Australians in Film, Screen Australia and VicScreen have announced FUTURE VISION - a think tank and industry conference for courageous ideas. This groundbreaking global television summit will be held over three days in Melbourne from July 15-17, at ACMI.
The headline guests for this inaugural creative conference are: three-time Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Lee Sung Jin, who created, wrote, executive produced and directed the multi-award-winning Netflix series BEEF; and the award-winning co-showrunner, executive producer and director from The Bear, Joanna Calo, who has also written on Hacks and BoJack Horseman. Co-Chairs of the Summit are award-winning Bruna Papandrea (Big Little Lies, The Undoing) and Tony Ayres (The Slap, Clickbait). FUTURE VISION Creative Director is producer and executive Rebecca Yeldham (The Gift, Motorcycle Diaries), who led the content team at MasterClass, overseeing the creation of classes with the likes of Annie Leibovitz, Anna Wintour, David Lynch, Margaret Atwood and Martin Scorsese. More FUTURE VISION guests will be announced shortly.
The innovative think tank is designed to advance the craft of premium episodic storytelling in Australia, by bringing established local television professionals together with some of the world's leading television creators and executives. By forging meaningful creative exchanges and commercial opportunities, FUTURE VISION will seek to provide a long-lasting and positive impact on Australia's screen industry, ensuring our stories resonate across the globe.
Comprising two components – an invite-only series of workshops and a broader industry-facing conference – FUTURE VISION will engage established industry creatives in intimate working sessions, high-level networking events and larger, industry conversations.
The event will be attended by some of the best dramatic and comedic storytellers working in television, supporting excellence and originality in storytelling, with the aim of creating Australian stories that will resonate across the globe.
Screen Australia Chief Operating Officer Grainne Brunsdon said, "Supporting our local screen talent is at the heart of what we do at Screen Australia, and we're incredibly excited to deliver FUTURE VISION in partnership with AiF and VicScreen. This summit provides an unrivaled opportunity to nurture and celebrate Australian screen talent on a global platform – ensuring our stories continue to travel well and resonate with audiences around the world."
FUTURE VISION headline guests Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo said, "We are thrilled to be a part of FUTURE VISION, as we are both very near-sighted. From Talk to Me, to The Slap, to all things George Miller, Baz Luhrmann and countless other incredible filmmakers, we have long been fans of Australia's film and television community and look forward to learning more and discussing the future of storytelling, both locally and beyond."
FUTURE VISION Co-Chairs Tony Ayres and Bruna Papandrea, and Creative Director Rebecca Yeldham said, "We are absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Lee Sung Jin and Joanna Calo to the inaugural FUTURE VISION in Melbourne. Their award-winning and highly acclaimed work, while uniquely grounded and bold, is universally enjoyed. The theme of this year's FUTURE VISION is Courage, and we could not think of two better TV creators in the world that represent this in their work."
Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said, "Victoria has a long and celebrated history of creating premium TV series that have taken the world by storm. We're proud to support FUTURE VISION, which will bring Australia's television leaders together with the creators and decision makers behind some of the most popular, and talked about, series. The summit will build on Melbourne's position as a global screen powerhouse and a home to sought-after creative talent that is ready to do business and entertain audiences across the globe."
Executive Director of Australians in Film Peter Ritchie said, "Australian television stories are now being consumed around the world, more than ever before, but the actual commissioning of our stories has never been more competitive. FUTURE VISION, created with the incredible support of Screen Australia and VicScreen under the leadership of three acclaimed Australians – Bruna Papandrea, Tony Ayres and Rebecca Yeldham – is designed to inspire courage in both creation and commissioning, and expand the international audiences for Australian premium television and narrative comedy. We also hope to arm Australian creatives with the knowledge and skills to adapt to the massive changes and shifting economics happening internationally. We feel it is fitting to be presenting our inaugural FUTURE VISION at ACMI, the Australian home of screen culture."
FUTURE VISION is proud to have industry support from the ABC, BINGE, Netflix and Stan. The Venue Partner is ACMI, and Hotel Partner is Sofitel Melbourne On Collins.
