21 03 2018 - Media release Recipients of Developing the Developer 2018 revealed Top row L-R: Sarah Bassiuoni, Leticia Caceres, Li-Kim Chuah, Anna Dadic and John Harvey. Second row L-R: Hiroki Kobayashi, Dan Prichard, Amy Stewart, Vidya Thiagarajan and Jean Tong
Screen Australia announced today the ten creatives who have been selected to take part in Developing the Developer 2018, an intensive workshop aimed at increasing the pool of experts in the field of story development. With a focus on improving access for practitioners from diverse backgrounds, the workshop will cover fiction development methodologies and tools as well as market context.
This year's group of participants includes a particularly strong showing from the theatre world, said Nerida Moore, Senior Development Manager at Screen Australia. We consider this to be a boon for the screen sector because with that comes a deep understanding of story and in particular physical storytelling, as well as experience working with writers. We know from past intakes that this program delivers concrete outcomes such as industry placements. With that in mind, we can't wait to see these creatives use what they learn in this workshop as a jumping off point for both their careers and in shaping our next generation of storytellers.
The three-and-a-half day workshop will take place in Sydney from Thursday 12 Sunday 15 of April, and will be led by highly-regarded script developer and former Screen Australia Development Executive Louise Gough.
Louise will be joined by Screen Australia representatives and specialised industry practitioners who will contribute to sessions throughout, including Lena Nahlous from Diversity Arts Australia, Sofya Gollan from Create NSW, screenwriter Liz Doran, and two alumni from the 2017 intake Mithila Gupta and Jenevieve Chang.
The applications were assessed with the assistance of Kyas Sheriff, Head of the Indigenous Unit at AFTRS, and Bali Padda (Developing the Developer 2017), Chair of the Equity Diversity Committee.
The first iteration of Developing the Developer took place in April 2017 and from the 16 creatives who took part, eight have gone on to secure placements: Gary Abrahams at Matchbox Pictures; Fiona Tuomy at Film Art Media and Seymour Films; Santilla Chingaipe at Arenamedia; Anthea Williams at Causeway Films; Mala Sujan at Easy Tiger; Martine Delaney at Roar Films; Mithila Gupta at Blackfella Films; and Jenevieve Chang at both Arclight and Felix Media.
Two other participants, Ade Djajamihardja and Violeta Ayala, have gone on to have projects supported by Screen Australia through the Story Development Online and Documentary Producer programs respectively.
SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS (in alphabetical order)
Sarah Bassiuoni (NSW) Sarah brings a decade of experience as a human rights lawyer to her screen career. She is the daughter of an Egyptian Muslim and Irish Catholic and grew up in Saudi Arabia, Australia and the USA. Sarah has worked for UNICEF in the Pacific Island Nation of Kiribati, for Amnesty International and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. In 2016, Sarah transitioned to the screen industry with her short film Dunes premiering at the Gold Coast Film Festival. She has completed Graduate Certificates from AFTRS in Screenwriting and Directing, and works as a researcher and note taker for various production companies. Her career aim is to tell stories that reflect the reality of life with all its diversity, troubles and hilarity.
Leticia C ceres (VIC) Leticia is an emerging filmmaker and renowned stage director. In 2017, she self-funded, wrote and directed her first short film Wild, which won the London Film Awards' Golden Lion for Best First Time Director Award, and the Next Gen Student Film Award at the Melbourne Women in Film Festival. Her second short film, The True History of Billie the Kid is currently in post-production. Leticia is a recipient of Screen Australia's Gender Matters Brilliant Careers grant. Leticia has directed for most professional theatre companies in Australia and was associate director for MTC between 2013-2015. Her stage work has received Helpmann, Green Room and Sydney Theatre Awards.
Li-Kim Chuah (QLD) Li-Kim is a queer Asian Australian screenwriter with a decade s experience in adult drama and children s TV. She has written for Network Ten s award-winning series Offspring, Australia s most successful serial drama Neighbours, internationally successful children's series The Saddle Club, and upcoming The Bureau of Magical Things. She has worked as a script assistant, script coordinator, script editor and note-taker, assisting in the development of character, series story arcs and episode plotting. In 2015 Li-Kim was selected for The Wheeler Centre s Hot Desk Fellowship in Melbourne where she developed two of her own TV series, Messy Moves and Being Ange Harper. She is currently developing a full-length play for Red Stitch Theatre as part of their Ink Program.
Anna Dadic (NSW) Anna began her career in the entertainment industry working in talent management, eventually moving into the role of theatrical agent where she represented writers, directors and heads of department across film, theatre and television. She has since moved into producing and developing her own content. Anna secured development funding from Create NSW for a feature film, and has assisted in writers rooms for Essential Media and Carver Films. In 2017, she produced Love at Fifth Site, a series of interactive short films for Adelaide Fringe Festival, and Resting Pitch Face, a three-part comedy web series to be released in early 2018.
John Harvey (VIC) John is a producer, director and writer in screen and theatre with his company Brown Cabs. He has collaborated with director Stephen Page twice, producing the feature film Spear and the chapter Sand for the featur
