Screen Producers Australia announced that the ABC will present The Butterfly Effect – an agenda-setting session on the opening day of SCREEN FOREVER 38 discussing Australia’s seat at the global entertainment table.
The enlightening session will put attendees at the centre of the conversation as a panel of industry leaders from the UK, Ireland and Australia offer multifaceted perspectives on Australia’s current and future position within the international screen landscape.
Moderated by renowned Journalist and Documentary Maker, Marc Fennell, panellists Roberta Allan (Head of Programming, Acquisitions and Streaming, ABC), Mary Callery (Head of International/Executive Producer, ShinAwiL), Kathryn Fink (Director of Television, SBS), Phil Hunt (CEO, Head Gear Films), Catherine Nebauer (Head of Scripted & Kids, Northern Pictures), Benjamin Law (Writer & Broadcaster), and Adrian Swift (Head of Content Production and Development, Nine Network) will discuss the agenda setting issues of how exactly are we perceived on the world stage and how the flow on effects of industry transformation and trends globally impacts our output.
Delegates can anticipate a lively examination of the new frontiers for Australian content, how to revitalise business models under pressure, and untapped markets for sharing our stories with the world. The panel will touch on Australia’s role in shaping, and adapting to, global content trends – from AI to comfort viewing, the impact of international audience preferences on Australian productions, and opportunities for international partnerships and financing.
The ABC will have a strong presence at Australia’s premiere screen industry event this year, with a second high-energy panel on Day Three – From Front of Screen to Behind the Scenes – bringing together a group of women paving the way on screen and behind the scenes to discuss the transition from acting to producing.
Moderator Virginia Trioli (Presenter, ABC) will be joined on stage by Lisa McCune (Producer, Broadstory), Marta Dusseldorp (CEO, Archipelago Productions), Nina Oyama (Comedian & Writer), and Leah Purcell (Creative Director, Oombarra Productions) to discuss how their combined creative and business experience brings a new level of understanding to narrative, story, and craft.
Meet the ‘The Butterfly Effect’ Panellists:
Roberta Allan, Head Programming, Acquisitions and Streaming, ABC (AU)
As the Head of Programming, Acquisitions & Streaming, Roberta is responsible for the content strategy across ABC iview, and the broadcast channels: ABC TV, ABC TV Plus, ABC Kids, ABC ME. Overseeing program acquisitions and as a core member of the commissioning group, Roberta sits across all screen content.
With a focus on delivering value and growing digital audiences, 2023 results saw ABC iview achieve number 1 FTA BVOD for the sixth year in a row, and the ABC Network 3rd in market. Prior to ABC, Roberta worked at BBC Studios ANZ, across Programming and Acquisitions.
Mary Callery, Head of International/Executive Producer, ShinAwiL (IRL)
Mary Callery is Head of International / Executive Producer at ShinAwiL, one of Ireland’s leading independent production companies producing content across all genres: entertainment, TV Drama series, reality TV and features. As part of the drama team, Mary is across all aspects of the scripted slate from early development, financing through to production.
Prior to joining ShinAwiL she held a variety of senior roles in film & TV including Commissioning Editor, Drama at RTE and Project Manager at Screen Ireland. She is on the board of directors of Screen Producers Ireland and is Chair of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion sub-Committee. She is also on the steering committee National Talent Academy for TV Drama & Film, which is focused on developing access to diverse talent amongst writers, producers and directors to the industry.
Moderator – Marc Fennell, Journalist & Documentary Maker (AU)
Marc Fennell is a Walkley-winning journalist and documentary maker. A 5-time medallist at the New York Festivals TV and Radio Awards, Marc has been nominated twice for Europe’s prestigious Rose d’Or. He is a recipient of America’s coveted James Beard Foundation Award, an Asian Creative Academy National Award, and Webby Award Honors. The Times (UK) has called Marc the “cheerful Aussie version of Louis Theroux”.
Marc is the creator of the popular, award-winning television series & podcast Stuff the British Stole for ABC Australia and CBC Canada. He is also seen each weeknight as the quizmaster of SBS TV’s iconic game show Mastermind. Marc has fronted ground-breaking docs like the Logie & AACTA-nominated School That Tried to End Racism (ABC 2021), The Kingdom (SBS 2023), The Mission (SBS 2023), Rose d’Or-shortlisted art-heist docu-series Framed (SBS 2021) as well as the hit Audible Original Podcasts It Burns (2019), Nut Jobs (2020) and House of Skulls (2023).
A well-known voice on ABC Radio, Fennell has presented the technology program Download this Show since 2012 and was triple J’s Movie Guy from 2006-2017.
Kathryn Fink, Director of Television, SBS, (AU)
Kathryn has more than 30 years industry experience working in major media markets including Los Angeles, New York and Hong Kong, and in senior roles overseeing content and operations for television and streaming services including at the Walt Disney Company, Sky Italia and News Corp. Prior to returning to Australia and joining SBS as Director of Television in July 2022, Fink was General Manager, Media for the Walt Disney Company in Italy responsible for Disney+, PayTV channels, original content production and content sales up until 2021.
She has also served as Managing Director at the Fox Networks Group in Italy and played a key role in the launch of Sky Italia in 2003. During her time at Sky Italia, Kathryn served as Head of Programming and was responsible for commissioning hundreds of hours of content each year, and managed all partner channels on the Sky Italia platform as well as Sky’s owned and operated cinema and entertainment channels. She oversaw original productions including Romanzo Criminale, Fiorello Show and the launch of Sky Uno, the platform’s primary entertainment channel.
Phil Hunt, CEO, Head Gear Films (UK)
An Innovator and Founder: film, TV, video games, real estate, and counter cultural diversity LGBTQ+ brand, with venue, events, charity, film distribution, and talent management arms.
Phil’s main business interests in film are Head Gear Films, a film, TV and video games investment company; and Bankside Films, an international film sales and production company; Bohemia Media, film distribution of underrepresented (LGBTQ, cultural diversity, disability, female voices); (Yet) Another Distribution Company and (Yet) Another Monster Company, which do what they says on the tin; as well as a number of other corporate investments in the sector.
He has produced or executive produced over 500 feature films, in the past quarter of a century. Head Gear Films is one of the world’s largest financiers of independent film, investing in around 40 projects a year.
Other aspects of Phil’s career include being a BAFTA voting member; a mentor to National Film and Television producing students and others; a regular speaker on the industry circuit; a founder of the British Film Festival of Kurdistan, Iraq; a Patron of The Death, Penalty Project; Advisor to Raindance Film Festival and Rome MIA Market.
Phil began producing feature films in the mid-90s with micro-budgets, which occasionally found more than a micro audience. Prior to the film business, in a pre-digital universe a very long time ago…. he was an advertising and music photographer and worked with such bands as Big Audio Dynamite. He sporadically dusts off his Hasselblad.
Benjamin Law, Writer & Broadcaster (AU)
Benjamin Law is an Australian writer and broadcaster.
He’s the author of The Family Law (2010), Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East (2012), the Quarterly Essay Moral Panic 101 (2017), and editor of Growing Up Queer in Australia (2019). Benjamin created and co-wrote three seasons of the award-winning SBS TV series The Family Law, based on his memoir, and his sold-out debut play Torch the Place (Melbourne Theatre Company) ran February–March 2020. In 2019, he was named one of the Asian-Australian Leadership Summit’s (AALS) 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians (winning the Arts, Culture & Sport category) and one of Harper’s Bazaar’s Visionary Men. He has a PhD in creative writing and cultural studies from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Every week, Benjamin co-hosts ABC RN’s weekly national pop culture show Stop Everything and interviews public figures for Good Weekend. He also co-hosts online startup and tech TV show That Startup Show, and you can catch him on TV shows like Q&A (ABC), The Drum (ABC), The Project (Ten), Filthy Rich and Homeless (SBS) and the ABC’s two-part feature documentary on Chinese-Australian history, Waltzing the Dragon. He has also written for over 50 publications in Australia and beyond, including the Monthly, frankie, Guardian, Monocle and Australian Financial Review.
Benjamin is based in Sydney. He is co-chair of the Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network, board member of Story Factory and Sydney Festival, and ambassador for Plan Australia, Bridge for Asylum Seekers, the Victorian Pride Centre and the Pinnacle Foundation.
Catherine Nebauer, Head of Scripted & Kids, Northern Pictures (AU)
Catherine has had over 25 years’ experience in the media space in a wide range of roles including channel management, distribution and as an executive producer. Since joining the Northern Pictures team in 2014, she has had a slate of over 600 episodes commissioned in Australia and internationally for Channel Seven, Network Nine, the ABC, Nat Geo Kids and now Paramount+. Most recently, Catherine has executive produced the Emmy Award-winning series Hardball and new series Spreadsheet, starring Katherine Parkinson, for Paramount+.
Catherine was previously General Manager, SVP, for Nickelodeon Asia where she oversaw distribution, production, programming and marketing. Before moving to Asia, Catherine was the Managing Director for Nickelodeon Australia where she was responsible for launching Nick Jnr., as well as delivering the #1 Channel and online portal for kids.
Adrian Swift, Head of Content Production and Development, Nine Network (AU)
Adrian is Nine’s Head of Content Production & Development working across the 9 Network’s broadcast and digital video businesses. This is Adrian’s fourth stint at Nine. He has had a long media career, starting as a journalist on the Sydney Morning Herald, before joining SBS as a news and current affairs reporter. He first came to Nine as a reporter and producer at Wide World of Sports. He then had a brief stint back at SBS as Executive Producer of Sport before returning to Nine as the founding producer of the travel series Getaway. Adrian then spent 12 years in the UK working for Endemol and Mirror Group Newspapers in a variety of executive roles before starting his own production company.
Over the past decade, he has held senior roles at both Nine and the ABC overseeing content development for much of what we see, in entertainment terms, on our TV screens. His role involves working with internal teams and external production partners to commission and develop shows that embody the 9 Network’s brand and attract audiences on any device. He works across on-air, digital and social media to ensure our program brands reach the biggest possible audience wherever they are.
After two sell-out years, delegates are encouraged to register now to ensure they don’t miss out on these thought-provoking and inspiring sessions. More information on SCREEN FOREVER 38 can be found at screenforever.org.au.
