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9.30 - 10.20 | DIRECTOR AT THE CENTRE

Is the director really at the centre? Throughout the history of screen storytelling, directors, producers and writers have maneuvered towards a central authorship role when making feature films, TVCs, music videos, online content and episodic series. This movement and jostle at the centreis often rooted in a belief that a singularity of vision brings originality and coherence to screen storytelling. So what’s it like at the centre when the lead voice is proclaimed as the ‘director’ or the ‘showrunner’ or the ‘producer’ across various formats? This session will freewheel through some contentious and interesting territory. 

Moderator: Rowan Woods

Speakers:  

  • Daina Reid 
  • Genevieve Clay-Smith
More speakers to be confirmed








































DAINA REID 

Daina Reid began her film career as a comedy writer and actor before making the move behind the camera. Most recently, Daina’s US work includes The Shining Girls (Apple) starring Elizabeth Moss and The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu). Her episode “Holly” received an Emmy® and a Director’s Guild of America nomination. Daina has directed The Outsider (HBO), Upload (Amazon), Space Force (Netflix) and David Makes Man (OWN/Warner Television), which won the 2020 Peabody Award in the Entertainment category. 

In Australia, Daina directed the series remake of the classic film Romper Stomper (Stan); Sunshine (SBS)a 4-part miniseries set in Melbourne’s South Sudanese community which won the 2017 AACTA Award (Best Telefeature or Miniseries) and the ADG Award for Best Direction of a TV Miniseries. Daina directed the mini-series adaptation of The Secret River by Kate Grenville, which premiered at the Sydney Film Festival and screened at the Festival International De Programmes Audiovisuels in Biarritz, France.

Daina is a frequent collaborator of award-winning producer John Edwards. Their projects include Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo and Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War, both of which received AACTA Award nominations for Best Direction. Following the success of The Birth of CleoDaina directed the follow-up miniseries Paper Giants: Magazine Wars. In 2013, she established Nowhere Boys which won the AACTA Award for Best Children’s Television Series. Other credits include The Wrong Girl, the final seasons of The Dr Blake Mysteries, Offspring; Never Tear Us Apart; The Untold Story of INXS, Ready for This, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Rush and City Homicide to name a few. Her first feature film, I Love You Too, starred Yvonne Strahovski and Peter Dinklage, and told the story of a commitment-phobe and a New Ager who buddy up to win the women of their dreams.


GENEVIEVE CLAY-SMITH

Genevieve is an award winning writer and director and co-founder of Bus Stop Films. Genevieve has pioneered inclusive filmmaking in Australia and globally, working with major production companies and brands to create inclusive content, so that people with disability can equally participate in the film and advertising industries. Read more here.






ADRIAN RUSSELL WILLS 

Adrian is a Wonnarua man originally from Bourke NSW who is committed to explore the outsider, the fringe dweller, the rebel.

Adrian comes from a strong line of ancient storytellers who maintained their culture, law and language through song, dance, and remarkable visual art which stands among the oldest in the world. Adrian sees his role as a writer / director purely as an extension of those ancestors before him. His point of distinction is that he explores stories that take an audience beyond what they would naturally seek out, confronting and challenging them to go beyond their own experience.

Adrian wrote and directed two episodes of Blackfella Films’ drama series REDFERN NOW for ABC-TV and co-wrote an episode of RFDS and directed two episodes of the upcoming series. Adrian’s other television directing credits include; RUSH; WONDERLAND; THE GODS OF WHEAT STREET; 8MMM ABORIGINAL RADIO; Emmy-nominated READY FOR THIS; WENTWORTH; THE WARRIORS and the upcoming RFDS.

Adrian has explored the documentary form throughout his career; he directed the critically acclaimed documentary OUR BUSH WEDDING in 2005; co-wrote and directed WHEN THE NATIVES GET RESTLESS in 2007; BOXING FOR PALM ISLAND in 2010, which was selected to open the Message Sticks Festival that year; 88, looking at the Bicentennial celebrations of the British colonisation of Australia; and most recently, BLACK DIVAZ, which was produced by Kalori Productions / Pursekey Productions. BLACK DIVAZ premiered at Queer Screen as part of the Sydney Mardi Gras 2018 Film Festival and screened on NITV – SBS.

Adrian’s short films include; JACKIE JACKIE, which screened at Melbourne International Film Festival, Flickerfest and at Santa Barbara Film Festival; BOURKE BOY, which was developed through the Screen Australia Indigenous Unit for ABC and was awarded Best Indigenous Film at St Kilda Film Festival in 2010; and DANIEL’S 21ST which opened the 2010 Message Stick Festival at the Sydney Opera House.

Adrian is currently developing a personal documentary, his original debut feature film and several television projects in Australia and internationally. Adrian often teams with creative producer Gillian Moody of Kalori Productions.


PARTHO SEN-GUPTA

Partho Sen-Gupta is a film writer and director. They started working as Art Director and Production Designer on feature films, TV series and commercials in India. They then studied Film Direction at the FEMIS in Paris. They have made short films and feature films that have premiered at the Berlinale, Tribeca FF, Munich IFF, BFI London FF, Tallinn Black Nights, Sydney FF, Melbourne IFF, Locarno FF, Clermont-Ferrand etc. and won awards. They currently live & work on the unceded lands of the Cadigal and Wangal people of the Eora nation and lecture at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS).

ROWAN WOODS - Moderator

Rowan Woods is a director of TV and feature films, Head of Directing at AFTRS and President of the ADG. Woods’ feature film debut THE BOYS (1998) was nominated for 9 AFI Awards, winning Best Director and selected in competition for the Berlinale. He directed LITTLE FISH (2006) starring Academy Award winner, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving which was nominated for 13 AFI Awards, 11 FCCA Awards, 8 IF Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Rowan Woods’ US feature FRAGMENTS starred Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, and Academy Award winner, Forest Whitaker.

In 2016, Rowan Woods was set-up director for the multi-award winning THE KETTERING INCIDENT, winner of Special Jury Prize winner at Series Mania, Paris. Rowan was also awarded ADG Award for Best Direction in a Telemovie for THE BROKEN SHORE and has directed all series of multi-award- winning TV series RAKE for ABC TV. Rowan Woods’ reputation as drama director is complemented by directing international VFX-driven TV series including FARSCAPE, SPARTACUS and HUNTERS for Exec producer, Gayle Anne Hurd. More recently, Rowan Woods won a Children’s BAFTA (2019) with Tony Ayers for his set-up episodes of the children’s series NOWHERE BOYS for ABC TV and directed THE COMMONS (2020) for Stan, Playmaker and SONY.