09 08 2019 - Media release Talent USA: LA 2019 recipients announced
Goran Stolevski, Hannah Lehmann, Nina Oyama
Screen Australia have announced the 12 Australian creatives who will travel to Los Angeles for Talent USA: LA, a bespoke week-long program of targeted and curated meetings, workshops and networking opportunities. The successful applicants include writer Kym Goldsworthy (Deep Water), writer/director Madeleine Parry (Nanette) and writer/director Bradley Slabe (Lost & Found).
Talent USA:LA is provided with the assistance of the Australian Writer's Guild (AWG), and participants were selected due to their existing international profile or having already attracted US interest in their work. Film Independent and Australians in Film USA (AIF) will again assist setting up the program. AIF are also providing financial assistance to Mentor LA recipients to attend the Talent USA: LA program.
LA is the epicentre of the English-speaking screen industry, so Talent USA is an opportunity for the Australian creators to understand how the US system works and increase their visibility amongst core decision-makers, said Screen Australia's Head of Development Nerida Moore. The ultimate goal of the program is to empower these creators to do their best work back in Australia, with the confidence that there is potential creative partners, finance and audiences beyond our shores.
AWG CEO Jacqueline Elaine said that building on the success of previous Talent USA: LA delegations was vital to creating strong and lasting connections between US decision-makers and Australian creators.
With global demand for top quality content and unique voices only increasing, there's never been a better time for Australian screenwriters to affirm their presence in LA, building relationships and showcasing all that Australian creators can offer the global industry. We're excited to continue to work hand in hand with Screen Australia to deliver this incredible opportunity.
Talent USA:LA was first run in 2017, and proved so successful in connecting creators with the US industry and finance it was repeated in 2018 and expanded to New York in 2018 and 2019.
THE TALENT USA: LA 2019 CONTINGENT Abridged biographies are listed below. For US industry representatives wishing to access full creator biographies and to get more information on the program email Harry Avramidis at Screen Australia.
Trent Atkinson: Trent Atkinson is a self-taught screenwriter who has worked for networks and streaming services including AMC, Channel 7, Canal and Netflix and has created over 65 episodes of television that have screened all over the world. His Australian screenwriting credits include A Place to Call Home, All Saints, Home & Away, and Between Two Worlds, a thriller currently in production for Channel 7. Atkinson is currently working as executive producer on We're Really Happy for AMC studios and Chernin Entertainment, while creating and writing a new series, Stereoscope for Crypt TV. His first pilot for the US, Burns, is being produced by Ivan Reitman/Montecito Picture Company, with Kari Lizer (Will & Grace) attached as showrunner. Atkinson is also attached to direct his own feature film False Flag, with Michael Roiff (Waitress) producing.
Lucy Coleman: Lucy Coleman is a screenwriter and director. Her debut feature Hot Mess premiered at Seattle International Film Festival in 2018 and was named one of the best films of 2019 by The Curb. Coleman's follow-up project was the highly acclaimed web series, On the Fringe, which made its International Premiere at UK s Pilot Light TV Festival in Manchester and had its North American Premiere at LA Comedy Festival - 365. Off the back of these projects, Coleman now has her first TV series, Exposure, in development. Her second feature film as writer/director, The Witches, is also in development with producers Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt of Truant Pictures, and independent US producer Alex Tompkins, who has worked extensively with genre giants including Jordan Peele, Ari Aster and Denis Villeneuve.
Philip Tarl Denson: Philip Tarl Denson is a screenwriter from the Northern Territory. Denson was recently selected to take part in Imagine Impact, a professional development initiative founded by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer under the auspices of Imagine Entertainment, where he developed an original science fiction television series which has attached producer Michael London at Groundswell Entertainment and which is currently fielding studio offers. Denson also has a science fiction feature film moving towards production with Intrepid Pictures. Denson has been the recipient of several awards and nominations including winning the NT Literary Award for Screenwriting, and being shortlisted for the 2016 John Hinde award for Science Fiction. He was a finalist in the 2016 INSITE award, the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, the Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition, quarter-finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship screenwriting contest, and finalist in the 2017 Gateway LA Aussie List' of the best unproduced scripts by Australian writers.
Justine Flynn: Justine Flynn is an established creator, writer, director and producer who has produced hundreds of hours of content at the helm of series including Me and My Monsters, Five Minutes More and Hot Spell. She was the co-creator of Blue Water High, Islandares and Bindi's Bootcamp and has directed for Nickelodeon, Dirtgirlworld and The Justine Clarke Show. Flynn is the creator, showrunner and director of the ABC/Netflix series The Unlisted produced by Aquarius Films, which will premiere on the ABC in September 2019.
Kym Goldsworthy: A winner of six AWG AWGIE Awards, Kym Goldsworthy is one of Australia's most versatile and highly regarded writers. His four-part series Deep Water for SBS won Silver at the 2017 Seoul Internatio
Asia, Australia & Oceanic Stories
23/07/2026
NITV launches new By Mob For Mob series in partnership with NRMA Insurance
23 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has launched ...
23/07/2026
Screen Australia announces new national documentary accelerator program 23 July 2026
Screen Australia has today announced the Above the Line Documentary Accel...
21/07/2026
SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final
21 July, 2026
Media releases
Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of al...
17/07/2026
Legendary presenter Anton Enus to sign off from SBS World News after 27 years wi...
17/07/2026
Millions rise before dawn to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals on SBS
17 July, 2026
Media releases
England v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of a...
16/07/2026
NITV and SBS bring Australians to the heart of Garma
16 July, 2026
Media releases
The Garma Festival returns from 31 July-3 August, with NITV and SBS deliv...
14/07/2026
Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters
BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026
14 July Writ...
13/07/2026
Millions tuned in for quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on SBS
13 July, 2026
Media releases
Norway v England attracted a Total TV reach of 3.7 mil...
09/07/2026
SBS statement Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
9 July, 2026
Media releases
SBS acknowledges the gravity of the matters before the Roy...
08/07/2026
Well over half of Australia have tuned in to watch the FIFA World Cup on SBS
7 July, 2026
Media releases
Australia's Round of 32 match against Egypt a...
08/07/2026
SBS and Koorie Heritage Trust announce three-year partnership to celebrate First...
08/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
08/07/2026
Australians in Film and Screen Australia launch FUTURE VISION Forward to elevate...
07/07/2026
New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026
The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board.
Dr Tania Chamber...
07/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
30/06/2026
Statement regarding GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign
30 June, 2026
Media releases
The GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign is an independent initiative. SBS ...
27/06/2026
A record 4.84 million Australians choose SBS as the Socceroos advance at FIFA Wo...
25/06/2026
The Name You Know, The Lineup You'll Love - SBS2 Returns
25 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Viceland rebrands as SBS2 on Friday 21 August, bringing the c...
23/06/2026
Australians in Film and Screen Australia's talent development initiative UNT...
22/06/2026
FIFA World Cup 2026 fever grows, as more than one third of Australians tune in ...
18/06/2026
Techtel delivers Haivision live streaming system for TAFE NSW St Leonards, enabl...
16/06/2026
Australians place growing trust in SBS News
16 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has been recognised as one of Australia's most trusted news providers, ran...
16/06/2026
Share your views on Screen Australia and the future of the industry 15 June 2026
Your feedback matters.
Following the instrumental insights provided in 2025,...
16/06/2026
Techtel Supports T-Motion RCCP-2A Controller Upgrade for Major Australian Broadc...
15/06/2026
4.78M AUSSIES TUNE IN FOR SOCCEROOS WIN OVER T RK YE ON SBS
15 June, 2026
Media releases
Match had a Total TV average audience of 3.035 million, with over ...
15/06/2026
SBS Head of Commissioning John Godfrey to depart after 18 years
15 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Head of Commissioning John Godfrey will depart the broadca...
15/06/2026
Techtel Completes Media Production Setup for a major AFL sporting organisation
Sports
15 June Written By Suzanne Costello
(Sydney, Australia 15 June 2026)...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
11/06/2026
Australian Games Industry Glossary of Terms 10 June 2026
From DAU and EULA to COT and QADE, here's a list of game industry terms, industry jargon and their...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
04/06/2026
Is Your Job Making You Work this June?
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Launches the World Cup Watchers' Rights Association to Stand Up For Australians&...
04/06/2026
Statement regarding unauthorised use of SBS logos on third party social content
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has become aware of social media posts in c...
03/06/2026
Clarification: SBS's position on definitions of antisemitism
3 June, 2026
Media releases
Statement by Mandi Wicks, SBS Director of News and Current Aff...
03/06/2026
Do not read this media release! Andy Lee's smash-hit show returns to ABC thi...
01/06/2026
SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
1 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Com...
28/05/2026
Get fit for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with new SBS On Demand features for the ult...
28/05/2026
Six films, one unmissable collection. First Facts documentaries debut on 10 Stre...
28/05/2026
Emma Watkins brings all-new Emma's Dance Club to ABC Kids 28 May 2026
Emmas Dance Club. Image credit: Sarah Wilson.
The ABC, Screen Australia and Screen N...
26/05/2026
Three new kids' digital series set to hatch from ACTF and Screen Australia i...
25/05/2026
SBS announces exclusive TV broadcast schedule for FIFA World Cup 2026
21 May, 2026
Media releases
Luke Wilkshire, Tommy Oar, Andrew Redmayne, Sarah Walsh ...
22/05/2026
Statement regarding 2026 National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award for the late...
21/05/2026
2026 delegation for Partner with Australia (UK) initiative announced 21 May 2026
Screen Australia and Ausfilm have today announced the delegation for the 2026 ...
20/05/2026
From Gulkula to the nation: Yothu Yindi Foundation and NITV deepen national acce...
09 08 2019 - Media release Talent USA: LA 2019 recipients announced 
