Screen Stories Now

Swinburne University and The Other Film Festival present Screen Stories Now. A free and inclusive screen storytelling symposium.

Four people are sitting in orange chairs on top of a stage. They are all laughing. There is an Auslan interpreter next to them.

Krack!n the Industry: Inclusion on Screen, 2019. Photography by Sophie Quick, courtesy of The Wheeler Centre.

Screen Stories Now is an afternoon of film panels and a workshop.

Panel 1 will be with filmmakers. Panel 2 will be with film festival directors. The workshop is about screenwriting.

You can book into the panels, via Humanitix. The workshop is booked out.

When: Friday 18 July, 1 – 5 pm. Panels 1 – 3:15 pm workshop 3:30 – 5 pm

Where: ACMI, Federation Square

Access: Wheelchair accessible, Mask friendly event

Panel access: Auslan interpreted, live streamed

Workshop access: Auslan available on request, in person only

Learn more about the event below.

Two people in wheelchairs smiling at ACMI.

Stella Barton and Jax Brown at TOFF 20 Program Launch 2024, ACMI. Photo by Raphael Recht.

The global media landscape is always changing, and fast. The screen industry is hungry for fresh stories and new, authentic voices. But are we seeing more genuine diversity on our screens?

At Screen Stories Now you will:

Learn new strategies for bold and authentic storytelling and representation
Explore how we can create systemic change in the screen industry
Discuss how we can get genuine diversity on screen

Panel 1: Reframe – From Script to Screen

The screen landscape has changed in many ways since The Other Film Festival started in 2004. Today, storytellers from underrepresented communities play a vital role in every part of the screen sector. They have brought new ways of working and connecting with audiences.

In this panel, Deaf and Disabled screenwriters will share:

Accessible screenwriting strategies
How they tell authentic stories
Tips to navigate the screen industry, pitching and funding opportunities

Panel members and host: Llewellyn Michael Bates, Sophie Smyth, Alex Litsoudis and Nandita Chakraborty.

Panel 2: Power of Film Festivals to Drive Change

Film festivals play a major role in the screen sector. In this panel, local film festival directors will share their experiences. This is your chance to peel back the curtain of film festivals.

Learn about:

Film festival programming and the different approaches to film selection.
How film festivals are impacting diversity, equity and inclusion in front and behind the camera.
Strategies to address barriers in participation for both filmmakers and audiences.
Tips to help you develop a winning film festival strategy.

Panel Members will include David Martin Harris and Ro Bright of Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Tony Briggs and Damienne Pradier of Birrarangga Film Festival.