AIDC and Screen Queensland, with the support of Sunshine Coast Council and in collaboration with Sunshine Coast Screen Collective, are pleased to reveal the full session program and speaker line-up for the first Regionality Sunshine Coast documentary and factual industry event, taking place at Maroochy RSL, Maroochydore on Friday 26 July 2024.
The packed one-day program provides exclusive insights into crafting award-winning character docs, the elusive art of pitching, factual formats and new discoveries, First Nations storytelling and engaging audiences with impact. It also includes opportunities for sector networking and curated 1:1 meetings with participating industry representatives – all designed with the needs of Queensland-based documentary and factual practitioners in mind.
Leading the program are Emmy and Sundance Award-winning US documentarians Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, the creative duo behind Boys State (Apple TV+), The Mission (Nat Geo), Mayor Pete (Amazon Prime Video), The Overnighters (Netflix) and the 2024 Sundance smash Girls State (Apple TV+). Heralded for their character-driven, provocative, and timely documentaries, Moss and McBaine will share insights into their creative practice, playing with form and how to balance independent artistic endeavors with commercial realities to turn their documentaries into major international hits.
For those seeking insider knowledge of the evolving factual landscape, Endless Discovery – Reaching New Heights In Factual brings together some of Queensland’s finest and most prolific factual filmmakers, including Randall Wood (Flyways), Bettina Dalton (Every Little Thing), Dena Curtis (First Weapons), Nick Piper (Dawn of the Dolphins) and Dr. Chadden Hunter (The Platypus Guardian). Spanning natural history, wildlife, science and technology, this stellar line-up will share creative and industry insights into their most recent factual productions, how to create informative and entertaining programs that successfully ‘cut through’, and what discoveries lie ahead for the future of factual.
Award-winning Indigenous creatives John Harvey (Still We Rise) and Dena Curtis (Rebel With A Cause) join producer and industry expert Marissa McDowell and Screen Queensland’s Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit, Danielle Ah Boo for a robust discussion on First Nations storytelling and the documentary landscape. Drawing on recent works such as Still We Rise, First Weapons (ABC) and Rebel with A Cause (SBS), this esteemed panel share how to successfully navigate creative practice, collaboration and cultural integrity to craft doc and factual works that can ensure the future of impactful and authentic First Nations-led stories.
For filmmakers interested in reaching new audiences, the session Engaging Audiences With Impact! will see Doc Society’s Hollie Fifer and local impact filmmakers Kim Ingles (The Oyster Gardener), David Cook (Frontline Rangers) and Maya Newell (The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, In My Blood it Runs) come together to discuss how utilising the principals of impact and engaging with communities can connect your film to wider audiences, bolster the sector, and find creative solutions to current industry challenges.
For filmmakers pitching a project, seeking direct knowledge or wishing to make new connections, Regionality’s Doc Chat 1:1 Meetings program will provide delegates with the opportunity to apply for face-time with decision makers and industry guests of the event. And to cap off the day, Networking Drinks will see all attendees invited to catch-up with industry peers, make new connections, and celebrate South East Queensland’s talented documentary and factual creators.
Bolstering the Regionality decision maker line-up, Naomi Elkin, Executive Producer – Factual, Paramount ANZ will join already confirmed guests Richard Huddleston (Head of Documentary, Screen Australia), Jo Chichester (Commissioning Editor, Factual, ABC), Bethan Arwel-Lewis (Commissioning Editor, Factual, SBS), Hollie Fifer (Director of Special Projects, Doc Society), Danielle Ah Boo (Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit, Screen Queensland), and Ian Lynch (Acting Head of Content – Industry and Initiatives, Screen Queensland).
Screen Queensland CEO Jacqui Feeney said Screen Queensland is pleased to partner with AIDC on Regionality Sunshine Coast. “We are delighted to bring this invaluable event back for another year, this time to the Sunshine Coast. It is a wonderful opportunity for the documentary industry to gather, learn and upskill to ensure Australia continues to make impactful real stories where truth is powerful or even stranger than fiction. It’s also a chance to showcase Queensland’s accomplished and flourishing documentary and factual creators, alongside national and international industry leaders.”
AIDC CEO / Creative Director Natasha Gadd, said, “AIDC is thrilled to present our 2024 Regionality program, featuring an impressive line-up of speakers and sessions bringing a taste of AIDC to South East Queensland. Honouring the eternal curiosity of nonfiction creators, this year’s program journeys into the inner lives of larger than life characters, explorations of outer space and underwater worlds and the legacies of First Nations trailblazers. Celebrating both regional storytelling and global industry trends, the program will also shine a spotlight on the incredible talent of Queensland doc and factual creators. We are grateful for the support of Screen Queensland and collaborative partners Sunshine Coast Council and the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective.”
Tickets for Regionality Sunshine Coast are on sale now through AIDC, priced at $90 inc GST, or $80 inc GST for AIDC, Sunshine Coast Screen Collective and Screenworks members, and $70 inc GST for full time students and concession card holders, and provide access to all sessions, Doc Chat sign-ups and networking drinks.
Regionality Sunshine Coast takes place Friday 26 July 2024 at the Maroochy RSL, Maroochydore, Queensland. Visit aidc.com.au for more information.
