PROGRAM & SPEAKERS

WHAT TO EXPECT 

SOPHIE HYDE

SOPHIE HYDE

Producer, Director, Screenwriter and Founder of Closer Productions

Sophie Hyde is a director, producer, writer, and founding member of the film collective Closer Productions. She lives and works on the lands of the Kaurna people in South Australia. Her debut feature drama, “52 Tuesdays,” won the Directing Award at Sundance and the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Her work has won a BIFA for Best Debut Screenplay, Australian Academy Awards, Australian Directors Guild awards, and the Australian Writers Guild award for Best Series. Her documentaries have won the Australian Documentary Prize, premiered at Sundance and Hotdocs, and screened on PBS (USA), ABC (Australia), and ARTE (France and Germany).

FIRST DAY CASE STUDY

Moderated by Beth Neate, Head of Production and Development at SAFC 

JULIE KALCEFF

JULIE KALCEFF

Speaker

Julie Kalceff is a writer, director and producer who has worked in film and television for over 15 years. Julie is the creator, writer, director and producer of the international hit multiplatform drama Starting From Now, which has amassed over 100 million views. After securing screen agency funding for Seasons 4 and 5 both seasons were acquired for broadcast television in Australia on SBS2. Starting From Now has screened in festivals around the world, winning the Audience Award at the Mardi Gras Film Festival, 2016; Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series at LA WebFest, 2016; and Best Web Series at She Webfest, 2015.

KIRSTY STARK

KIRSTY STARK

Speaker

Kirsty Stark is a Producer at Epic Films and Development Producer at Matchbox Pictures, running their SA office. She began her career in camera department and is on the committee of the ACS SA branch.

COMMERSIALISING CREATIVITY

Moderated by Karena Slaninka, CEO/Director of Mercury CX

PHIL MAYES

PHIL MAYES

CEO - Managing Director of Mighty Kingdom

With more than 15 years’ experience, Philip has worked on games for many large international brands, including Hellboy, Spyro, Star Wars, LEGO and Disney. Philip founded Mighty Kingdom in 2011 initially as an app developer but made the decision to focus exclusively on games in 2013. Since then, he has grown the company from 5 to 80, making Mighty Kingdom the largest independent developer in Australia. He is an advocate for the return of large-scale console game development to Australia and has worked to develop the ecosystem required to support it when it does.

GENA ASHWELL

GENA ASHWELL

Producer at Dancing Road Productions

Thirteen years’ experience based in London working across production, development, financing and sales which included Producer credits on two feature films, before relocating to Australia. Mentored by producer Cassian Elwes (Lawless, The Butler, Dallas Buyers Club) based in his LA office. Selected by the Natalie Miller Brilliant Careers program for another mentorship with Angus Clunies-Ross (Head of Sales, Sony Pictures releasing). Chosen as one of three mid-career producers by Screen Australia and Creative Content Australia to attend and meet with all the major studios and exhibitors at the International Movie Convention. Chair of Mercury CX and Company Director with business partner Helen Leake AM of dancing road productions, which has developed a number of international partnerships and a strong feature film slate.

MERCURY CX WISH TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO ALL FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE WORK ON WHAT IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE, FIRST NATIONS LAND. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THIS LAND, THE KAURNA PEOPLE AND THEIR CONTINUED SPIRITUAL CONNECTION TO COUNTRY, AND TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO ELDERS AND STORYTELLERS PAST, PRESENT AND EMERGING

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