THE 5th AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCREEN FORUM NEW YORK 2024
Film at Lincoln Center
The Australian International Screen Forum (AISF) recently celebrated a significant milestone with it's 5th event featuring a 35-year anniversary retrospective of Fred Schepisi’s iconic film "A Cry in the Dark," headlined by appearances from celebrated Australian talents Deborra-lee Furness and Simon Baker. This landmark event took place at New York's esteemed Lincoln Center from March 25-29, drawing industry professionals and enthusiasts alike to a rich program of screenings, seminars, roundtables, keynote conversations, and masterclasses designed to showcase the best of Australian film, television, and digital content to the U.S. audience.
Highlighting the event was a special screening of "A Cry in the Dark" (known as "Evil Angels" in Australia), followed by a Q&A and masterclass with director Fred Schepisi, providing attendees with an in-depth look into the making of this profound film. The story, which centers on a mother's fight to prove her innocence after being accused of murder following her child’s tragic death, remains a powerful narrative of justice and resilience.
Adding to the excitement was a preview screening of Robert Connolly’s "Force of Nature: The Dry 2," featuring Deborra-lee Furness, and a discussion with Simon Baker about his lead role in Ivan Sen’s "Limbo" as part of the Screentalks segment. This year’s industry talks were further enriched by insights from industry luminaries including Kent Jones, Scott Shooman, Alan Sacks, Anne Carey, Mollye Asher, and Caroline Kaplan, among others.The forum also facilitated invaluable professional development and networking opportunities for delegates from Screen Australia’s Talent USA: New York development program, underlining AISF’s commitment to fostering the growth of Australian talent on the international stage.
With a lineup that also featured content strategy discussions with Paramount Global's Rob O’Neill and innovative talks on story development in AI with Joe Couch from Othelia, the AISF once again proved to be a pivotal platform for bridging Australian creatives with the global film industry. The inclusion of figures such as Cinetic’s Alec Ring, Killer Film’s Claire Edelman, Sony’s Seth Horowitz, and A24 TV executive Eloise Lyton, alongside opportunities to engage with international mentors, highlighted the forum's role in promoting dialogue, collaboration, and innovation across the cinematic world.
As the AISF closes another successful year, the impact of its curated program on promoting Australian cinema and facilitating industry connections continues to resonate, promising an even brighter future for Australian storytelling on the global stage.
The Australian International Screen Forum's 5th annual industry event is held March 25-29th, 2024 with the public portion taking place March 27-28th. With premiere screenings, retrospectives and Screentalks, the Aussie Screen Forum showcases innovative Australian and international content and conversations with film industry mentors and heralded exciting new filmmakers via the Talent USA showcase.
THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM OF THE 5TH AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCREEN FORUM AT LINCOLN CENTER
MARCH 27-28, 2024
March 27th - 6:30pm: Opening Night Screening
FORCE OF NATURE: THE DRY 2 + Q&A WITH DEBORRA-LEE FURNESS
Francesca Beale Theater, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65th Street
March 28th - 6:30pm: Retrospective Screening
35th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING OF 'A CRY IN THE DARK' + Q&A WITH DIRECTOR FRED SCHEPISI
Francesca Beale Theater, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65th Street
Screentalks run March 27-28 in the afternoons and will be announced in the coming days
PUBLIC SCREENTALKS
All Screentalks take place at the Amphitheater, Film at Lincoln Center
Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65th Street
March 27th - 4:00pm-5:00pm:
SIMON BAKER IN CONVERSATION
March 27th - 5:00pm-6:00pm:
ROBERT O'NEILL SVP OF PARAMOUNT GLOBAL IN CONVERSATION
March 28th - 4:00pm-5:00pm:
AI IN STORYTELLING WITH OTHELIA'S JOE COUCH
March 28th - 5:00pm-6:00pm:
MASTERCLASS WITH LEGENDARY AUSTRALIAN DIRECTOR FRED SCHEPISI
TALENT USA
Held in conjunction with the public events, the Talent USA industry program is for rising screen creatives, with support from Screen Australia. A select group of Australian screen creatives participate in exclusive and bespoke professional development and networking sessions, meeting with key New York-based screen decision-makers. Talent USA's purpose is to help establish and foster creative and business relationships for their careers, and for Australian screen projects.
FOUNDING PARTNERS
2024 Staff
Chairman - Chris Beale
Executive Director - Michael Kelleher
Event Director - Nikki Moriello
Industry Producer - Nick Borenstein