South by Southwest Sydney (SXSW Sydney) has announced an impressive roster of local and international filmmaking talent for its 2024 Screen Conference program.
Headlining the program is Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton. The celebrated director, known for his films The New Boy, Samson and Delilah, and Sweet Country, will present a live director’s commentary session, offering insights into his acclaimed features.
Other notable speakers include Jed Kurzel, the award-winning composer and musician behind the scores for Monkey Man, The Babadook, and Alien: Covenant, who will discuss his approach to scoring films in a live composer’s commentary.
Josey McNamara will host a panel representing Lucky Chap Entertaiment, which will focus on the company’s recent hits including Barbie, Saltburn, and Promising Young Woman.
And Mark Andrews, one of the directors of Pixar’s Brave, will share insights into his upcoming projects at independent animation studio Floating Rock.
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Broader Industry Program
The program also includes From Animators to Entrepreneurs, a session where co-founders of New Zealand CG company Floating Rock discuss their journey in forming an independent studio; Making the Unreal Real: Women in VFX and Animation, a roundtable presented by Ausfilm, featuring Nerissa Kavanagh (Studio Blackbird), Barbara Stephen (Flying Bark Productions), Alexandra Daunt Watney (MPC Adelaide), and Lara Hopkins (Framestore); 90 Minute Film School, A crash-course covering five unique areas of the film industry, and more.
Mentorship and Networking Opportunities
The inaugural screen mentorship program will feature one-on-one mentorship events and lecture-style sessions, providing emerging and mid-career filmmakers with career advice from top practitioners. Additionally, the popular Screen Breakfasts and filmmaker meetups will return.
Further industry sessions are yet to be announced, but the lineup already includes a featured discussion with Simon McQuoid, director of Mortal Kombat and its sequel.
For more information, visit the SXSW Sydney website.
