Eight filmmakers have been selected to participate in the second annual Women in Screen Workshop, an industry-focused lab led by female film and television professionals from Australia and the US to advise the next class of emerging filmmakers.

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The lab will bring together and empower filmmakers in the early stages of their careers via seminars, panels and “work-in-progress workshops” including topics on Negotiating Pay and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Key Skills in Leadership, Pitching, Business and Legal Affairs, Marketing and Distribution, Independent Producing, Financing, Scriptwriting workshops, PR Strategies and Podcast development with a 360 approach to storytelling. 
 

The five Australian filmmakers selected for the 2020 workshops are Lara Kose, Alies Sluiter, Amie Batalibasi, Sarah Hatherley, Jessica Liley, with three international filmmakers: Caitlin McCarthy, Nagham Osman and Jen Sall. 

The 2020 Industry Mentors include: 
Haley Hamilton (Executive Director, Literary Scouting, FOX Television) 
Rachael Fung (Producer, Little Woods, The Giant) 
Victoria Hill (Producer, Fibonacci Films, First Reformed, The Chaperone) 
Meggie Palmer (Founder and CEO, PepTalkHer) 
Hannah Pembroke (Scripted Development, Matchbox Pictures) 
Sara McFarlane (Founder, E/S Collab) 
Amelia Chappelow (Audio Executive Producer & Consultant) 
Paula Ngon (Publicist, People and Chair of BlackPrintMeredith)
Jess Mills, (Film Marketing and Distribution Consultant, Oui Oui Marketing)

Dor Dotson, (Social Media Marketing and Crowdfunding for filmmakers, Genuine Article LLC)

Jamie Zelermyer (Film & Television Pitch Consultant / Producer / Executive Producer and President of the Board, New York Women in Film & Television ) 

This year, Sara McFarlane joins the workshop as industry mentor for Business and Legal Affairs and Financing: “The thing that’s so great about the Screen Forum’s Women in Screen Workshop is that it brings a super talented group of women together in the early stages of their career from all over the world and exposes them to all the fundamentals needed for a sustainable career in the film industry. What sets this workshop apart from the others, is that it provides filmmakers with real, practical advice that can be applied everyday to make a real difference. It teaches filmmakers and creatives to ask the right questions, to be their own advocates and their own representatives, which is so, so important.”

 
The Women in Screen Workshop was created to provide an industry focus element to support creatives in the early stages of their career so they have the tools and resources to achieve success through an entrepreneurial approach which is often lacking in project-focused incubator labs. 

“This lab creates a gateway to industry for filmmakers that have often found themselves at a standstill of where to start and get themselves through the door. I am delighted to program the next Women in Screen Workshop, led by Female industry advisors in Australia and the US who are leaders in their field to share their knowledge with this year's lab participants,” said Laura D’Augello, Producer of Industry Programs at the Australian International Screen Forum. 

The lab will take place November-December 2020 and will be held virtually this year due to Covid-19. Supporting this year's filmmakers, Final Draft will supply each filmmaker with a copy of Final Draft 11. This year filmmakers will join the Women in Screen Alumni network that continues to connect, network, educate and provide resources to female filmmakers within the Australian International Screen Foundation.