ABOUT
Talent Gateway provides established Australian writer/directors who have demonstrated a high level of recent international success with the knowledge, access and relationships necessary to succeed in the global market. The program aims to help these creatives to refine and market their slate and engage international partners for projects.
THE PROGRAM
Screen Australia and Australians in Film (AiF) are partnering to provide Australian screen creatives who have a high level of recent international success with the skills, knowledge, access, and relationships necessary to succeed in the global market.
Up to six delegates will be selected to participate in the Talent Gateway program of roundtables, master-classes, introductions with key US based screen decision makers, and individualised 1:1 mentorships. Each delegate will receive grants of up to $20,000 to enable them to take part in the program which runs from Feb 2024 to June 2024.
The Talent Gateway program aims to attract US support, investment, and partnerships for Australian content and careers.
Congratulations to the 2024 Talent Gateway recipients:
Aaron Fa'Aoso:
A Torres Strait Islander film producer, director, screenwriter and actor known for his roles in RAN: Remote Area Nurse, East West 101, The Straits, Black Comedy, and as the presenter of several food and travel programs. He is the founder and managing director of film and television production company, Lone Star. Lone Star’s projects include documentary series Blue Water Empire, about the history of the Torres Strait Islands, and the unscripted series Strait to the Plate.
Lou Sanz:
An award-winning writer, producer and performer. Her debut feature, Audrey, directed by Natalie Bailey, will have its world premiere in competition at SXSW in 2024. Her TV credits include How To Stay Married, Life Support and The PM’s Daughter for which she received her second AWGIE nomination. Sanz has also worked in the script departments on beloved Australian dramas including Offspring and The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
Stef Smith:
An award-winning writer and director who recently directed the Stan Original Film Jones Family Christmas and two episodes of the Truce Films AACTA-nominated series Monologue. Smith is the creator, producer, series director and a writer on AACTA-nominated, AWGIE-winning television miniseries It's Fine, I'm Fine (SBS). Her multiple award-winning, Iris Prize-nominated short film Joy Boy screened at Palm Springs International Film Festival and the AmPav Emerging Directors Showcase at Cannes Film Festival. Smith has won an Australian Directors Guild Award and has received four nominations.
Andrew Undi Lee:
A queer, Australian-born Korean director, writer and producer. Lee is the recipient of the AFTRS Kenneth B Myer Award for Exceptional Talent and the Young Australian Korean Filmmaker Award from the Korean Consulate of Australia. His Film and TV writing credits include Melon Grab, Troppo (ABC), Born To Spy (ABC) and the Korean Australian horror series, Night Bloomers (SBS) - a show he created through the Screen Australia, SBS and NITV’s Digital Originals Initiative that premiered at SXSW Sydney.
Matt Vesely:
A South Australian writer and director across TV and film who works as a story producer, writer and development executive with Closer Productions. His latest short film, System Error, was selected for the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and opened the 2021 St Kilda Film Festival. His debut feature film, Monolith, had its international premiere at SXSW in 2023 before screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) (South Korea), Sitges Film Festival (Spain) and Frightfest UK. It was nominated for Best Indie Film at the AACTA Awards and Best Debut at the Australian Director's Guild Awards.
Nick Watson:
A queer, non-binary writer/producer whose work blends animated comedy with sci-fi, fantasy and the supernatural. He wrote for adult animated series Final Space, was the showrunner on kids’ animated series Arpo: Robot Babysitter, and was a development executive at Moonbug Entertainment, as well as a script analyst for ABC-Disney and NBC-Universal. In 2020, he was nominated for an Australian Writer’s Guild Award and was named the Victorian College of the Arts ‘Artist in Residence’ at AiF’s dedicated work and networking space in Los Angeles, Charlie’s.
