ACMI Podcasts

For two decades, Universal Everything's Creative Director, Matt Pyke, has been working with teams of curious and creative beings worldwide to create large-scale, life-affirming digital artworks with the world's most iconic artists, institutions and brands – all while staying "small", artistically-driven and saying "no" to things they simply don't want to do. To unpack how they manage to do this, one of UE's longtime collaborators, Keri Elmsly, (our Executive Director of Programming) caught up with Matt Pyke to reflect on the collective's roots and key projects, and to find out where UE are heading next. Learn more about the 'Beings' exhibition at ACMI: acmi.net.au/beings The soundtrack for Beings, Music for Beings by Simon Pyke is now available on all digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human. While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake. In this episode, they discuss the fundamental rhythm that underpins not only the exhibition but all life on earth - breath.

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human. While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake. In this episode, they discuss individuality, consciousness and Gaia, the earth mother.

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human. While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake. In this episode, they discuss the interconnectedness of different organisms from different species - including us.

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human. While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast conducted a series of interviews with the foremost thinkers on nature, life and the more-than-human world. These include internationally renowned cultural ecologist and geophilosopher Dr David Abram, Professor of Plant-Soil-Processes at the University of Sheffield Katie J Field, author and founder of Schumacher College Dr Stephan Harding, and biologist and bestselling author Dr Merlin Sheldrake. In this episode, they question – since everything is connected (according to science) – can anything ever really die?

This special episode of the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast, hosted by Wurundjeri and Ngurai-Illum-Wurrung man Jasper Cohen-Hunter, was recorded at ACMI to kick off NAIDOC Week for 2023. Produced by Jasper, the podcast focuses on Australian cinema and First Nations-led cinema productions. Jasper Cohen-Hunter: "Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge-holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. That's why this NAIDOC Week 2023, I want to acknowledge Aunty Essie Coffey and Uncle Norm Hunter. Essie Coffey was a Murawarri activist, advocate and filmmaker concerned about the influence of white culture and education on Indigenous children. She was the first Indigenous woman to direct a documentary feature My Survival as an Aboriginal (1979). Uncle Norm Hunter was an advocate for education, he was instrumental in establishing the Gunung-Willam-Balluk Learning Centre, a part of the Kangan Institute. He was a proud Wurundjeri Elder who documented the stories of his mum, Nanna Jessie Hunter, the last girl born on Coranderrk Aboriginal Mission. Together they created a set of tapes to permanently tell her story, so that it was never lost to time." Episode 2 of the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast was recorded in collaboration with ACMI this NAIDOC Week, and I want to personally thank them for facilitating Culture, Language and Lore during such an important time for Mob. Subscribe to the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4F1Z0v1arDmaLtNtuU58gy

Greta Nash's most recent short film, Heart Throb (2023), is about an 18-year-old, Gray (Gabriel Cali), whose love for his best friend Angelo is complicated by his desire for TikTok stardom. Last year, Greta underwent a Director's Attachment on Run Rabbit Run, funded by Screen Australia, and in the year prior, they wrote a polished draft of their first feature, School Camp, funded by Screen Tasmania. Greta wrote and directed the winning Tropfest film Two Piece in 2018, and their previous short film Locker Room premiered at the 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival and has since had over 9 million views online.

Since 2016, artist Anthony Tan has been working on Way To The Woods, a third person adventure game where a deer and a fawn must embark on a journey through an abandoned world to get home. Anthony joined ACMI X as resident in 2022 to put the finishing touches on his highly anticipated game, which has received global attention for its gorgeous art style, mechanics and soundtrack. In this episode of Inside ACMI X, Anthony spoke to us about the highs and lows he experienced making Way To The Woods and navigating the expectations of the game's fanbase through to its completion. Throughout this episode you will hear snippets of music from the game composed by Aivi & Surasshu, the electronic music duo behind the soundtrack to the animated show Steven Universe

Have you considered what form is best for your story? In this episode, we talk about Jason's path into the industry and strategy for storytelling; finding a personal connection and considering the perfect form. Jason Christou is a creator/writer/director who tells stories infused by his Greek-Cypriot and Austrian/Slovenian descent across film, TV, documentary, interactive and games. His feature projects have been a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest, and selected to Warner Bros & The Blacklist's “Aussie List”. He was a writer on ABC/Matchbox Pictures' tv series NOWHERE BOYS, and a director's apprentice on Sony/AMC's PREACHER, and is a current Creative Victoria Creators Fund recipient for his interactive series/game WE THE JURY and a 2022 alumni and production funding recpient of the AFTRS National Documentary Talent Camp for SKINNY.

We explore how music can inspire the filmmaking process. This episode's guest is Eva Otsing, an Estonian born and raised visual artist and filmmaker. Eva spoke to us about her path into filmmaking and how music greatly inspires her work. We chat about her recent documentary CONFLUENCE which she directed, shot and edited, which takes an intimate look into the world of the Kiwi artist Charlotte Watson. We also discussed her new art documentary in development. This episode features music from Eva's documentary CONFLUENCE, composed by Ji Yoon Lee, and 'City Lament' composed by YL Hooi.

This episode is for those interested in creating visual art for games. Our next guest on Inside ACMI X is concept Artist Zahraa Al Zubaydi who is currently working on Pixellated The Game, about a cyborg child who finds a way to connect to two opposing worlds she belongs with, in a universe of different dimensions drawn in different styles. We spoke to Zahraa about her pathway into videogames, and the development of and inspirations behind Pixellated The Game.

This episode is for anyone fascinated by celebrity culture. Sarah Scales is a PhD Candidate at Swinburne University researching the theory of parasocial relationships and breakups and the negotiation process fans experience following a celebrity scandal. The cinema is her greatest passion in life, and she is fascinated by why and how audiences engage with the content they do, and the effects media can have on people. An ACMI X resident, she is currently working with company Media Mentors. You can find Sarah on Twitter at @sarahscales

This episode is for deep thinking comedy lovers. Our guest is Emile Zile, an artist, filmmaker and performer who talks to us about his darkly comic practice – the critical re-use and re-encoding of media broadcasts, communication protocols and online platforms. His work reflects a distributed humanity, a yearning for transcendence and the limits of language. Building on a background of live and single-channel video, his work uses site-specific performance, portraiture and filmmaking to capture the traces of humanity within an accelerating digital culture.

For our season finale, we interview new-media artist, PHD candidate and Lecturer at RMIT University, Tyler Payne. Tyler's work focuses on the genre of self-portraiture in photography and video to investigate womens' embodiment through the lens of gendered advertising. She interrogates the impact that social media platforms such as Instagram have on women and their ability to visualise and share images of themselves. Using a combination of video, still photography and electro-bricolage, Tyler investigates "the oppressive nature of the platform and the damages inherent in fitness and celebrity culture". During our talk we discuss her primary research subject, Kim Kardashian.

This episode is for creatives juggling multiple passions. Meet our next guest on Inside ACMI X, Jake Leaney, who has found a way to make music and games by combining the two. Jake shares his experience as a game developer, songwriter and producer. About Jake Leaney Jake is the founder of Things for Humans, a pop-music video game studio and is currently working on the sequel to Video World, Halloween's Valentine.

In this episode of Inside ACMI X, we talk to resident Julian Wilton, Creative Director at Massive Monster Games Studio, about his experience making games with a focus on their new game, Cult of the Lamb, soon to be released. Australian Game Developer Award winner Julian Wilton is an animator, illustrator, digital designer. He shipped his first console game before leaving university and is based in Melbourne, Australia, where he is completing a residency at ACMI X, working as the Creative Director at Massive Monster indie game development studio. Julian works closely with Massive Monster to develop Web, Mobile, Desktop & Console Games including their previous game The Adventure Pals.

Writer, director and star of 'The Drover's Wife: The Legend of MollyJohnson', Leah Purcell, spoke to us about her thoroughly researched, Blak feminist retelling of Henry Lawson's classic text. Read the full transcript of the talk and an introduction to the film by Bryan Andy https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/leah-purcell-on-reclaiming-the-drovers-wife-with-the-legend-of-molly-johnson/

This week on Inside ACMI X, we're talking to Emma Parker and Chris Leaver from experiential training company Isonomic, to explore how they're using Mixed Reality technologies to upskill the Australian workforce. Isonomic is a cutting edge immersive Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality company made up of talented developers, game designers and 3D artists who transform complex training into state-of-the-art immersive training in Microsoft's HoloLens. Emma is Isonomic's founder and CEO, and she has worked as a transformation and change expert for over 20 years, consulting in major blue-chip environments. Chris handles production and delivery. He is a visual effects artist, producer and sculptor.

In this episode, we invited filmmaker, author and co-founder of Lean Filmmaking Kylie Eddy to discuss how she has re-imagined the development, production and distribution of independent films – and how she is challenging conventional wisdom with new ways of working. Last year, Kylie and her collaborator and brother David Eddy released their new book, 'The Art of Lean Filmmaking: An unconventional guide to creating feature films'. In November 2021, they wrapped up a six-week online Lean Filmmaking academy.

This fortnight, we're talking to writer and narrative designer, and ACMI X resident, Alexander Swords. Alexander made the switch from writing for film to writing for videogames, and he now advocates for the power of interactive narrative and the need for diverse future storytellers. His work explores emotional games, games for change and the adaptation and evolution of stories moving to new mediums. His book, Forest Paths Method for Narrative Design (2020), provides an accessible and collaborative approach to writing and narrative design for interactive and non-interactive storytelling. It is now used internationally to develop, research and educate in the fields of videogames and screenwriting. In this episode, we discuss the intersection of videogames and film, focusing on development, production, distribution and technology. This chat explores ways practitioners across both industries already are and can continue to take advantage of opportunities within these artistic forms.

In this episode, we discuss mentorship and storytelling in the screen industry with Denise Eriksen, co-founder of Media Mentors. Using her wealth of experience and knowledge of all things broadcasting, Denise helps creative practitioners find their way into the industry. About Denise Eriksen Denise has worked as a Journalist, Producer and Executive Producer around the world. She has been Head of Factual and Head of Current Affairs at the ABC; Head of Production and Development at SBS; and made programs for Seven, Nine, Ten and Foxtel over her lengthy career. She has trained TV professionals in many genres in Australia and around the world.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, VR and AR artist Marc-O-Matic began exploring the Crypto Art and NFT space, expanding his work into blockchain and metaverse platforms and eventually creating virtual worlds, animated artworks and digital wearables for an emerging decentralised economy. Two years on his work has earned over $1 million USD from NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens – and is featured across some of the most notable NFT marketplaces including Super Rare, Makers Place, Decentraland, and festivals in the US like Art Basel Miami and NFT NYC. In our first Inside ACMI X podcast, Marc-O-Matic talks about his practice and his own beginnings in this emerging space and offers practical advice for artists looking to make a living on the blockchain. Inside ACMI X https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/inside-acmi-x-pocast ACMI X Website: https://www.acmi.net.au/acmi-x/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/acmiXstudio Marc-O-Matic Website: https://www.marcomatic.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/marc0matic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mr.marcomatic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcomatic/

COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE Is Australian press freedom an endangered species? What can be done to prevent the media being portrayed as the enemy of the people? Australia has some of the most draconian anti-media laws of all Western countries. Police raids on journalists, national security laws that criminalise journalistic activities, attacks on whistleblowers, archaic defamation laws and restricted access to information have stifled the ability of journalists to hold power to account. Investigative journalism is under threat globally and increasingly in countries where democracies have historically prevailed. At a time when attacks on press freedom around the world are on the rise, the risks faced by news, journalism and documentary are very real. But what can be done to stem the growing culture of secrecy and counter the epidemic of fake news, disinformation and manipulation that is eroding public discourse and democracy? Join a distinguished panel of news, documentary and investigative journalists including ABC News’ Gaven Morris, filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem and University of Queensland’s Professor Peter Greste to discuss the threat posed to press freedom. This session is a timely discussion of why public interest journalism should be protected and how the industry can help educate the public about their right to know before Australian journalists are labelled the enemy of the people.

CRAFT Meet the key people behind hit ABC shows that have delivered real world impact, and find out what’s next in 2020. Commissioning distinctive TV that has a real-world impact on Australians and their communities is a major goal of ABC’s Factual and Documentary teams. The ABC has been leading the way with this form of programming through acclaimed series such as Old People’s Home for 4 Year Old’s, Employable Me, Don’t Stop The Music, Love On The Spectrum and War On Waste. In 2020, the ABC is presenting two major climate-themed series with Fight for Planet A: The Climate Challenge exploring how we can all help reduce both our individual and collective carbon emissions and Big Weather (and how to survive it) offering insight and practical advice on how to survive and thrive in a time of increasing extreme weather events. We will also see Shaun Micallef return to our screens as he delves into the nation’s relationship with alcohol, with Shaun Micallef’s On The Sauce. All of these shows demonstrate the importance of content that not only informs and entertains but has the power to connect the nation and drive real-world awareness and change. In this session you will hear insights from key people on these shows, both in front of and behind the camera as well as the ABC’s Impact Producer. All have been pivotal in developing and delivering TV with a social purpose that resonates with audiences across all platforms. This session features Craig Reucassel, Debbie Cuell, Karina Holden and Teri Calder and will be moderated by Stephen Oliver.

CRAFT Leading factual producers reveal how they tackled projects of scale … and scale doesn’t always mean big budget. Leading factual producers discuss and demystify the oft-used term ‘scale’. From giant crews, fixed rigs and far-flung locations, to leading a tiny team shooting across a long timeframe – scale calls for precise decision making in the development process and in designing your production model. What are the different production approaches that can be scaled to get the most out of the story and budget? Do you go big, long, lean, broad or deep to best access your story? How can you invert your production approach on the same story material? Debbie Cuell, Jocelyn Little and Ben Ulm’s careers embody the full spectrum of scale, from big blue-chip to lean ob-doc. They will dissect making recent and upcoming series Ed Stafford: First Man Out, Old People’s Home for 4 Year-Olds, One Born Every Minute, Who Gets to Stay in Australia and Wild City. Moderator Sarah Thornton (Network Ten) springboards this conversation from a Network commissioning perspective. Scale used to mean big budget but what does it mean in the current factual market?

CRAFT Director Jen Peedom discusses her story-focused approach to documentary writing, from pre-production through to editing. What does it mean to ‘write’ a documentary? For BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa, Mountain), writing — and re-writing — defines each step of the filmmaking process. Emphasising the difference between covering an issue and telling an emotional story, this session will explore lessons borrowed from drama storytelling in shaping Jen’s compelling on-screen characters and journeys: encompassing thoughtful planning in research and pre-production, course-correction through principal shooting and interviews, and an openness to challenging feedback throughout editing. Further points of discussion for this session include the differences between writing historical and unfolding stories, writing observational documentaries (when the outcome of a situation is unknown at the outset), and incorporating additional editorial tools (such as graphics and cards) at the editing stage for clarity.

BUSINESS Three major international cable networks discuss what worked in 2019, what's coming in 2020 and what they're looking for now. Discovery International, A+E, and ESPN – three heavyweight international cable networks discuss their big successes from 2019, what exciting projects they have in the pipeline, and what they are looking for from production companies. This session will compare and contrast their audiences and their needs. What brings in their audiences, what keeps them, what loses them? What are the differences between the US factual landscape and the UK one? Do US and UK audiences tend to favour different programming? What crosses over? What doesn’t? How does delivering to a truly international audience differ to focusing inside a specific national market? And in the bigger picture: How is the documentary series landscape changing in an age of instability. As streaming services rise, battle and consolidate, linear TV must shake itself up to survive. How does that impact us right now? How might it play out?

COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE Meet the producer and creative director at the heart of one of the world's most enduring and celebrated documentary collectives. For over 50 years, Gordon Quinn and Kartemquin Films have been at the forefront of documentary making in the US, not only embracing but also epitomising collaborative practices, championing new voices, and leading the way in the fight for independent media. All of these resonate with current discussions, both locally and globally around democracy and social justice, as well as AIDC 2020’s theme of collective intelligence. Join Gordon in conversation as he discusses the essential role of documentary in a fair and just society through some of his key works from Inquiring Nuns and Last Pullman Car to Hoop Dreams, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, Minding the Gap and 63Boycott. Talking through his 50-plus years of experience, Gordon will expand on how to sustain documentary making amidst constant assaults on truth, and finding new ways to regenerate the form and industry. He’ll also discuss the expanding role of the producer in nurturing new talent and promoting and enabling diverse voices to tap into hyper-local stories that also reverberate with global audiences. This session promises to be both thought-provoking and inspiring.

CRAFT Emmy-Award nominated Director S. Leo Chiang takes a deep dive into finding and developing complex documentary characters. In this craft session, Emmy-Award nominated Director S. Leo Chiang discusses the art of finding and unravelling multifaceted characters who share a common sense of idealism against the odds. Films such as Our Time Machine and A Village Called Versailles often focus on character development over obvious plot twists in order to highlight the powerful transformations the characters go through rather than the devastating losses they face. Join Leo in conversation with Jeanie Davison (Development and Investment Manager of Documentary at Screen Australia) to unpack how he gains trust and develops relationships often in diasporic and marginal communities to tell heartbreaking stories of love, loss and standing up for what you believe in. Through personal anecdotes, Leo will give insight on a few of the major lessons he’s learned along the way.

CRAFT John Smithson discusses the creative challenges in crafting story in his new true-crime series I, Sniper. High-end crime serials have become the pinnacle of factual, and the rise of streaming services offer an enticing opportunity with the budgets and the time to enable some serious creativity. For four years Arrow Pictures, the new label of Creative Director John Smithson, has been working on I, Sniper. This 6 x 1hr serial tells the story of the DC Snipers, the two men who terrorised Washington DC in a city still traumatised by 9/11 one year earlier, killing people at random over 23 days of terror. This is the definitive account of an iconic American crime, told with law enforcement, survivors and victims’ families and, uniquely, in the words of the surviving shooter, in a series of calls from his supermax cell. In conversation with Rachael Brown, John Smithson talks for the first time about the creative challenges of the genre, ahead of I, Sniper’s release.

CRAFT BAFTA award-winner Ninder Billing shares her insights on how to turn an idea into irresistible factual content. In conversation with Ninder Billing promises to be a fascinating journey through the sometimes unforgiving landscape of factual television with one of Britain’s most respected and innovative television executives. From prime-time factual formats, access documentaries and authored films, Ninder navigates us through the creative path she’s beaten as both creator, producer and commissioner. Ninder has never been one to ‘stay in her lane’ as she delights in moving broadly between genres, subject and form. She has launched genre-busting factual formats such as Operation Live, overseen celebrity-authored films, produced current affairs investigations, and created kid’s factual entertainment. At the heart of her programming is a keen awareness of audience and a passion for improving diversity in the media. Ninder will share her insights on how to turn an idea into irresistible factual content and offer her tips on the best way to grab the attention of commissioners.

INNOVATION Join Marshmallow Laser Feast’s Robin McNicholas as he sheds light on their multi-sensory experiences at the intersection of science, technology, art and nature. What does it mean to experience tree-time? How do animals see the world? How does our breath connect us to the plant world? In this session Robin McNicholas, creative director of Marshmallow Laser Feast, discusses their process of creating immersive works which enable us to shift our perceptions. Experiencing the world as tree, animal or air, can enable encounters with the wonder and interconnectedness of the natural world. Marshmallow Laser Feast are a UK-based team who develop experiential work involving technology. Founder & Creative Director Robin McNicholas shares R&D strategies for innovation along with the challenges & opportunities for creators interested in making work for connected global audiences.

We all have muya, the essence or aura of who we are. It's what makes you you.

Hunter Page-Lochard tells us about the person who is the conduit between the Dreaming and this world: The Cleverman. Written by Ryan Griffen. Republished with permission from Triple J & ABC.

Join artists Gabrielle De Vietri, Hanna Brontë and Eugenia Lim to talk video art and challenging provocations in the spheres of identity, immigration, race, nationalism and politics. From exploring issues of gender and racial identity through the lens of hip-hop aesthetics to deconstructing the nature of globalisation and economics through video and performance, the artists will discuss their own practice in contemporary video art and film, and what excites them about the form's potential for political expression and social commentary.

Alice was first brought to life by Lewis Carroll, but she's sparked imaginations and been immortalised on screen many times since. Join film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas in conversation with Dr Michelle Smith (Monash University) and Dr Dan Golding (Swinburne University of Technology) as they discuss these 'electric' Alices and the unique representations of girlhood across time, space and media, exploring historical significance, contemporary potency and what Alice might mean in the future.

With each technological advancement, from early documentaries to social issue games and immersive VR, we've heard the promise of being able to step into alternate perspectives, to feel and share and experience a more complex type of understanding. But are these supposed "empathy machines" distancing us from true empathy and closer to voyeurism? In this talk we interrogate the ethics, assumptions and privileges associated with technological storytelling. Hosted by Santilla Chingaipe with Dr Fincina Hopgood, Brett Leavy and Amani Naseem.

How does a museum collect WeChat? Or show a laptop that was destroyed by security agencies because it held government secrets leaked by whistleblowers? How could a museum collect computer viruses, or use source code to reveal decisions made by designers when a product was being made? Digital design, game design and media design are all important aspects of contemporary design, yet institutions have struggled to effectively exhibit and collect, let alone 'preserve' them for future generations. Seb and Natalie discuss current institutional approaches, including the V&A's rapid response collecting initiatives and ACMI's digital preservation.

Video games can transport players into ethereal experiences, create unique communities and become a medium for interactive and experimental art. Join game designer and curator Chad Toprak (Freeplay), experimental games designers Michael Samyn and Auriea Harvey (Tale of Tales) and cultural curator Zuraida Buter (Zo-ii) for a deep dive into beautiful, wonderous and experiential game worlds.

There are innumerable theories of Alice, Wonderland and the characters she meets along the way. Was Lewis Carroll inspired by hallucinogens? Reacting to new maths standards? Or having a personal identity crisis? Perhaps the way we see the text tells us as much as our ourselves as it does about the enigmatic author. Join us for a lively dissection of the text's myriad meanings with science communicator Stephanie Pradier, psychedelic VR artist Roger Essig and psychologist Professor Nick Haslam, hosted by author and critic Mel Campbell.

Decolonising the Australian film industry and how First Nations people want to be portrayed are the current debates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait actors, directors and producers. Join our host Leila Gurruwiwi (from Marngrook Football Show) along with guest panelists; award winning author Uncle Bruce Pascoe, playwright and filmmaker Tracey Rigney and academic Crystal McKinnon in a provocative discussion on Aboriginal identity and the Australian film and television industry. Our panelists will explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been showcased within the industry and what needs to be achieved by Indigenous film and television practitioners to take control of their identity.

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 pitfalls and the opportunities of this new financial option in our documentary producing toolbox.

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.

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 small news reports and producing various corporate videos, and has progressed to feature films, broadcast series and multimedia works for a range of clients and audiences. Douglas has been actively working in the film and television industry for over twenty years, including producing and directing multiple series for ABC and NiTV. Oscar Raby Oscar Raby is an award-winning multimedia artist and Creative Director of independent digital production studio VRTOV. His Virtual Reality documentary Assent (2013), about the Chilean dictatorship, has been exhibited world-wide including screening at Sundance New Frontier, IDFA DocLab and Sheffield Doc/Fest where it received the Audience Choice Award for Cross-platform. Kalonica Quigley Kalonica is a 3D Artist and Game Developer who has developed award-winning games with small teams and independently. She currently works as Lead 3D Artist at VRTOV, an independent studio that crafts virtual reality experiences at the borderline of film and games. Vernon Ah Kee Born in Far North Queensland and currently living in Brisbane, Vernon is a member of the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidinji and Gugu Yimithirr peoples. Vernon’s multi-faceted practice includes works that range from large-scale drawings of his ancestors to hard-hitting text-based works and installations. In his work Ah Kee fuses the history and language of colonisation with contemporary black/white political issues in an ongoing investigation of race, colour and politics. Through clever puns and plays on words and objects Ah Kee fuses the history and language of colonisation with contemporary black/white political issues to expose degrees of underlying racism in Australian society.

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 strategies and marketing initiatives. She has played an instrumental part in propelling the growth of Madman's anime audience and community by developing effective and engaging campaigns for key product categories and releases. Working alongside peers who are pushing the organisation in exciting new directions, both in theatrical (Your Name, A Silent Voice), national anime festivals and direct-to-consumer digital streaming via AnimeLab, Jess is extremely passionate about bringing the latest and greatest anime content to Aussie and NZ fans. Phillip Brophy Philip Brophy curated the first major retrospective of manga artist Osamu Tezuka for the National Gallery of Victoria in 2006. The exhibition toured to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco the following year. In 2005, he was commissioned to write “100 Anime” for the British Film Institute in London. In previous years he has curated film retrospective programmes for the Melbourne International Film Festival on Tezuka (1995) and Studio Ghibli (1997). He interviewed Hayao Miyazaki in Tokyo for the exhibition he curated on Japanese and American animation for the Museum of Contemporary Art, “Kaboom!” (1993). He has been published extensively in international journals on anime and manga. Nikki Lam Nikki Lam is a visual artist, curator and programmer based in Melbourne. Working primarily with the moving image, she is passionate about the cross-sections of screen cultures, media arts and representations. Born in Hong Kong, she is interested in exploring the translations of post-colonial identities and narratives in the hybrid world, often through the studies of rituals, language, time and space. She is the former Artistic Director of Channels Video Art Festival (2014-2016) and has worked in a range of arts organisations including Footscray Community Arts Centre, Peril Magazine and Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT). She is currently ACMI X Coordinator for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Nikki grew up with anime in Hong Kong and would consider the medium as the fundamental ingredient of her formative years. Title: Kill La Kill Season One Copyright: Madman Entertainment Title: Keijo!!!!!! Season One Copyright: Crunchyroll Title: Psycho Pass Season One Copyright: Madman Entertainment Title: Attack on Titan Season One Copyright: Madman Entertainment Title: Perfume Live @ Tokyo Dome Copyright: Perfume Records

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 active member of performance art vehicle, Embittered Swish. Their work highlights the unresolved and the grotesque; the ugliness of marginality. Amos Gebhardt Gebhardt’s cinematic portraits of humanness invoke multiple art forms including dance, documentary and performance. Drawn to disruptive representations of identity, Gebhardt has created moving image works for gallery exhibitions, cinema and broadcast exhibiting at ACMI, MONA, Gertrude Contemporary, M+, Monash Gallery of Art, SBS and ABC. Gebhardt is a recipient of the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship, given to select artists who demonstrate outstanding talent and exceptional courage in their practice and is currently working on two video installations to be presented at the Adelaide Biennial 2018. Cerise Howard Cerise Howard is the Artistic Director of the Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia. A co-founding member of tilde: Melbourne Trans & Gender Diverse Film Festival and a committee member of the Melbourne Cinémathèque, she is also a freelance writer and critic who reports for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival daily newspaper and co-hosts Plato's Cave, broadcast live and podcast weekly by 3RRR. Cerise is also the bassist for punk, performance art, queer rock band Queen Kong and The HOMOsapiens. They will be launching "You Come from a DFO, I Come from a UFO" Thursday February 1st at the Northcote Social Club. Copyright Acknowlegments Title: Eat the Rich Copyright: New Line Cinema Title: Rocky Horror Picture Show Copyright: 20th Century Fox Title: Dallas Buyers Club Copyright: Focus Features Title: Women in Revolt Copyright: Morrissey Title: Funeral Parade of Roses Copyright: Art Theatre Guild Title: The Crying Game Copyright: Palace Pictures / Miramax Title: Orlando Copyright: Sony Pictures Classics Title: Tangerine Copyright: Magnolia Pictures Title: Something Must Break Copyright: Garagefilm International / Fasad Postproduktion Title: There are no others Copyright: Amos Gebhardt

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.

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 Kill or Cure Copyright: Keith Edwards Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0WJkmOwd0 Title: Horrific moment massive spider extracted from woman's ear Copyright: SWNS TV Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri2OrRdlxtY Title: The Family Trailer Copyright: Dogwoof Link played: https://www.thefamilysect.com/ Title: Haunted Toaster Copyright: US Today Show, 1984 Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiSwnWw65Wo AFTRS Credits IMOTIONS IMAGES WITH PERMISSION ECLIPSE IMAGE: NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.IT ACCESSED 28.07.17 DROWNING IMAGE: EYESOFODYSSEUS.COM ACCESSED 28.07.17 MIRROR NEURON IMAGE: IMTERACTIVE-BIOLOGY.COM ACCESSED 29.07.17

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 Goonies Copyright: Warner Bros. Title: Stand By Me Copyright: Columbia Pictures Title: Puberty Blues, Season One, Episode One Copyright: Endemol Australia Title: Puberty Blues, Season One, Episode Three Copyright: Endemol Australia Title: Cracker Bag Copyright: Glendyn Ivin