PAUL ABBOTT (UK)

Paul Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful British TV writers and producers; starting his writing career on CORONATION STREET, and onwards to his multi award winning semi-autobiographical SHAMELESS, currently filming its tenth series. SHAMELESS has been remade in the USA and is already on its second series. He is also responsible for the creation of some of the most highly-acclaimed UK television dramas of the 1990s and 2000s, including RECKLESS, TOUCHING EVIL, CLOCKING OFF and STATE OF PLAY – which was made into a Hollywood movie starring Russell Crowe. In 2008 Paul established his production and development company AbbottVision, which enables him to continue to write, mentor and work with new writers. 2011 continued with the acclaimed EXILE and in 2012 HIT & MISS starring Chloë Sevigny.

Tom Schulman (US)

Tom Schulman graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Philosophy. He studied film at the USC Graduate School of Cinema and The Actors and Directors Lab, Los Angeles. He directed the Actors’ Studio, West production of Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker. Tom wrote DEAD POETS SOCIETY for which he received an Academy Award. He also wrote WHAT ABOUT BOB?; HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS; MEDICINE MAN and HOLY MAN. He wrote and directed EIGHT HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG. He was an Executive Producer on INDECENT PROPOSAL and ME, MYSELF AND IRENE. He was the writer/producer of WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT. He co-wrote and co-produced THE ANATOMY OF HOPE, a pilot for HBO. Tom served on the Board of Directors and then as vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West. Tom was the president of the Writers Guild Foundation and currently serves as its vice president.

JAN SARDI

Jan Sardi is an internationally acclaimed screenwriter and President of The Australian Writers’ Guild.  In 1997 he received an Academy Award Nomination for his screenplay SHINE, as well as BAFTA, Writers’ Guild of America, and Golden Globe award nominations.  Jan has also won numerous awards for his work in film and television in Australia, including best screenplay for SHINE (AFI and AWGIE Awards).  In 2003 he wrote and directed the award winning film LOVE’S BROTHER, an Australian/UK production.  Jan also adapted the hit films THE NOTEBOOK and MAO’S LAST DANCER for the screen.

JOHN COLLEE

John Collee was a doctor and journalist before turning his hand to fiction. His novels include Kingsley’s Touch, A Paper Mask and The Rig, all published by Penguin in the UK and USA. His credits as screenwriter or co-writer include PAPER MASK, HAPPY FEET, MASTER AND COMMANDER, and most recently CREATION about the life of Charles Darwin. Films currently in production include the BBC’s WALKING WITH DINOSAURS and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s  WOLF TOTEM. John is creative director at Hopscotch Features, who were recently awarded a 3-year subsidy from Screen Australia’s Enterprise scheme to develop new Australian feature films.

Craig Pearce

Craig Pearce co-wrote with Baz Luhrmann, STRICTLY BALLROOM, ROMEO + JULIET and MOULIN ROUGE!. These films have won countless accolades, including an AFI award for best screenplay (STRICTLY BALLROOM), a BAFTA award for best adapted screenplay, (ROMEO + JULIET), a WGA nomination for best original screenplay, (MOULIN ROUGE!) and eight Academy Award nominations, including best film (MOULIN ROUGE!). In 2010 Universal Studios released Craig Pearce’s adaptation of CHARLIE ST. CLOUD starring Zac Efron. May 2012 will see the release of Craig’s latest collaboration with Baz Luhrmann THE GREAT GATSBY, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton. Craig is currently developing a number of projects, including WILL, a television series he created about young William Shakespeare; THE MAID, an epic television series about Joan of Arc, and a stage-musical production of STRICTLY BALLROOM.

Stephan Elliott

MICHAEL CORDELL

Executive Producer Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder

Michael Cordell is one of Australia’s most established producers and filmmakers. His projects have won numerous awards including six Logies. Recent directing credits include the documentary feature THREE BOYS DREAMING and the first murder trial filmed in Australia as part of the ground-breaking series ON TRIAL. Michael is EP and writer on GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM for SBS. It has garnered two Walkley nominations, two UN Media Awards and SPAA Independent Producer of the Year. In an Australian first it also won the Rose d’Or for the best international TV production of 2011. Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder is a partnership with Nick Murray and Andrew Denton.

Jacquelin Perske

Writer, producer and co-creator of SPIRITED, her work credit list is almost as long as your arm. As a writer and script producer Jacquelin has contributed to TV series BIG SKY, THE SECRET LIFE OF US, FIREFLIES and also LOVE MY WAY, as well as the critically acclaimed Australian film LITTLE FISH. Her work as a co-producer on the series LOVE MY WAY along with fellow co-producers John Edwards and Claudia Karvan, which received 24 AFI nominations and 14 AFI wins over the course of the entire 3 seasons, helped pave the way for new Australian drama aired on non-network channels. She also worked as part of a collaborative writing team for George Lucas’ live-action TV series STAR WARS UNDERWORLD.

Debra Oswald

Debra Oswald is a writer for television, stage and children’s fiction. She is co-creator and head writer of the Channel 10 drama series OFFSPRING, for which she won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award in 2011. OFFSPRING is currently in production on its 4th series. Her television credits include POLICE RESCUE, PALACE OF DREAMS and BANANAS IN PYJAMAS. Her plays include GARY’S HOUSE and SWEET ROAD, which were shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Award. Her plays for young people include DAGS and STORIES IN THE DARK won Best Play in the 2008 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Debra’s novels for teenagers include GETTING AIR and BLUE NOISE, and her children’s novels include THE REDBACK LEFTOVERS, THE RETURN OF THE BAKED BEAN and THE FIFTH QUEST. 

Andrew Knight

Andrew’s long writing and producing success is all the more notable for his ability to shift effortlessly from comedy to drama and features. He is considered to be among only a handful of show runners in this country. Credits include: JACK IRISH, RAKE, SEACHANGE, TRIPPING OVER, AFTER THE DELUGE, MY BROTHER JACK, KANGAROO PALACE, FAST FORWARD, FULL FRONTAL, D GENERATION, and the features SIAM SUNSET and SPOTSWOOD and many more. He is currently working on the third series of RAKE, has written and is co-producing THE BROKEN SHORE for Essential Media and the ABC, plus 3 features, THE WATER DIVINER for Hopscotch, KING OF THIEVES for Essential Media, and ALI’S WEDDING for Matchbox Pictures. His programs have won 53-industry awards and his films have won several international awards.

Robert Connolly

Robert Connolly is the writer and director of the feature films THE BANK (2001), THREE DOLLARS (2005), and most recently BALIBO (2009). In television he was one of the directors of THE SLAP (2011), and most recently wrote and directed UNDERGROUND: THE JULIAN ASSANGE STORY (2012). He is also the producer of the award-winning films THE BOYS (1998) and ROMULUS, MY FATHER (2007). Robert has won three AFI awards for screenwriting for THE BANK, THREE DOLLARS (with Elliot Perman) and BALIBO (with David Williamson), also winning an AWGIE award for adapted screenplay. He is currently overseeing the compendium feature film based on Tim Winton’s THE TURNING.

EMILE SHERMAN

Academy Award®-winning producer Emile Sherman founded See-Saw Films with Iain Canning in 2008. See-Saw is a UK and Australian company specialising in international Film and Television. Recent productions include the multi-Academy Award-winning THE KING’S SPEECH, directed by Tom Hooper, and starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. See-Saw followed up THE KING’S SPEECH with Steve McQueen’s award winning SHAME, starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. See-Saw has just completed production on Jane Campion’s 6-part television series TOP OF THE LAKE and is currently in production on TRACKS, a film directed by John Curran and starring Mia Wasikowska. Through his previous company, Sherman Pictures, Sherman produced films including the Toronto International Film Festival FIPRESCI awarded film DISGRACE starring John Malkovich and award winning films $9.99, CANDY starring Heath Ledger and Geoffrey Rush, and Phillip Noyce’s RABBIT PROOF FENCE (as EP).

David Parker

David Parker multi-tasks as a writer, producer, and cinematographer.  He has also directed two feature films (DIANA AND ME and HERCULES RETURNS) and numerous commercials.  With partner Nadia Tass he has run production company Cascade Films since 1985. Writer Filmography: MATCHING JACK (2010) Co-writer; AMY (1998); THE BIG STEAL (1990); RIKKY AND PETE (1988); MALCOLM (1986). Producer Filmography: FATAL HONEYMOON (2012) Producer/DOP; KATH AND KIMDERELLA (2012) Co-producer/DOP; JOHN DOE (2011) (this is a DOP credit only); MATCHING JACK (2010); HAWKE (2010) Executive Producer; THE GATES OF HELL (2008); IRRESISTIBLE (2006); AMY (1998); HOTEL DE  LOVE (1996); STARK (1993) (TV); THE BIG STEAL (1990); RIKKY AND PETE (1988); MALCOLM (1986).

Ian Simmons

Ian Simmons has been writing comedy for over thirty years.  Starting with university revues, where he once threatened to use a power drill to silence a heckler, he then graduated to various dank pubs and clubs around Sydney, where no-one was seriously hurt.  After being discovered wearing a false moustache in 1990, he was hired by the Austereo Radio Network to write and perform for their breakfast shows in Sydney and Adelaide.  When he was cleverly sacked from both, Ian’s cunning strategy to move into television was complete.  He’s been the head writer on DENTON, Andrew Denton’s tonight show on Channel 7, GOOD NEWS WEEK, THE GLASS HOUSE and THE SIDESHOW.  He’s also written for the ARIA & Logie Awards, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala and Great Debate. Ian has won nine AWGIES and received the 2012 Fred Parsons Award for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Comedy.

Clayton Jacobson

KENNY 2006 comedy feature writer/director/producer; KENNY’S WORLD 2008 comedy TV series co-writer; COLD CALLER 2012 black comedy novel adaptation co-writer/director; MORDY KOOTS 2010 comedy web series co-writer/director.

KARIN ALTMANN

Karin formed scriptWorks, a development company and consultancy, after many years working at the AFC/Screen Australia. Trained at the National Film School of Great Britain, Karin’s credits range across Script Editing: THE PALACE and DESPITE THE GODS; TV drama writing: SOMETHING IN THE AIR,  BLUE HEELERS and ONE WAY TICKET (co-written with Michael Brindley); and documentary (as a writer/director) including  the AFI winning, RAOUL WALLENBERG: BETWEEN THE LINES and HOLDING ON TO WHAT IS REAL, nominated for the International Prix Jeunesse.   Karin is a recipient of the Australian Writers’ Guild  Dorothy Crawford Award For Outstanding Contribution to the Industry.

NATHAN ANDERSON

Nathan Anderson started his working life in the film and TV industry on THE MATRIX, THE WELL, PARADISE ROAD, NEVER TELL ME NEVER, HEARTBREAK HIGH and BAYWATCH DOWN UNDER in various production roles. In 1999, lured by the potential of the new media world, Nathan co-founded one of Australia’s most highly trafficked dotcom businesses reaching a global audience of 14 million unique users per month. Since then he has held executive digital production and management roles at various media organisations and advertising agencies in Australia and overseas. In 2009, Nathan founded Envelop Entertainment, a multiplatform production house with clients and partners including the ABC, Screen Australia, ScreenNSW, Southern Star, SLR Productions and Hoodlum Active; creating games transmedia across emerging platforms.

SHAYNE ARMSTRONG & SHANE KRAUSE

Shayne Armstrong (right) + SP Krause (left) are an Australian screenwriting partnership dedicated to writing, producing and directing dark genre projects – particularly horror and science-fiction. As writers of the dark, gritty horror-thriller ACOLYTES (starring Joel Edgerton) (Winner of the Silver Award for Best Horror Film at Austin FantasticFest 2008), the Dr Who spin-off sci-fi children’s television series K-9: THE SERIES (for which they won the AWGIE Awards’ John Hinde Award for Excellence In Science-Fiction), the $30m horror-thriller BAIT 3D (which has sold to all global territories), the creature feature BLACK ECHOES (to be directed by Greg McLean – WOLF CREEK), and writers/producers (and, in Krause’s case, director) of the horror short HUGE, the AWGIE-award winning sci-fi thriller short film RARER MONSTERS and their supernatural horror low-budget feature THE CONTENTS, sci-fi and horror isn’t just their profession, it’s their passion.

TONY BRIGGS

Tony Briggs works as an actor and writer in theatre, film and television. Tony’s writing credits include the feature film THE SAPPHIRES. Released in August 2012, the film was received witha standing ovation at its world premier during the 65^th Cannes international film festival. Tony and his co-writer Keith Thompson were awarded the Major AWGIE Award for the most outstanding script of 2012 and also the AWGIE for Feature Film Adaption. THE SAPPHIRES theatre show enjoyed triumphant seasons at the Melbourne Theatre Company and Company B, winning two Helpmann Awards for Best New Australian Work & Best Play (2005). Tony is currently developing a new television series with acclaimed director/ producer Robert Connelly of ArenaMedia, called THE ATHLETES.

MICHAEL BRINDLEY

Screenwriter since 1978.  His AFTRS graduation film APPLES achieves theatrical release while award-winning feature SHAME invited to NY’s MOMA ‘New Directors, New Films’ and achieved worldwide distribution.  Other credits include top-rating telemovie ONE WAY TICKET, mini-series HALF A WORLD AWAY, TV series writer on A COUNTRY PRACTICE,  Writer/Script Editor for award winning GRASS ROOTS,  Associate Producer for ABC’s on MDA - winner AFI award Best Television Drama.  Script Consultant for Australian film funding bodies, plus NZ Film Commission.  Received AWG Hector Crawford Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Craft via a Body of Script Editing Work (1996).  Screenwriting courses for AFTRS, RMIT, La Trobe University and Melbourne University Summer School. Story Co-Producer on CONSPIRACY 365, 12 part $13 million series for Movie Channel Network, and  currently developing features TOKYO CALLING and BOYS’ CLUB.

Paul Callaghan

Paul Callaghan is a freelance writer, game developer, and educator who has worked in game development since 1998 as a programmer, designer, writer, and teacher for companies including Atari, Infinite Interactive, 2K Marin, and the ABC. From 2009 until 2012, he was the director of the Freeplay Independent Games Festival. He is currently developing his own game projects, collaborating on others, and working on a novel. Credits include: THE GARDEN, 2012 (in Progress); PELEDA - Fiasco Studios, Vishus Productions, ABC, 2012; URBAN CODEMAKERS, 2011.

PENNY CHAPMAN

Penny Chapman, with Tony Ayres, Helen Bowden, Michael McMahon and Helen Panckhurst, is a principal of Matchbox Pictures. Her most recent drama productions are the ABC drama series THE STRAITS  (winner of an AWGIE) and the multi award winning children’s drama series MY PLACE. In 2011, Penny was executive producer of the drama series THE SLAP. Her other productions include RAN, THE ROAD FROM COORAIN, the television series THE COOKS and the telemovie TEMPTATION (both for Network Ten). Her documentary productions include DARWIN’S LOST PARADISE (SBS, 2009), RAMPANT: HOW A CITY STOPPED A PLAGUE (ABC, 2008), THE TRACK (ABC, 2000) LEAKY BOAT  (ABC 2011) and SEX: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY (SBS 2011). 
During the 1990s Penny was Head of TV Drama, then Head of Television at the ABC. During this time she executive produced Brides Of Christ (which she devised), The LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL  and BLUE MURDER. 
In 2010 Penny was awarded the inaugural IF Award for Contribution to the Television Industry. Penny is currently developing a co-production with Full Clip for Foxtel, about the embedded journalists at Gallipoli. She is also developing for Foxtel RETURN TO THE DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, a 6 part series about the boy from Fred Schepisi’s film, 35 years on.

Mike Cowap

Mike is an Investment Manager with Screen Australia where he works across the Multi-Platform Program. He has previously been a Development Manager with Screen Australia and a Project Manager with the Australian Film Commission with responsibilities across animation, digital media, feature film, television series and documentary.  Prior to this, Mike worked with the animation studio Monkeystack, where he produced 2D/3D animation and VFX for television commercials and shorts, mobile phone content, documentary, websites and games. As Manager of Industry Development at the South Australian Film Corporation, Mike was responsible for programs and initiatives designed to strengthen South Australia’s film, television and digital media industries. Prior to emigrating from the UK in early 2003, Mike was coordinator of the short film initiatives and related training at the UK Film Council. Mike took this position after working for a number of years in independent feature film and television production in the UK.

SAM DOUST

Sam is Creative Director of Strategic Development for the Innovation division of the ABC. Since starting in the role nearly five years ago, he has worked hands-on across many large and small new media projects. He conceived of, designed and co-produced ABC iView, and then went on to write and direct GALLIPOLI: THE FIRST DAY, which has won several awards including the inaugural AFI Award for screen innovation in 2009 and has subsequently been distributed to schools nationwide. He then wrote and directed BLUEBIRD AR, the ABC’s first alternate reality online drama, which won an Australian Writers Guild Award. Last year, he ran the EXPLAINER PROJECT, working with program units across the ABC as well as collaboratively with Jay Rosen at NYU and THE GUARDIAN in London. Prior to his present role, he worked at the ABC both in the News division and New Media and Digital Services, where he initiated, designed and produced the multi-award winning FOUR CORNERS Broadband Editions. He’s just finished writing and directing an online documentary about Sydney Opera House.

Coral Drouyn

In a career spanning more than 30 years, she has more than 900 TV credits as writer, story editor and script producer on more than 20 shows including the iconic PRISONER, BLUE HEELERS, HOME AND AWAY and a slew of children’s television drama. She also wrote the ABC telemovie THE LOCAL RAG and the feature film CHANGE OF HEART, plus situation and sketch comedy. Her 1995 text book Big Screen/Small Screen was required reading for screenwriting tertiary degrees for over a decade. She is a script assessor for the AWG and has assessed for every state screen body. She has also written 25 comedy revues and two plays, and ghost written 3 novels for the US  market. Now semi-retired she assesses, mentors and writes theatre reviews and articles for the magazine Stage Whispers.

Dan Fill

Dan Fill is a co-founder of Chocolate Liberation Front. He is a Co-Producer of THE ADVENTURES OF FIGARO PHO, ABC3 and also a writer of two episodes of the series. Dan is the Executive Producer of WILD KRATTS interactive activities, PBS, and the Executive Producer of interactive documentaries IMMIGRATION NATION: BUILDING MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA, SBS; and CONVENIENT EDUCATION, SBS. He is also one of the co-creators and co-founders of ABC’s iView service, and was the former Head of Multiplatform Production for ABCTV. Dan has worked on interactive projects and non-linear entertainment for The Jim Henson Company, Nickelodeon, MTV, Channel Four, CBC, YTV, Teletoon, SBS and ABC TV.

Antony I. Ginnane

Melbourne-born Antony I. Ginnane has produced 62 feature films, telemovies and mini-series: 22 as producer and 42 as executive producer over 40 years, including PATRICK (1978), HIGH TIDE (1987), THE LIGHT HORSEMEN (1988), SCREAMERS (1995), MESMERIZED (1986) and LAST DANCE (2011). His distribution company IFM World Releasing has a library of over 150 feature films and TV movies. His Australian production company F G Film Productions is developing a slate of productions for Australia for 2013/2014.  He was President of SPAA from 2008-2011, attends the major world markets and is based in Los Angeles and Melbourne.

Mac Gudgeon

Mac Gudgeon is a freelance writer of film, television and theatre. His latest film LAST RIDE, released in 2009, screened at the Toronto Film Festival and earned Mac a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the AWGIE awards. Mac was co-writer, with Jan Sardi, of GROUND ZERO, which won four AFI Awards. Mac also wrote the screenplay for THE DELINQUENTS and WIND, the Francis Ford Coppola/Zoetrope production. Mac’s script editing credits include WOLF CREEK, SNOWTOWN and the recently broadcast DEVIL’S DUST – THE BERNIE BANTON STORY. His television credits include KILLING TIME as writer/script producer. His episode of HALIFAX F.P., ‘Sweet Dreams’, won the 1996 AWGIE Award for best mini-series or telemovie screenplay, and another, ‘The Feeding’, won the 1995 AFI award for best telemovie or mini-series. Mac was the inaugural recipient of the Foxtel Fellowship for Excellence in Television Writing in 2007.

Shanti Gudgeon

Shanti Gudgeon is currently writing for Channel 10 series MR AND MRS MURDER, ABC series TIME OF OUR LIVES, and ABC Kids series THE LOST BOYS. She has previously written for Movie One Network series CONSPIRACY 365, Fox 8’s series SLiDE, and acclaimed television series’ DANCE ACADEMY. Shanti’s screenplay, SCRATCHES + CUTS, was selected for Film Victoria’s New Feature Writers Scheme and it was also nominated for an IF Award for Best Unproduced Feature Screenplay.

Greg Haddrick

GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/HEAD OF DRAMA SCREENTIME

With multiple awards to his credit, Greg Haddrick is one of Australia’s leading writer/producers. Writer of the first block of HOME & AWAY, his early credits also include co-writing and script-editing ELLY & JOOLS and writing for E-STREET, GP, BLUE HEELERS and FLYNIG DOCTORS. Group Executive Director and Head of Drama for Screentime, Haddrick’s credits include THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY OF MARY BRYANT, MDA for the ABC, THE SOCIETY MURDERS and THE INFORMANT for Network TEN, JESSICA, MY HUSBAND, MY KILLER, and THE POTATO FACTORY.  Haddrick produced the first series of UNDERBELLY, as well as writing episodes 4, 6 and 10.  He also produced UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES in addition to writing episode 8 and executive produced UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE, writing episodes 3 and 13.  He is the producer Tim Winton’s CLOUDSTREET (with Brenda Pam), and executive produced the UNDERBELLY Telemovies and UNDERBELLY: RAZOR for the NINE Network and CROWNIES for ABC TV.  Most recently Haddrick executive produced BROTHERS IN ARMS for Network TEN and UNDERBELLY: BADNESS for the NINE Network. Haddrick is executive producer of UNDERBELLY: SQUIZZY for NINE, as well as JANET KING and ANZAC GIRLS for the ABC and BATAVIA for Network TEN.

Warwick Holt

A screenwriter who’s been honoured with four AWGIE Awards, a gold record and a Masters degree in Mathematics, Warwick’s written for TV shows like GOOD NEWS WEEK, THE GLASS HOUSE, THE GREAT COMEDY DEBATE, GOOD NEWS WORLD, THE SIDESHOW and THE MINISTRY OF TRUTH.   He’s written, produced and directed five self-funded documentaries, most notably THE PHANDOM MENACE, which gained global DVD distribution, and War-On-Terror-mashup musical NEW HORIZONS IN VIOLENCE. He’s currently Writer and Web Producer for THE PROJECT, and in his spare time he has several feature screenplays in development, along with BRUCE, a black sitcom about Australia’s first convicts, which has received development funding from the ABC and Film Victoria, and was recently piloted. On the side he runs a media empire, known as “Media Empire” (http://media-empire.net).

Tarni James

Tarni James is currently Executive Producer of Entertainment at the ABC and has worked in the television industry for over 30 years. Originally trained in social work, she made the transition to media and has worked freelance for all the Australian FTA networks, several independent production companies, cable channels and the BBC as a journalist, producer, writer and director. Her recent credits include FAMILY FOOTSTEPS, ABC (8 x 1 hour); the environmental series CARBON COPS (6 X 1/2 hour) ABC; THE NAKED LENTIL, SBS (4 x 1/2 hour); JAIL BIRDS (4 x 1 hour) ABC and GRAND DESIGNS  Series 1 (10 x 1 hour) Foxtel Lifestyle Channel.  Since joining the ABC as Executive Producer of Arts and Entertainment in 2010 she has overseen the weekly series ART NATION and ARTSCAPE, ADAM HILLS IN GORDON STREET TONIGHT, SHAUN MICALLEF’S MAD AS HELL and is currently in production for a new entertainment series.

Naomi Janzen

Naomi, a TV writer-producer, has returned to Australia after more than twenty years working in L.A., Toronto and Vancouver. Credits include over seventy-five hours of movies, miniseries and episodic TV for US and Canadian networks, cable channels and international syndication. Genres include adult and family drama, comedy, animation and sci-fi.  Currently, Naomi is writing, script producing and script editing for both television and movies in Sydney. Writer/Producer credits include: 7th HEAVEN, ANDROMEDA, LA FEMME NIKITA, OUTER LIMITS, HIGHLANDER, SECOND NOAH, ADVENTURE INC, RELIC HUNTER. 

Mike Jones

Mike Jones is an award winning writer & media producer with experience across traditional & new media forms with particular expertise in interactive, episodic & multi-platform development. He is lecturer in Screen Studies at AFTRS and his feature horror screenplay, ASHES, received the Monte Miller AWGIE award in 2012. He has also served as head of story for the multi award-winning Portal Entertainment UK, developing interactive thriller experiences. Mike has worked in screen production and development in the US and UK, and has been guest speaker at interactive and multi-platform events in Australia and overseas. These include the Futurebook and London Literary Conferences, the Immersive Writing Lab, and chairing a special event at the Sydney Film Festival in 2012 on interactive narrative.

Rick Kalowski

An AWGIE Award-winning writer/producer, Rick Kalowski is Creative Director – Scripted at Quail Television, an independent production company based in Sydney and Los Angeles.  He was co-creator/writer/producer of AT HOME WITH JULIA (ABC1), 2011’s top rating Australian comedy, which sold to HULU (USA), and earned him two AWGIE nominations, an AACTA Award nomination for Best Comedy Series, and the Equity Award for Outstanding Comedy Cast. Other credits include head writer of sketch hit COMEDY INC.-THE LATE SHIFT (Nine); co-creator of Seven sketch series BIG BITE (starring Chris Lilley); and feature THE HONOURABLE WALLY NORMAN starring Shaun Micallef, produced by Emile Sherman.  Rick is currently developing a new ABC comedy, as well as Australian and US features. He has previously developed TV pilots for 20^thCentury Fox/Imagine (US) and the BBC. Rick serves on The Australian Writers’ Foundation board, and is a past board member of The Australian Writers’ Guild and AWGACS.

Angela Keefe

Angela Keefe is the Organising & Industrial Manager for the Australian Writers’ Guild.  She has an extensive background in organising and industrial relations here in Australia and the US, with diverse groups including Disneyland employees, migrant restaurant and factory workers, Australian truck drivers, casino workers and child carers, to name a few.

Linda Klejus

Linda Klejus is the founding partner and Managing Director of Circa Media. Linda has an extensive background in film and television drama development, production and financing having worked for many years at the ABC, the Seven Network, Southern Star, Artist Services, Granada and the Film Finance Corporation in senior production and executive roles. Circa Media is focused on bold and distinctive prime time drama. Circa’s $13 million flagship drama series, CONSPIRACY 365, was broadcast in monthly installments on FMC for the Movie Network Channels throughout 2012. To support the unique broadcast strategy Circa Media teamed up with Hoodlum Entertainment to create an ambitious multi-platform strategy designed to reward dedicated fans for coming on this journey with a deep and immersive viewing experience. Circa Media is currently financing a diverse range of projects including several Gabrielle Lord adaptations.

Kelly Lefever

Kelly Lefever has written over 40 hours of television and Script Produced, Script Edited, Storylined, and  Story Edited more than 450 hours of TV for every free to air network in the country. She is also a script editor for film, including the much lauded THE BLACK BALLOON.  Shows and films with which she has been involved have won multiple awards including; Logies, AFI’s, Berlin’s Crystal Bear and Panorama awards, IF award, The Dendy Award, The Human rights reconciliation award and AWGIES. She has multiple AWGIE nominations, winning for both  SOMETHING IN THE AIR  and  THE CIRCUIT, an AFI nomination for Most Outstanding Television Script is an AFC Fellowship recipient, a West Australian Premier’s Prize double nominee, and a Fellowship of Australian Writers Award winner. Kelly was also shortlisted for the Kit Denton Disfellowship Award for courage in writing in 2011.  Kelly was Co-creator, Script Producer and Head Writer of THE CIRCUIT, winner of multiple awards and two Silver Hugos for best Mini Series at the Chigago Film Festival. Kelly’s most recent credits include MR AND MRS MURDER, MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES, HARD ROCK MEDICAL for Canadian TV and CITY HOMICIDE. She’s currently a Vice president of the AWG, and Chair of the NSC… and is a little sleep deprived.

Brendan Luno

Vicki Madden

Vicki Madden is a Story Producer and Writer with over 20 years experience in the television Industry.  She has extensive experience both in Australia and overseas working as Writer/Story Producer on such shows as HALIFAX FP, THE BILL (UK), THE CLINIC (Ireland) and WATER RATS, among others.  Recently she has written a true crime telemovie, BLOOD BROTHERS, for the 9 Network and Playmaker media. Currently Vicki is developing a series with Porchlight Films and other projects.   She  runs her own writing workshop ‘Into the Box’ through the AFTRS and is a Lecturer for the AFTRS Writing For TV on-line courses.

Gerard McCulloch

After cutting his teeth in stand-up comedy and writing sketches for FULL FRONTAL, Gerard became a staff writer at Roving Enterprises, writing for ROVE (LIVE), SKITHOUSE, ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER? and AFL panel show BEFORE THE GAME. He helped develop Ten’s evening news/comedy panel show THE (7PM) PROJECT, initially as a writer and later as web and social media producer. He clocked off in 2012 after three years and more than 700 episodes.

SEPH MCKENNA

With his unusual looks, Seph Mckenna, nearly a contemporary of Drew Barrymore’s, is thought in certain circles to have been Spielberg’s inspiration for ET. Handed his first Hollywood Film Script at the age of 15 (WHEN HARRY MET SALLY) he has been reading film scripts ever since, for the last 10 years professionally. After acquiring one too many degrees and a stint working for the United States Congress before THE WEST WING made it fashionable, Seph started at Village Roadshow Pictures in Los Angeles in 2003 and has worked at Roadshow Films in Melbourne from 2006. Under the expert tutelage of legendary Village group Managing director Graham Burke and Roadshow Films Managing Director Joel Pearlman, Seph has become a self proclaimed world authority on the Australian film market, and loves nothing more than to talk about it with anyone who can bear to listen. This is Seph’s second AWG conference, since attending in 2008, and he is honoured to spend this time with the writers without whom there would be nothing to talk about.

Peter Moon

Co-creator, Producer, Script Editor and star of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT GUY?  - Co-wrote five episodes with Brendan Luno for Film Victoria and Phillip Emmanuelle Productions; 2DAY-FM BREAKFAST SHOW - Writer/Performer; FAST FORWARD for the Seven Network – Writer/Performer; BLIGH – sitcom for the Seven Network – Pilot script  collaboration with Doug McLeod; TAKEOVER - feature film.

Mark O’Toole

CHRIS ROSE

After fifteen years in broadcasting and production, Chris joined ABC Television in May 2012 as the Commissioning Editor for Animation. Chris is responsible for sourcing, developing and executive producing commissioned animation for the ABC’s two dedicated children’s channels, ABC 3 and ABC 4 Kids.  Prior to joining ABC Television, Chris was responsible for new content development at HIT Entertainment and was Executive Producer on the successful new pre-school series Mike the Knight, which he developed. He joined HIT from the BBC, where he worked for over a decade in various roles, but principally within the acquisitions teams for CBBC and CBeebies. ABC Television is Australia’s pre-eminent broadcaster for children offering 32 hours of children’s content daily across three channels.  ABC4KIDS broadcasts 13 hours daily to pre-schoolers and ABC3  (launched in 2009) broadcasts 15 hours daily to school-age kids.  Each of these channels is supported by a dedicated web site, and they are the market leaders for their target audience in Australia.

Mark Shirrefs

In his 23-year career as a screenwriter, Mark has created, developed, written, story produced and edited over 180 hours of television for live-action and animated series such as THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW, SPELLBINDER, LET THE BLOOD RUN FREE, CONSPIRACY 365 and THE ADVENTURES OF FIGARO PHO. Mark has won three AWGIE awards and in 2006, THE MYSTERIOUS GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS OF JASPER MORELLO  - a short animated film scripted by Mark – was nominated for a BAFTA and an OSCAR.

Jon Stephens

Features: MULL, THE SILVER BRUMBY. Television: BLUE HEELERS, NEIGHBOURS, GOOD GUYS BAD GUYS, LI’L HORRORS, THE DAMNATION OF HARVEY MCHUGH, THE GERRY CONNOLLY SHOW, SHIP TO SHORE.  Theatre: The new Australian musical STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. 

KEITH THOMPSON

Keith Thompson is a multi award-winning screenwriter and script editor and a three-time winner of the Australian Writers’ Guild Major AWGIE Award for the best script of the year,  for an episode of GP and for his two feature film screenplays, CLUBLAND and THE SAPPHIRES (co-written with Tony Briggs). CLUBLAND screened at Sundance in 2007 and THE SAPPHIRES premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012 and was picked-up for world wide distribution by the Weinstein Company.  Keith wrote the SMALL CLAIMS telefeature franchise with partner Kaye Bendle and was Head Writer on the Children’s TV Series, LOCKIE LEONARD. He has been script editor on over 25 produced feature films including THE WAITING CITY, JAPANESE STORY and HERE I AM.  He is Head of Creative for Goalpost Pictures.

David Tiley

David Tiley is the editor of Screen Hub. He has worked extensively as a writer and occasional director on documentary and educational projects with outings as a writer or script editor in fiction. To his surprise he has also been a project manager in film bureaucracies, which turned a fascination for policy into an addiction and taught him the fighting power of accurate news.

FRANK VERHEGGEN

Frank Verheggen has been producing cutting-edge entertainment projects for over a decade, garnering several international awards. Frank is co-producer of THE ADVENTURES OF FIGARO PHO TV series, and oversaw the WEBBY nominated experience ASYLUM EXIT AUSTRALIA and the critically acclaimed game OSCURA. As the former Executive Producer of Kids Online for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation he was responsible for all its children’s multi-platform content. Here he created an award winning portal, brought a Canadian produced MMOG to Australia, oversaw an animation series and worked closely with the likes of Weta Workshop and the BBC on high profile projects.

Roslyn Walker

Roslyn’s producing credits include BABY BATH MASSACRE, PEACHES and PORTRAIT. Roslyn line-produced NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD and is currently producing a doco about Sean Godsell’s Design Hub building and line-producing JABBED, a feature doc on vaccination. Roslyn was Manager of Film Victoria, SPAA Victorian Chapter Head and is a member of the Victorian Working Party. Roslyn established the producing course at the VCA and lectured there for six years. She helped develop Open Channel’s Adv. Dip. in TV and Film Development and in 2012 travelled to LA on an ISSI fellowship to study TV series development.

Kris Wyld

G.P (1989-1996), PAPER MAN (1991), HEARTBREAK HIGH, WILDSIDE (ABC TV, 1997-1999), WHITE COLLAR BLUE (Network 10, 2002-2003), THE STRIP (Network Nine, 2008),  EAST WEST 101 (SBS TV, 2007-2011), WHO KILLED DR BOGLE AND MRS CHANDLER (ABC TV, 2006), DANGEROUS REMEDY (2012). Currently Kris is writing a crime thriller feature film for David Elfilk and Palm Beach Pictures  - BUTTERFLY STING - and she is working with creative partner Steve Knapman for their company Knapman Wyld Television on an ambitious television project.