SPA announces three more international guests for Screen Forever 2022

Amazon Keynote and International Producers have been announced.

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) announced two more exciting SCREEN FOREVER sessions which will include three leading international guests. The sessions include a pair of iconic independent British producers who have been a filmmaking force to be reckoned with for over four decades and an international Amazon Studios executive who leads the way in expanding the streamers presence in the Asia Pacific region.

Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen are undoubtedly two of Britain’s most successful independent producers, and the first two of our three international guests announced today. Renowned for visually stunning and intricate dramas including the Oscar-winning The Crying Game, the Oscar-nominated Carol starring Cate Blanchett, Great Expectations starring Ralph Fiennes and two upcoming major productions, Mothering Sunday and Living, both to be released in 2022. 

With fifty-plus BAFTA nominations, the highly prestigious BAFTA Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema in 2019 and countless other awards to their names, Woolley and Karlsen have shown a commitment to independent cinema that has been celebrated across the globe. Through their company Number 9 Films, they hold a stunning ability to continue to advocate for the survival of local and independent cinema productions internationally.   

SCREEN FOREVER delegates can look forward to an explorative In Conversation session, brought to you by Film Victoria, with the prolific filmmakers who will appear live to share their experiences and opinions on the state of independent filmmaking in the age of streaming, and how producers can forge their own path in an increasingly competitive market. 

In an ever-evolving world where the popularity of streaming services have quickly moved from emerging to dominant platforms, SCREEN FOREVER delegates will have the opportunity to join Amazon Studio’s Head of Originals in the Asia Pacific region, Erika North, for a keynote speech. 

Erika joined Amazon already a seasoned TV production executive and sits in a critical role at Amazon during an exciting time as they grow their local original slate in Australia and internationally. 

Erika will share how Amazon plans to partner with local talent from across the Asia Pacific region to create a catalogue that will overshadow any other SVOD service in existence. Erika and her team aim to redevelop their audiences’ experience by mixing new with old to provide a collective experience for audiences in the region.

Erika previously held similar positions including Head of Programming and Production at HBO Asia and worked at Netflix on their international originals. In her keynote speech, delegates will hear about the strategies Amazon uses when commissioning content and what priorities Erika has when it comes to securing local content and originals for the Asia Pacific region. Erika is overseeing the Australian original productions Deadloch, Class of 07 and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – currently in production across Australia.

The session will also investigate the symbiotic relationships that exist between Australia, India, Japan and Singapore and how Amazon utilises these relationships to maintain customer loyalty and grow exponentially within the Asia Pacific region.