We Interrupt This Broadcast

** This is a special video masterclass, so make sure you watch on video to get the full benefit of seeing Dawid share his screen.** In this special masterclass episode, Kirsty Stark chats to Dawid Naude, CEO & Founder at Pathfindr, and an award-winning AI innovator and educator. Dawid takes Kirsty through the Claude AI platform, offering in depth insights into how to set it up for maximum effi...

Have your own thoughts to share about this episode, Screen Forever, or anything else happening in the industry? Join Loani, Aven, Robbie and Kirsty this Thursday 7th May at 8:30pm for our first ever Instagram Live: https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcast --- Screen Forever turned 40 on the Gold Coast last week, and there’s a lot to unpack! Kirsty and Loani reflect on the big conversations com...

** We’re postponing our regular monthly wrap-up episode to next week so that we can cover all of the conversations and discussion from Screen Forever. If you’ll be with us on the Gold Coast, make sure you say hello! ** In this episode, Aven Yap chats to Kate Separovich, Producer at Lake Martin Films and creator of the Australia in Cinemas newsletter that dives into Australian box office numbers an...

In this episode, Loani Arman speaks with Katrina Irawati Graham, co-director of the Stan series Bali 2002, about cultural safety in the screen industry - what it looks like in practice, and who is safe. They explore how cultural safety is shaped by systems of racism and power embedded in screen production, why racial literacy is necessary to recognise harm, and how harm is dangerously normalised i...

In this episode, Robbie chats to Karina Libbey, screen culture specialist and festival director of the Capital Film Festival about what festival curation and audience engagement looks like from a programmer's perspective. They discuss what filmmakers may not know about how to engage with festivals, how a festival entry should read like a resume for your film, and the more you know about your a...

In this episode, Kirsty chats to David Court, founder of Compton School , about how to right-size your screen business in the current Australian production landscape. They discuss why it’s important to take a step back and consider the way your business is structured, and the advantages and disadvantages of ‘going big’ vs. ‘going small.’ Listen to hear David discuss: Industry shifts, and where we...

We’re already at the end of March, and there’s lots to talk about this month! Robbie Miles and Loani Arman round up all of your Australian - and global! - screen industry news, from actors being resurrected with AI, to legal cases around credits and authorship, to Australian success stories at the Oscars, AIDC, Tropfest and more. Plus: all of your March screen industry news, opportunities and opin...

In this episode, Aven chats to Pauline Chan, an award-winning director, writer, and producer with a storied career spanning art-house cinema and international productions, featuring talent such as Jackie Chan, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett. She famously made history by mounting the first two Australia-China official treaty co-productions, and over the past two years has been actively producing...

In this episode, Loani chats to Hannah Diviney, an author, screenwriter, actor, disability advocate, and media personality who isn’t afraid to call out big names and big systems. Hannah gained international attention for a 2020 petition demanding Disney create its first princess with a disability AND for calling out ableist lyrics in songs by Lizzo and Beyonce - which saw each artist change their...

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Leela Varghese, a writer and director, most recently of Lesbian Space Princess, which she co-wrote and co-directed with Emma Hough Hobbs, winning Best Indie Film at the AACTA Awards and the Teddy Award for Best Feature at Berlinale. Leela also wrote and directed the short film I’m the Most Racist Person I Know , which won the Special Jury Award at SXSW and the AACT...

In this episode, Robbie chats to Alexander Jeffery, a filmmaker based in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he co-owns production company Bespoke Works LLC with his friend and longtime collaborator, Paul Petersen. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of acting and filmmaking, Alexander returned to the south to make low-budget, independent films with his friends, including his short film The...

It’s been a huge start to the year for the Australian screen industry, with lots to cover in this episode! Kirsty Stark and Aven Yap discuss their time at AACTA Festival, including all of the big winners from the AACTA Awards. We talk about Universal Studios International’s decision to close Matchbox Pictures, and what it means for our local industry. Plus: all of your February screen industry new...

In this episode, Kirsty chats to screenwriter, story producer and script editor Fiona Kelly, about her 30 years’ experience writing for Australian television. Fiona has over 280 episodes of Australian drama to her name on shows including Home and Away, All Saints, Sea Patrol, and recently Scrublands Silver S2 and NCIS Sydney S3. Fiona shares her journey as a screenwriter from her early days to ret...

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Director, Writer & Producer Sophie Hyde, whose work includes 52 Tuesdays, Animals, Good Luck to You Leo Grande and Jimpa. Sophie shares insights into her process of collaborating with cast and crew, including internationally renowned performers like Emma Thompson, Alia Shawkat, Olivia Colman and John Lithgow. --- Listen to hear Sophie discuss: How she started a...

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Screen industry consultant Dan Fahy about the evolving global marketplace for television, focusing on revenue trends, the importance of community, and the impact of data analysis on content creation. Dan outlines the opportunities for producers in a changing market with an emphasis on adaptability and innovation. Plus, the five realities buyers are facing that you...

In this special bonus episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast, we're joined by Sam Buckland, the Programming and International Engagement Director at AACTA. With the AACTA Awards and AACTA Festival kicking off next week on the Gold Coast, we wanted to share a preview of some of the events that will be happening alongside the Awards. It's an incredible line-up, and the full We Interrupt This...

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2026! With Julie Eckersley departing We Interrupt This Broadcast for her new role at Screen Queensland, we’re excited to welcome Loani Arman , Aven Yap and Robbie Miles , who will be joining Kirsty Stark as hosts. We’re thrilled to expand the WITB team with a great mix of people and personalities who all have the best interests of the industry at heart - and we have...

In this final episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast for 2025 (and Julie’s last episode as a host), Julie and Kirsty wrap up the month’s industry news, including the new streaming quotas legislation, the Screen Australia Drama Report, the Netflix / Paramount / Warner Brothers Discovery saga, and our Spotify Wrapped stats for the year. Plus: all of your December screen industry news headlines from...

In this episode, Producer Daren Smith returns to share more about his production fund for independent features. Daren was previously a guest on Episode 34 and is back to answer all of the questions you submitted after listening to the episode. He shares insights on marketing, building relationships with investors and understanding market needs, how each film's finance structure works, and how...

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Enzo Tedeschi, a director, producer, and writer at Deadhouse Films, and how he’s sustained a thriving indie production company through significant industry changes. Enzo has often been at the forefront of experimental production models made possible through changes in technology, from his early crowdfunded feature film The Tunnel, which now has an audience of over...

In this episode, Julie Eckersley dives into the fast-evolving world of the creator economy with Keith Quinn, founder of Engine Room - a new kind of studio helping independent creators turn their data into strategy, growth, and sustainable income. Keith’s career has spanned 25 years at the intersection of entertainment, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship. From Project Greenlight with Matt Dam...

In this episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast, Julie and Kirsty wrap up this month’s industry news, including a summary of the streaming quotas bill that’s just been introduced to parliament, a wrap-up of the Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC), and what’s happening in AI. Plus: all of your November screen industry news headlines from around the country... This episode is sponsored b...

* Could you be our next We Interrupt This Broadcast co-host? * Read more and fill out an EOI here: https://forms.gle/oQgAoJXgnQpejfej9 In this episode, Julie Eckersley chats to Amelia Darmawan, Co-Founder and Executive Producer at Totem, a company that’s quietly reimagining what a digital-first entertainment business can be. The company designs next-gen content businesses for media companies, bran...

Could you be our next We Interrupt This Broadcast co-host? Read more and fill out an EOI here: https://forms.gle/oQgAoJXgnQpejfej9 --- What does it take to build a thriving, sustainable creative business in the new media landscape? In this episode, Julie Eckersley dives into the fast-evolving world of digital creators with Farhad Meher-Homji, Co-Founder and Head of Strategy at Changer Studios - an...

In this episode, Kirsty talks to Daren Smith of Craftsman Films, a Utah-based independent producer with four features and multiple seasons of TV under his belt. Daren shares how he set up Craftsman Films, as an independent studio, and the new $10 million dollar film fund he’s raising, with the goal of producing ten profitable “blockbuster indies.” He also discusses the challenges of independent fi...