The Australian International Screen Forum (ASIF) and Screenworks have selected seven regionally-based writers to take part in the Write From Home screenwriting program, which aims to connect them with US-based mentors and producers.

 

The initiative was developed to empower screenwriters living outside major production hubs in Australia, enabling them to collaborate internationally without leaving their local communities.

 

The cohort this year includes Paul Baiguerra, Michelle La, Harriet Riley, Alli Sinclair, Dave Wade, Marieka Walsh and Kimberley Wells.

 

The hope is the writers will strengthen their projects for the international marketplace through direct engagement with industry professionals in New York and Los Angeles, including development sessions, live readings and pitching.

 

The 2025 program is hosted by ASIF executive director Michael Kelleher and producer and former director of international programming at AMC Networks Laura Luckenbaugh.

 

Six workshops will be held over Zoom between now and mid-December, led by mentors such as Blueprint Screenwriting Group founder Timothy Cooper, Paramount+ and Shondaland writer Parker Lemal-Brown, The Writers Lab founders Elizabeth Kaiden and Nitza Wilon.

 

“Write From Home creates a professional bridge between regional Australian writers and the US industry — without the barrier of distance,” said Kelleher.

“Our goal is to help writers refine their voice and positioning for a global market while maintaining the authenticity of regional storytelling.”

 

Screenworks CEO Lisa O’Meara added it was thrilled to offer the bespoke program with AISF, noting it should empower regional writers to “elevate their craft, expand their networks, and realise their full creative and commercial potential on the global stage.”

 

“Access to international training programs and global marketplace decision-makers is vital for any screenwriter aspiring to build a successful international career,” she said.

 

Participating writers:

Paul Baiguerra (Rye, VIC) — Screenwriter and director whose short-form storytelling blends character-driven comedy and drama. Former commercial director and volunteer firefighter, bringing authentic regional perspectives to contemporary Australian narratives.

 

Michelle La (Mareeba, QLD) — Award-winning screenwriter drawn to bold, character-driven stories that balance heart and humour. Most recently, Michelle’s family dramedy web series Chopsticks & Chippies won the NQ Discovering New Online Voices Program, receiving $10,000 in development funding from Screen Queensland.

 

Harriet Riley (Albany, WA) — Award-winning writer and climate strategist with experience at UNICEF and the UN. Her scripts draw from her work on environmental policy, espionage, and human rights, combining journalistic precision with cinematic scope.

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Alli Sinclair (Geelong, VIC) —Bestselling novelist, producer and screenwriter specialising in stories inspired by real-life women who changed the world. Her novel The Codebreakers is being adapted for film and she’s producing and writing Red Lipstick Intelligence, a documentary uncovering the untold history of Australia’s women in signals intelligence.

 

Dave Wade (Whyalla, SA) — Award-winning writer/director of short films Cropped and Welcome to Iron Knob (AACTA “Best Short Film of the Decade”). Wade’s work has screened internationally, and he is developing features and television projects with support from Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation.

 

Marieka Walsh (Illawarra, NSW) — AACTA-winning animation director whose hybrid documentary and animation work has screened at SXSW, Berlinale, and MIFF. Walsh is developing a live action climate-fiction drama exploring climate migration, electronic waste and motherhood.

Kimberley Wells (Central Coast, NSW) — Kimberley Wells is an Australian-Canadian writer, director, and producer of award-winning short films and digital series. She develops comedy and genre projects with independent production partners and was a participant in Screenworks’ Inside the Writers’ Room in 2023 with Perpetual Entertainment.​

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