UPDATE: Screenmakers Conference has been postponed from July to September, in light of the COVID-19 situation in NSW and much of the market representation coming from affected araes.
Meg Lefauve and Lorien McKenna, the scribes behind Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and Captain Marvel and hosts of podcast The Screenwriting Life, will be among the keynote speakers at this year’s Screenmakers Conference and Market.
Run by Adelaide’s Mercury CX, the event aimed at the emerging sector will also see sessions from Hoodlum and ASX-listed games company Mighty Kingdom.
This year’s iteration will return in-person in Adelaide, held over three days and featuring conference sessions, a 1:1 pitch market, the ABC iview Pitch-o-rama contest pitching contest, mentoring, industry roundtables, networking events and a one-day TV formats lab.
Industry representatives from Foxtel, Stan, ABC, Icon Films, SBS, Fremantle, Roadshow, Studiocanal, Madman Films, and Flame Distribution will be among the 50 production companies, producers, distributors, platforms and exhibitors participating.
The theme for 2021 is ‘Market >> Creators >> Exchange’.
Mercury CX CEO Karena Slaninka said the event, returning in its seventh edition, is both timely and essential for the emerging sector of an industry which is experiencing both box office and production growth.
“With both local and international screen production booming in South Australia – and around the country – the return of MCX Screenmakers Conference 2021 comes at the perfect time for an industry striving to do things differently.
“Mercury CX is extremely excited to be bringing together such an inspiring array of industry representatives, creatives and leaders in what is a unique event within the storytelling sector” she said.
MCX Screenmakers will now run September 9 – 12. More info here.