Acmi Podcasts

Did you know that twenty percent of Australians live with disability? You probably wouldn't guess that from our media. But things are gradually improving. In 2018, more people with disability and appearance diversity are writing and starring in TV and film, influencing on social media and getting opportunities as brand ambassadors. Young people today have a much greater chance of seeing themselves represented, knowing what's possible. We'll be talking representation of people with disability on screens and behind the scenes, and why it's vital to give us a place at the table.

In an ever-changing media landscape, and with audiences savvy and cynical about advertising, brands are looking for more subtle ways to draw their customers in. Enter the documentary filmmaker. Does this offer an exciting new source of finance for documentary or is it a sell out? Is it still possible to make authentic stories within this form? Who has creative control in this environment? Why do brands give money to filmmakers and what do they want in return? This session brings together a world-class panel of award-winning filmmakers, producers and broadcasters to share their first-hand experiences making documentary content for brands and the mechanics of building successful partnerships to do so. They will explore how brand funded content works, why they do it, how it is different to working within traditional funding pathways, and what the deals look like. Between them, our panel has made everything from online content to television to feature films, financed by brands. They will share the realities, the

How do we build stronger alliances and create impact campaigns that engage audiences on issues, to create lasting change? The phenomenal rise of documentary impact campaigns in recent years, following the success of Good Pitch Australia and the growing field of expertise, means we now have a global community of impact producers and a rich library of case studies to learn from. There is also a plethora of online tools and organisations offering expertise in delivering impact campaigns. So what have we learned and where are we going? What is the best impact approach for your project and budget? Through unpacking several environmental sustainability themed case studies, our panellists from very different corners of the industry demonstrate the wide variety of ways to achieve genuine social impact.

Robert Fernandez has been producing award-winning documentaries and commercials for over 25 years - yet he still loves getting his hands dirty on budget spreadsheets 'I love the numbers'. Working with Errol Morris since The Fog of War, Fernandez recently delivered their biggest project to-date: the Netflix series Wormwood. With no precedent for its hybrid format or production model, it took 1.5 years to develop and finance with Netflix, and 2.5 years to shoot. Fernandez is the master producer behind a master director, and the man that 'did the numbers' to produce the opus Wormwood, replete with a feature shoot's worth of drama and 10-camera interview setups.

Interactive digital narratives, fully-immersive VR, open source gaming, robots writing novels – what does the future of storytelling look like? What do emerging technological advances mean for writers and artists creating work in the digital era? Four artists at the forefront of innovation in digital storytelling kicked off Digital Writers' Festival 2017 with a discussion about the impact of interactive digital narratives, virtual reality, geolocated narratives and more in conversation with artistic director Izzy Roberts-Orr. Copyright acknowledgements: Clips Played Title: Door Into the Dark Trailer Copyright: Anagram Link played: https://vimeo.com/97591942 More info: http://weareanagram.co.uk/project/door-into-the-dark/ Title: The Gardens Between Copyright: TheVoxelAgents Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBXEGmQ_og More info: http://thegardensbetween.com/ Title: The Gardens Between ~ Slow Trailer TEASER Copyright: TheVoxelAgents Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_AaniqoqfEMore

This talk celebrated International Women’s Day with local filmmakers telling powerful and revealing stories. Filmmakers Sari Braithwaite, Chloe Brugale and Santilla Chingaipe were in conversation with Eloise Ross about their craft and processes, key collaborations and career pathways. About the speakers Santilla Chingaipe is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker. She spent nearly a decade working for SBS World News which saw her report from across Africa and interview some of the continent's most prominent leaders. Her work explores cultural identities, contemporary migration and politics. Last year she presented a one-off documentary for SBS, Date My Race. Santilla is currently directing and writing documentary on the complexities of Australia’s South Sudanese community. Her latest film, Black As Me, is a short documentary exploring the perception of beauty and race in Australia. She writes regularly for The Saturday Paper. Chloe Brugale is a screen practitioner with more than fifteen yea

From the surface of the sun to the depths of the prehistoric seas and the earth's orbit, VR continues to open portals onto worlds we could never physically inhabit. What potential does this technology hold for expanding the realms of human experience? Erth's Scott Wright (Prehistoric VR), artist Jessie Hughes (Soul Of Sol – La Palma) and astrophysicist Professor Alan Duffy (Swinburne Uni) discussed art, tech and science in their latest VR works. Copyright acknowledgements: Clips Played Title: Mars 2030 Copyright: Mars 2030 was created by FUSION in collaboration with NASA and is powered by Nvidia GeForce Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prpQB0nlRV8 Purchase / Experience: http://store.steampowered.com/app/510850/Mars_2030/ Title: the Blu: Whale Encounter | 3D 360 VR Copyright: Transport Wevr Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUpkVa4UkMg Purchase / Experience: https://www.transportvr.com/theblu-series Title: Tree VR – Seedling Copyright: Rainforest Alliance Link played: https://www.y

From the Marvel and DC cinematic universes to small screen caped-crusaders and vigilantes, superheroes are more popular than ever. But how do superheroes reflect our place and power within society? Whether it’s symbolic representations of asylum seekers and First Nations people on Cleverman, Jessica Jones battling PTSD or The Watchmen exploring the moral ambiguity of individuals with tremendous power, superheroes have the power (dare we say great responsibility?) to tell nuanced, reflective and universal stories. Join us to discuss how our heroic representations hold a mirror up to contemporary views on ethics, justice and equality. About the panel Martyn Pedler Martyn Pedler is a writer and academic who focuses on superhero stories. He's published chapters and presented internationally on subjects like how the Flash runs in a medium without movement and why Doctor Doom cried after 9/11. He's also been a longtime pop culture critic for Bookslut, Time Out Melbourne, Triple J Magazine and more. He is the w

Is the recent trend in 80s retro films and TV symbolic of a nostalgia for a simpler era? The 80s was a decade renowned for its excess - think money, drugs, eyeshadow and lycra. From Stranger Things and Glow to Spielberg’s upcoming Ready Player One, we look at contemporary TV and films that transport us back to the decade defined by ET, The Goonies, big hair, pastels and 12-sided dice. But what does this recent trend in 80s retro nostalgia tell us about ourselves? Are we nostalgic for a simpler pre-Trump age? Join filmmaker Glendyn Ivin, academic Dr Lauren Rosewarne and critic Mel Campbell in a neon-coloured, synth-scored exploration of our yearning for 80s small town America. Copyright Acknowledgments Title: Stranger Things, Series One, Episode One Copyright: Netflix Title: Stranger Things, Series One, Episode Two Copyright: Netflix Title: Glow, Series One, Episode Seven Copyright: Netflix Title: Wet Hot American Summer Copyright: USA Films Title: E.T. Copyright: Universal Pictures Title: The Goon

In our uncertain era full of real life horror, what's driving our appetite for true crime and fascination with the macabre? From recent documentaries The Jinx, Making a Murderer and The Family to serial killer anti-heroes in film and TV, and the stark brutality of Scandi-noir, we examined our obsession with the dark side of human nature, the psychology of fear and how recent technological advances like biometric analysis are providing unique findings into our physiological response to on-screen horror. Copyright acknowledgements: Images & Clips Played Title: Westwood Family Photograph Copyright: Westwood Family Title: IT MAKES YOU JUMP OF FRIGHT Copyright: DWS93 Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80sdBtB-Gc Title: car commercial - sun roof feature, cat gets a suprise Copyright: lakers777 Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz-sC-vSIXk Title: Most Scariest Video Ever Copyright: Social Dunya News Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTn90dTakOE Title: Caving Claustrophobia K

ACMI presents Changing the Game, where speakers Steph Convery, Clem Ford, Leena van Deventer and Rae Johnston talk survival strategies for being a woman with an opinion on the internet. Online games and social media have dramatically changed the way we interact, creating communities with common passions and interests that transcend geographical, socio/cultural and political boundaries. However, the online world has a dark underbelly where trolling, racism, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, doxing and misogyny are rife. In this provocative and proactive panel discussion, we explore the current landscape of social interactions through technology and the ways diverse players are taking the power back. Warning: Contains strong language and content that some might find upsetting or disturbing. Copyright acknowledgements: Title: Damsels in Distress: Part 1 – Tropes vs Women in Video Games Copyright: Feminist Frequency Please visit www.acmi.net.au for further information.

The representation of gender diversity on screen has a complex history, from invisibility to stereotypical representations of otherness, including the sexually mischievous to the homicidal maniac. In this conversation our panel of filmmakers, critics, festival directors and artists to talked about the history and politics of gender diverse representation in films like Funeral Parade of Roses, Tomboy, The Crying Game and Boys Don’t Cry, as well as Orange is the New Black, Transparent and Billions. The panel will explore the problematic casting and stereotyping of gender diverse characters to the more progressive titles that have paved the way for more positive and nuanced gender expression on screen. About The Panel Bobuq Sayed (Host) Bobuq Sayed is a writer, multi-media artist and community organiser of the Afghan diaspora. They co-edit Archer Magazine and they are the co-founder of the Australian QTPoC activist collective, Colour Tongues. They are one-half of the sound art project, SWALLOW, and an acti

Are the heroines of modern anime confronting the stereotyped female characters that preceded them? Or are they still designed merely to service the fantastical and unrealistic desires of male fans? In this traditionally male-dominated genre, the growing trend of empowered female protagonists is a welcome development. Still, there’s no shortage of anime productions that feature excessive ‘fan-service’ – highly objectified representations of women. For every baddass heroine like Princess Mononoke’s San, there are the subjugated female characters in Keijo, designed purely for the male gaze. Our panel of academics, critics and cultural commentators unraveled anime’s approach to women and tested whether it could become a new ground for feminism. About The Panel Jessica McCallum Jessica McCallum currently works with Madman Entertainment, a Melbourne founded and leading Australian independent entertainment company. As the Head of Social Media and Anime Marketing, Jess is responsible for social media strategie

In this talk we explore the creative, technical, cultural and collaborative practice of creating VR from personal histories for this moving new work. A Thin Black Line is an immersive VR experience that follows one family in the aftermath of the bombing of Darwin in 1942, when half the population fled believing a Japanese invasion was imminent. Among them was Indigenous filmmaker Douglas Watkin’s mother, just five-years old at the time. Director Douglas Watkin, VRTOV's VR director Oscar Raby, artist Vernon Ah Kee and lead 3D artist Kalonica Quigley shared behind-the-scenes footage and early drawings from their unique journey bringing oral storytelling to digital life through graphic and game design. See A Thin Black Line free from 3 March in the Untold Australia VR Showcase in our permanent exhibition Screen Worlds. About The Speakers Douglas Watkin Brisbane-based Indigenous filmmaker Douglas Watkin was born in Cairns, Far North Queensland. His broadcasting and filmmaking career began in television doing

Masterclass with the creative team behind podcast Trace Despite the global success of podcasts like Serial, the team behind Trace didn’t set out to emulate other popular true crime podcasts. Trace had a different ambition, chiefly to find justice and truth for the sons of Maria James, who was murdered nearly 38 years ago. In this masterclass, the journalist, producer and sound designer will break down how they created ABC’s first ‘true crime’ podcast; from distilling a 16 month investigation in to a story structure, creating a soundscape that would captivate listeners, maximising ABC’s cross platform reach to harness new leads, through to the team’s journalistic intent at the heart of the creative storytelling.

Editing Masterclass with Erin Casper In this exclusive masterclass, Erin will share her personal approach to editing by thinking about the construction of each film as a language of its own, spoken cinematically through an editor’s hands. Drawing on excerpts from her award-winning films such as Our School, American Promise, The Last Season and The New Black, this masterclass will explore her creative process, writing with images and crafting cinematic language in non-fiction films.

Fashion illustration is experiencing a renaissance. Fueled by the shareability on social media, talented illustrators can now catch the eye of both consumers and fashion houses on the look out for fresh ideas. Fashion on Film curator James Nolen will host a panel of local expert fashion illustrators about the sketches that happen before a stitch is sewn, and how illustration is leading the fashion world into innovative, uncharted territory. The subjects of this year's program, Yves Saint Laurent and Manolo Blahnik, were both furious sketchers. Yves would create hundreds in preparation for each collection, and Manolo, who has created over 30,000 shoes in a career spanning close to five decades, has a pencil attached to his bed in case of somnolent inspiration. Joining James on the panel will be Melbourne-based fashion illustrator and educator Angie Réhe whose work has appeared in a host of high end mastheads including Vogue, Elle, Harper's BAZAAR, L’Officiel, as well as Jimmy Choo and illustrator Katie Gepp

In the lead up to the opening of Wonderland ACMI Curator Jess Bram spoke to Colleen Atwood about her work designing the costumes for the 2010 Tim Burton film: Alice in Wonderland. About Wonderland: Fall down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, a world premiere exhibition celebrating the timeless stories of Lewis Carroll and Alice’s adventures on screen. From first gracing the page in 1865, Alice has delighted audiences and inspired artists across generations. In more than 40 cinematic odysseys, she has epitomised the best in animation, been an arthouse icon and a blockbuster success. Alongside her journey through pop culture, Wonderland explores how filmmaking, special effects and technology have reimagined one of the world’s most beloved characters. In this must-see event, take a trip through the looking glass into an immersive, enchanted world that draws together a remarkable selection of original behind-the-scenes material. The more curious you are, the more you’ll discover.

Yohji Yamamoto has been reinterpreting the rules of fashion for over four decades. In light of the Australian premiere season of Yohji Yamamoto: Dressmaker screening exclusively as part of Melbourne Fashion Week at ACMI, film programmer James Nolen will be joined by fashion experts, fashion historians and Yamamoto super fans, as they delve into the history of this celebrated Japanese designer. We are delighted to have hosted Australian fashion legend Joe Saba, specialist retailers Thi Lam, Yahav Ron, Sebastian Supel and Octavius La Rosa and Yamamoto collector Dr Gene Sherman.

This Q&A with Ian Collie, Wally Elnour, Ez Eldin Deng, Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, Matt Cameron and Elise McCredie follwed the screening of the first episode of Sunshine which was selected as Series Mania Melbourne's opening night screening, Sunshine is a vibrant, kinetic and compelling high stakes fictional crime drama that explores a world of contrasts - truth and reconstruction, past and present, hope and heartbreak – felt by those forging a new life in a foreign land. The 4 x 1 hour series is set in the summer of 2017 in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine. The story follows Jacob Garang (Wally Elnour), a young, aspiring South Sudanese-Australian basketball player who is on the cusp of being picked up by scouts for the US College league. However, Jacob’s team is not up to his standard and so he angles to bring in a new coach to help with the team’s performance. His pick is Eddie Grattan (Anthony LaPaglia), a local who once played for a US college team, but has long since retired and operates a small sports