DIRECTORS' DEEP DIVE into the making of AUSTIN, the ground-breaking ABC series:

DARREN ASHTON in conversation with Rowan Woods.

The Australian Directors Guild with the University of Technology Sydney present the Directors’ Deep Dive 2025 series featuring Australian screen directors in conversation, introduced by Associate Professor Alex Munt (UTS) and moderated by acclaimed director Rowan Woods (ADG). This new series will focus on the working life of Australia’s screen directors in the face of rapid technological change and reconfiguration of the’ screenscape’, across film, streaming television and digital media.

As the ADG continues to advocate for sustainable careers and recognition of directors as co-authors, this session will provide insights for both established and emerging practitioners, not least on the need to protect directors’ creative rights amid shifting production models and AI-driven disruption.

UTS 'Rizzo' Theatre

702 Harris Street Ultimo

Building 6, Level 3, Room 022

Darren Ashton (ADG President)

Darren is a highly experienced award-winning director and producer across television and film. He is currenty a Creative Executive with Northern Pictures. Previously he was set up director for the hit series Here Come the Habibs! for Jungle and the Nine Network and associate script producer on Season 2. Other television credits include The Wrong Girl for Network Ten, Wonderland for Fremantle Media, Worst Year Of My Life Again for the ABC and BBC, and Rush and Offspring for Endemol and Network Ten. Darren co-wrote & directed the feature films Thunderstruck (Icon) and Razzle Dazzle (2007) which went on to compete in over 20 international festivals, and was EP on the feature film Not Suitable For Children starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) and Sarah Snook (Succession).

Darren joined Northern Pictures to direct Hardball which went on to win a number of prestigious international awards including an International Emmy. In his Creative role at Northern Pictures directed co created the Darren co-created  and was the set up director on the hit comedy series, Austin, (now in it’s second series) and Spreadsheet (with Kala Ellis based on her original script) and went on to be set up director. He is currently developing several projects with the scripted team at Northern Pictures.

Rowan Woods (ADG Vice President Features)

DIRECTORS' DEEP DIVE into the making of AUSTIN, the ground-breaking ABC series: DARREN ASHTON in conversation with Rowan Woods.

Premium series for TV and streaming are increasingly led by directors who are also credited as creators and executive producers.

In UTS ADG Deep Dive 3, Rowan Woods is in conversation with Darren Ashton - creator, executive producer and director of Austin - a ground-breaking series in its second season on ABC TV.

Darren Ashton is the current President of the ADG. He has a distinguished career in TV and feature film as a director, creator, executive producer and writer. In this Deep Dive we explore his creative leadership in the series Austin with reference to the creation of unique and compelling screen language.

Click here for tickets