia, has uniquely positioned itself to connect Australia's leading screen professionals with potential US partners through these professional business programs. We couldn't have done any of this essential foundational work for the sector without the incredible support of Graeme Mason. We acknowledge his immense contribution and foresight."
"Both Talent Gateway and Global Producers Exchange evolve each year. The ever-changing US market is a behemoth, and both programs reflect these often rapid changes. The guest speakers and mentors that speak in our programs always provide the most current up to date thinking and knowledge from Los Angeles."
Guest speakers who attended last year's Exchange and Gateway programs included educator and Producer Sheila Hanahan-Taylor (Final Destination franchise) and Manager and Producer Andy Cohen (Grade A Entertainment), who served as lead mentors in both Global Producers Exchange and Talent Gateway programs. Leading guest speakers included David Levine (Chief Creative Officer of Anonymous Content), Lindsay Doran (Producer, Script Consultant - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Kristen Campo (Producer - L-Word: Generation Q, See), Valarie Phillips (Partner and Co-Head of the Motion Pictures Literary Division at A3 Artists Agency), Tanya Cohen (Managing Partner at Range Media Partners), Ben Kramer (Co-Head of Media Finance at Creative Artists Agency), Alix Madigan (Producer - Winter's Bone, The Age of Adaline), Bridget Bedard (Producer – Ramy, Transparent) and Trevor White (Producer - King Richard, Wind River), among others.
Easy Tiger's CEO Ian Collie, who was a participant of Global Producers Exchange 2023 said, "Totally invaluable. You can never learn enough about Hollywood especially at the moment with the global industry in such a state of flux. All participants were a great source of knowledge in terms of contacts, trends, protocols, and ways to navigate the complex and labyrinthine system that is Hollywood."
Screenwriter and director Monica Zanetti, who was a participant of the 2023 Talent Gateway program said, "Talent Gateway not only gave me the framework to think about my projects for an international market but also the support and tools to make it happen."
