Screen Australia Podcast

Do Australians value local screen and games content? The simple answer is yes. But the way we show our appreciation is more nuanced and unexpected. Join Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan as she breaks down the key findings from Screen Currency 2026, a landmark piece of research into screen and digital games. It takes a holistic view of the value of Australian screen content, how it is produced, how it is captured and how Australians (and the world) think and feel about it. Brennan shares Audience, Industry, Economic and Global insights across the production, distribution, discovery and reception of Australian content, and how the Australian screen and games industry can move into the future, including: How Australians value local content, even if they don't always consume it Why discoverability is now as important as production The surprising economic and cultural value of local content The major growth opportunity of global marketing What the industry should pursue for long=-term success She also addresses Screen Australia's priorities going forward and why, despite challenges, she's optimistic about the future for Aussie screen and games creatives. Head to https://screencurrency.screenaustralia.gov.au to read the full report and case studies.

From puzzle apps to MMPG, Australians love gaming — a nd word of mouth from peers, YouTube and socials are t h e major touchpoints for discovery . Like the screen industry, audience is ke y and a vital part of building global reach for every studio. In the second episode of this games series , we sit down with multi-hyphenate Kesley Gamble to explore how important audience and community building are to indie creators and how that can be harnessed for discoverability . Having started in content management at EB Games Australia, League of Geeks and international power-publisher Bethesda Softworks to producing the latest titles with award-winning studios Massive Monster and New Blood Interactive , Gamble shares her insights into the online to real-world opportunities for community building. We discuss the defining features between community management and marketing , the importance of authentically engaging, knowing what your audience loves and where they are , and h ow indie game makers — and screen practitioners — can convert audiences to advocates by embracing fandom. Keen to learn more about the four stages of community engagement? Discover more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp_7MteDCS0&t=24s Don't miss the first episode in the games series , with Umbrella Games Ari Harrison, here: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/how-aussie-indie-games-and-screen-are-levelling-up-with-ip/ New to games? Check out the Australian Games Industry Glossary of Terms: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/australian-games-industry-glossary-of-terms/

Horror is having a moment, and so is creator Ben Jenkins with the recent release of the cosmic horror, crime drama The Killings at Parrish Station . Like creators of horror hits across the globe like Get Out , Weapons, Talk to Me , and more recently Obsession and Backrooms, Jenkins started in comedy. "Horrible things sometimes happen to quite funny people. […] People are naturally funny, even when bad things are happening to them," hey says. "And that, to me, is drama." He credits the collaborative and improvisational nature of his sketch comedy past with shaping production of the series, instilling confidence to back the concept and landing the right market fit with Stan and ITV. Jenkins shares the development and delivery of the series from its ideation in Soviet urban myths and working with Helium and Stan, to building a shared creative vision with director Daniel Nettheim, writers Tim Pye, Catherine Smyth-McMullen and Yolanda Ramke, as well as leading cast Mia Wasikowska, Heather Mitchel, Xavier Samuel, Robert Taylor, Alan Dale and Doris Younane. The series investigates the gruesome murder of four scientists in a remote Australian desert research station. Set across the original mystery in 1987 and the fallout of a potential copycat spree killer decades later, Detectives Georgia Cooke (Wasikowska and Mitchell) and Michael Thorne (Samuel and Taylor) grapple with the uncanny mystery that threatens their families, careers and sanity. The Killings at Parrish Station is available now on Stan.

The relationship between the games and screen sectors has never been closer, and with the Aussie games industry generating over $608.5 million in revenue , games storytelling is hitting a new boss level . In the first of this microseries, we get the lowdown on the indie games space from Screen Australia Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella. With over 25 years supporting indie films and tv on the global stage, Umbrella have recently launched a gaming distribution arm, Umbrella Gaming, with their first title Pro Jank Footy due for release in 2026. Egger and Harrison discuss the intersection between the screen and games sectors, the challenges and opportunities facing both indie markets and how both industries can optimise potential through creative IP.

Start the year right with the latest Marketplace intel from Screen Australia Head of Market and Audience Rakel Tansley. Throughout the podcast, Tansley gives insight into how the Screen Australia Market and Audience team collates investment data and deal terms to provide an overview of the domestic and global marketplace, including how the data is interprete d to ide ntify trends and develop publicly available resources for producers and filmmakers. She also discusses the rise of direct-to-audience and the micro drama , the importance of retai ning IP and non-exclusive term s , the big genre and format hitters from MIPCOM ( cozy crime or family co-viewing , anyone ?), filling the gaps in your finance plan, and the top ten territories buying Australian content . "Considering [Australia is] a very small pool, we land a very large wave internationally," Tansley says. "Screen Australia are in a privileged position that we get to see globally what is happening across the whole distribution landscape , across all mediums. And we get to see those deal terms, those licence periods, the fees being paid, and expenses being taken, so we can help navigate and help negotiate the best deals to make sure that's fair and reasonable across the board." Further Reading and Resources Sales agents and distributors Checklist when negotiating film and TV distribution deals Podcast: How to make marketplace intel work for you Market Profiles

We all recognise the media landscape has changed dramatically over the past 40 years, and for creatives like today's guest, working as a director is a masterclass in embracing change. Joining us is Australian director Kate Woods to share her insights about the evolution of the television sector behind the camera and the project that brought her back to Australia . She's worked on some of the biggest titles on the small screen in Australia and the US, including Aussie favourites like GP, All Saints, Farscape and City Homicide , and US titles including Without a Trace , the Law and Order franchises, The Umbrella Academy , Agents of Shield, and The Good Lord Bird . You'll also likely recognise her debut feature film – the Aussie teen hit of 2000, Looking for Alibrandi – which this year celebrates 25 years since release. Kate reflects on her experiences working in the industry across film and TV in Australia and abroad , her approach to selecting projects, the influence of music in her work, and why she ignored the screen adage to never work with children or animals in her latest project, Kangaroo .

Creators and writers of hit film Top End Wedding, Miranda Tapsell and Joshua Tyler, join us this episode to talk about their new Amazon Australia Original Series Top End Bub . Following the global success of their debut feature film of Sundance-favourite Top End Wedding , creators and writers Miranda Tapsell and Joshua Tyler found audiences clamouring for more tales from the top end – and they were happy to oblige. As Tyler says, " If you've got an audience there, you've got a fan base, keep feeding the m!" Tapsell and Tyler share how they leveraged the IP from the big screen to television, the appeal of the comedy half-hour, the joy of collaborating together, and how creators can embrace family, community and love to reflect the breadth and diversity of First Nations experiences on screen.

This is a big episode. We're talking saving the world big. T he global screen industry generates millions of metric tons of carbon emissions every year . From fossil fuels to food waste, costumes and sets, t he average production can generate over 28 7 00 kilograms of wast e , and with pressure on production costs and budgeting, embracing sustainable practices on set can seem daunting. But a growing m ovement of practition ers are exploring how to build more sustainable productions, regardless of size. 60Forty Films' Karl Liegis and Matchbox Pictures' Helen Panchurst join this episode to discuss the strategies and opportunities for engaging the screen sector in sustainability. They share their insights into what the industry is doing globally to be more environmentally conscious, how consultants and coordinators work with production, and why it's more important than ever for the Australia sector to embrace sustainable practices. Our top takeaways: Collaboration is key - not just within your team or production, but across the industry. Don't try to do everything. Pick three things that your production or team can focus on. It's not always about the successes. Learn from the hurdles and setbacks, and build them into your next project. Resources Sustainable Screens Australia : https://www.sustainablescreens.au/ BAFTA Albert Toolkit : https://wearealbert.org/ The Pact HETV Drama Production Support Initiative : https://www.pact.co.uk/resource/the-hetv-drama-production-support-initiative.html For feedback about this episode, please email podcast@screenaustralia.gov.au .

The Snowtown and Nitram director shares what he learnt from making his first documentary, Ellis Park. Ellis Park is Kurzel's third release over the past year, alongside feature film The Order , starring Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, and Amazon Prime's Australian war drama series The Narrow Road to the Deep North . He shares the challenges and joys of juggling three feature film projects simultaneously, advice on shaping your project for success on the global market , and how his view of filmmaking has changed from director to producer.

Digital content strategist and kids IP specialist Nico Lockhart shares what producers can learn about audience development and content production from YouTube. From the importance of a good thumbnail, why a viral video could take years, how the direct-to-audience model is evolving with its audience, and the parallels between so-called traditional media and online media production, get the lowdown on how YouTube is changing the way audiences engage with screen stories. Resources Learn more about developing kids IP for YouTube with Nico Lockhart via the Kids IP Incubator webinar .

Head of Indigenous Commissioning and Production Dena Curtis dropped by the Screen Australia Podcast to talk about the role of the broadcaster in showcasing and celebrating the diversity of First Nations experiences and supporting stories told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, and shares her vision for NITV and gives advice for producers and filmmakers looking to pitch to the broadcaster.

Writer and director Nicholas Verso joins the podcast to share how he brought the award-winning novel Invisible Boys to television, including building the writers room, knowing when to move away from the source material, filming in regional Western Australia, and creating a visual language, as well as shaping authentic queer narratives for young adults.

Stephanie Dower discusses the importance of building an accessible culture on set, engaging Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent (DDN) crew, and her experiences working in the Australian screen industry, as well as introducing the emerging role of access coordinating - the philosophy and vision behind the role; the distinctions between access coordinators, safety officers, and support workers; and more.

Audrey screenwriter Lou Sanz and director Natalie Bailey on creating their debut feature film together . Throughout the episode, Sanz and Bailey share their love for comedy and dislike for the term unlikeable female characters . They also talk about getting the project to the big screen, creating compelling characters, the differences between writing for television and film, and the importance of finding the black comedy balance – or "balancing the sweet and sour", as they call it.

Videoland d irector Jessica Smith and producer Scarlett Koehne reflect on queer representation and 90s nostalgia in the Series Mania Comedy Competition-winning series. On the latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast, we spoke with Smith and Koehne following their win at Series Mania about their festival strategy and experience premiering in a foreign market. They also reflect on the creation of the queer dramedy and challenges of retro-fitting (literally) a video rental store.

During the latest episode of the Screen Australia podcast, we explore the changing theatrical distr ibution landscape. Madman Entertainment's CEO Paul Wiegard and Screen Australia Distribution Manager Anthony Grundy explain how audience behaviour has shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic and reflect on the challenges and opportunities this presents Australian filmmakers in an increasingly global marketplace. Wiegard shares Madman's approach to audience engagement as an independent distributor, while Grundy discusses some of the research and tools available through Screen Australia to support discoverability, including the new Where to Watch function.

Taking your project to market? Screen Australia Marketplace Manager Rakel Tansley shares the latest marketplace intel and advice to get the best deals on your projects. Tansley breaks down the key terms of finance plans and the market and explains the role of the Marketplace team in supporting Australian producers navigate domestic and global deals, as well as the resources publicly available on the Screen Australia website. She also talks to the key findings of the most recent Post-Financing International distribution of projects between 2020–2023, the current trend of rights, how to make IP and secondary rights work for you, the hidden costs to watch out for when building a finance plan, and shares the top five key territories and regions buying Australian film and television, both in terms of volume of sales and highest spendings.

Screenwriter and media advocate Dot West talks writing animation, reflecting kid experiences on television, and the inspiration behind Little J & Big Cuz . Throughout the episode, West shares her insight on representing First Nations experiences on screen for kids, how ACER influences the narrative, incorporating Language and the power of translations, and her thoughts on the state of children's screen content.

Filmmaker Devina Saberi shares the inspiration for new documentary series Growing Pains, as well as the challenges and opportunities of documentary storytelling for online platforms , and advice for early career filmmakers . Throughout the episode, Saberi talks about structuring stories for social media platforms, supporting community storytelling, and the challenges of observational documentary – especially while filming your friends.

Director Paul Clarke breaks down the elements of a music documentary, and the inspiration and process behind his latest feature Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line. Throughout the episode, Clarke shares his approach to research and production for the music documentary format, navigating the complexities of footage and music licensing, and celebrating the legacy of the Oils.