10.45 - 11.35 | MIND THE GAP: THE JUMP TO PAID WORK
THIS SESSION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE AUSTRALIAN FILM TELEVISION RADIO SCHOOL (AFTRS)

You've just graduated film school, now what? You’re not eligible for funding applications but can’t afford to self-finance another project, what should you do? When is the right moment to start getting paid and how do you quote yourself? Making the first steps into paid work is a confusing journey for any emerging director. Gone are the days when your short skyrockets you to a debut feature. There are now a million ways to catapult your directing career. We will be joined by a panel of directors who have all paved their own paths. Whether that be through the film school route or literally picking up a camera and learning everything on the job. They will share their stories and tell you the lessons they’ve learnt along the way. 

Moderator: Claudia Bailley

Speakers:  

• Lucy Gaffy
• Murli Dhir
• Tin Pang 

MURLI DHIR

Murli Dhir is a 23 year old Director, Videographer, Editor, Animator and Illustrator from Western Sydney. Coming from a background of hip-hop and skate culture, Murli has found his own niche in visual style that has solidified his name in the Australian music scene. In under two years, he has worked with various major labels like Universal, Sony and Warner both nationally and internationally - proving himself as one of the upcoming young and emerging directors.

He has worked with some of the biggest names in rap (Juice WRLD, Trippie Redd, Earthgang, Wiki) and has had his work showcased on a global scale (Rolling Stone, Genius, Lyrical Lemonade, Paper, Rage, Triple J, NME, Acclaim). He is the current creative director for Australian Artist MAY-A. His work has been pivotal in her international push, helping her land a billboard in Time Square in 2021 as well as multiple music video premieres in international magazines.

LUCY GAFFY

Lucy Gaffy is an award-winning filmmaker who, over the last decade, has worked across a range of productions and media, including short films, documentaries, episodic television, narrative podcasts and feature films. Most recently, she directed the opening story “We the Spiders” for the anthology feature film, Here Out West (Co-Curious/ ABC, 2021) alongside directors Ana Kokkinos, Leah Purcell, Julie Kalceff and Fadia Abboud. The film had its World Premiere at the 2021 Sydney Film festival and was met with unwavering acclaim.

Lucy’s recent television credits include episodes 4 – 8 of Irreverent for Netflix, Peacock and Matchbox Pictures, the drama series Amazing Grace for Playmaker and the Nine Network; three episodes of the ABC/Netflix series The Unlisted (Aquarius Films, 2019) and prior to this, multiple episodes across series three and four of the enormously successful Nine Network series Doctor Doctor (Easy Tiger, 2017-18). In addition to her active directing work, Lucy is also developing several projects for the screen and other media. She is currently the set-up director for Fremantle’s The Jump, shooting in Sydney.

TIN PANG

Tin Pang is an award-winning film and television director/writer, known for his passion in crafting diverse stories that reflect contemporary Australia, informed by his experiences growing up as an Asian-Australian. With works ranging from irreverent comedy to intimate drama, he has a strong focus on performance and the portrayal of unique characters.

His short films, THE PALE MOONLIGHT and MOTHER, CHILD have screened at festivals across the globe, including Melbourne International, Flickerfest, St Kilda, Coronado Island, World-Fest Houston, HollyShorts and Fantasia International. His most recent short, RADICAL HONESTY, featured as part of Equity and ADG's Screen Diversity Showcase 2021, before screening at Peninsula Film Festival and the Gold Coast Film Festival. 

After joining Home and Away as an assistant director in 2018, Tin began directing on the series in 2022. He is currently developing an original TV sitcom series and a romantic comedy feature. 

CLAUDIA BAILEY - Moderator 

Claudia Bailey is an award-winning non-binary writer and director. Their primary goal is provide hope to queer youth, to show them the world and people that are waiting for them. They’re interested in how storytelling can facilitate change and was given a fellowship with Wear it Purple to develop and produce their arts and culture projects for Queer and Trans Youth.

Their five short films have screened at festivals across the globe, including Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International, CinequestOz, Brisbane International Film Festival, Flickerfest, St Kilda, Manchester, Inside Out + and was awarded the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year in 2019. Their AFTRS graduation film, SUNBURN, which they wrote won Best Screenplay at the 2021 Mardi Gras Film Festival and the Australians in Film AFTRS Select Showcase, it's currently streaming on ABC iView. Their latest short, RIGHT HERE, had its Australian Premiere as a Dendy Finalist in the 2022 Sydney Film Festival. 

Claud has also directed music videos for MAY-A and Alex the Astronaut, and has garnered over 300k views. They work at the Australian Directors' Guild as the Digital and Events Coordinator, they produced the 2021 ADG Awards and Director's Cut Conference.