Thirteen emerging filmmakers were selected by Screen Australia to take part in the inaugural 2018 Australian International Screen Forum where they participated in high level networking and professional development opportunities.

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The emerging filmmaker contingent includes four screenwriters, one director and eight writer/directors working across various platforms.

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“Australia’s population size dictates that our stories must always travel to be commercially viable, and it’s essential that we support our talent to be able to work both here and overseas,” said Graeme Mason, CEO of Screen Australia. “Screen Australia has been assisting our stories to get overseas for years in terms of festival and market presence, but now with opportunities like Talent USA we are able to help emerging writers and directors form creative and business relationships abroad.”

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The filmmakers selected were:

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1. Kacie Anning directed all episodes of the comedy series THE OTHER GUY for Stan Australian and was a director on the sketch series WHAM BAM - THANK YOU M'AM for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Seeso. Kacie wrote, directed and starred in online comedy series FRAGMENTS OF FRIDAY, and won the Australian Directors Guild Award for Best Direction in an Original Online Project for series two.

2. Dave Carter and Nikos Andronicos are an animation team based in Sydney who have been collaborating since high school. Currently they’re making the short-form series PSYCHOTOWN for FX and developing a satirical series with Ed Helms' Pacific Electric Picture Co. Their work has been commissioned by Mike Judge, MTV and Verizon.

3. Natalie Erika James wrote/directed and produced CRESWICK, which has screened at over 45 festivals including New York, Fantastic Fest and Fantasia, and was awarded a 2017 Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Award for Best Short Form screenplay. Natalie will make her feature directorial debut with RELIC, which was originally developed through Gender Matters Brilliant Stories and will be produced by Carver Films and co-written by Christian White.

4. Alice Englert enjoyed wide success with her first short film THE BOYFRIEND GAME. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and screened at Berlin, Melbourne and Flickerfest, winning Best Screenplay at the St Kilda Film Festival. Her second short film FAMILY HAPPINESS premiered at Sydney Film Festival, and screened at the BFI London and Melbourne International Film Festivals. Alice is also known for her acting work, including her recent role in TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL.

5. Julie Kalceff is the creator of hit online drama STARTING FROM NOW and recently wrote and directed FIRST DAY as part of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation/Screen Australia Girls series, focused on a transgender girl starting high school. She is currently in development on a feature, OUT OF BOUNDS, and drama series TOM through Gender Matters Brilliant Stories.

6. Stephen McCallum’s debut feature 1%, is a Shakespearean tale of loyalty, ambition and betrayal set within the primal world of outlaw motorcycle gangs. It premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival to wide acclaim and will be released theatrically in 2018, including by A24 in the U.S.

7. Alexei Mizin and Ryan van Dijk’s first feature screenplay VANISHED won the Monte Miller Award at the Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Awards and is slated for production. The writing team has been supported by Film Victoria, Screen Queensland and Scripted Ink through a range of initiatives, and has a slate of projects including a new drama series in the works with AMC Studios in the U.S.

8. Catherine S. McMullen is a screenwriter for film, TV and VR. Her script THE OTHER LAMB (listed on The Black List, The Blood List) was optioned by Rumble Films (DRIVE, WHIPLASH). She recently worked in a writers’ room for Warner Brothers Digital, and her pilot LIVING METAL won the International Emmy Ustinov Award.

9. Billie Pleffer is an award-winning writer and director. With two awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, an Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Award, and Australian Directors Guild and AACTA nominations under her belt, Billie has just completed writing and directing the series DEADLOCK for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

10. Dylan River is an accomplished filmmaker with shorts NULLA NULLA, BLACK CHOOK and COAT OF ARMS screening at festivals around the world. Furthermore, Dylan was the Second Unit Director/DOP for the critically acclaimed Warwick Thornton western SWEET COUNTRY and his documentary BUCKSIN won the Foxtel Documentary award at the Sydney Film Festival.

11. Miley Tunnecliffe is the gold place winner of 2017 PAGE Award for best TV Pilot for DISORDER and is also the recipient of Screenwest’s Bill Warnock Writer’s Award. Miley’s writing has placed in the Nicholl Fellowships and she has produced several award winning short films, including LOVE IN A DISABLED TOILET. Miley has written on a yet-to-be-announced Matchbox Pictures production for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and is the writer, director, producer and star of the upcoming Screenwest-funded comedy series CALLING.