menu

Screen Makers Conference is set to continue for a further three years in SA, with the State Government providing grant funding to support entrepreneurship and innovation in the screen sector.

The experienced not-for-profit Media Resource Centre will receive $255,000 over three years to deliver the Screen Makers Conference until 2021, from the State Government’s Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund (RCSF).

Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said the Screen Makers Conference attracts interstate and overseas speakers, investors and delegates to Adelaide’s Mercury Cinema each year.

“Our state has a proud history in television and film, producing Australian classics Picnic at Hanging Rock and Storm Boy 1976 and 2019, as well as recent work on Escape from Pretoria, Hotel Mumbai and I Am Mother,” Minister Pisoni said.

“The Screen Makers Conference is an opportunity to build on this stellar reputation by developing commercial opportunities and the entrepreneurial capability of early-career screen content makers.

“With 40 per cent of delegates from interstate, this conference is a great opportunity to showcase South Australia’s screen industries.”

2019 conference attendees will be invited ‘behind the scenes’ in conversation with acclaimed producer E. Bennett Walsh ahead of Mortal Kombat being filmed in South Australia.

Episode one of eagerly-awaited SBS program The Hunting – produced in Adelaide by Closer Productions with support from the SA Film Corporation – will also be shown as part of the three-day event.

“The RCSF was established to help build the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and reputation for research excellence,” Minister Pisoni said.

“The funding provides opportunities for screen professionals, who are often pioneers of cutting-edge technology and innovation.”

Media Resource Centre Director Gail Kovatseff said the Screen Makers Conference is Australia’s leading screen industry event for emerging and entry-level filmmakers.

“The fact the conference sold out weeks before the event is testament to its crucial role in bringing together emerging creatives and industry leaders, breaking down barriers to build screen careers,” Ms Kovatseff said.

“In its fifth year, the Screen Makers Conference presents a packed program of speakers and panels discussing the latest trends and insights in the screen industry, dozens of industry roundtables and Pitch-o-rama – a pitching competition in front of a live audience where one winner will receive $10,000 towards concept development.

“Funding from the Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund has enabled the Screen Makers Conference to continue positioning itself as a significant vehicle to future-proof the careers of the next generation.

“We will continue to focus on new financing, production and distribution models while also introducing deep-dive labs on how to seize opportunities in areas with strong growth potential.”

To learn more about the Research, Commercialisation and Startup Fund, visit the Department for Innovation and Skills website.

Featured Image