Adelaide Film Festival: Writing for the New Reality

Presented by Adelaide Film Festival and Australian Writers' Guild, with special guests!

Tickets available HERE.

Are you a writer? Prepare yourself for the future of immersive entertainment with this unique showcase and panel discussion.

Screen entertainment is becoming more interactive and engaging by the day. At the same time, technologists working in industries as far ranging as museums, education, health, defence and manufacturing are turning to forms of immersive entertainment to communicate and deliver their message. It’s only natural, then, that writers need to adapt to this exciting new landscape. 

This unique Writing for the New Reality showcase and panel discussion will be followed by speed networking and drinks, and capped off with each guest receiving a ticket to The Family Law – Season 3 World Premiere. Hear from a select group of writers on the challenges and opportunities afforded by these new realities, mingle with a new cohort of creative and inventive industry leaders, and be inspired by forward-thinking screen writing in action. Don’t miss out! 

Panellists 

Teresa Crea (moderator) 

Teresa Crea is a post-doctoral researcher in immersive narrative with an extensive career as a writer and director. She combines her broad industry linkages and knowledge of the simulation and creative industries with a range of award winning credits in theatre, live art, radio, installation and immersive media. Her creative works have been presented nationally and overseas in the UK, Singapore and South America. 

Matthew Bate 

Matthew’s award-winning work has screened at a number of the world’s most prestigious film festivals and art galleries, from Sundance to New York’s MOMA Museum. He has created television series and one off films for SBS, ABC, Al Jazeera and The New York Times. In the VR space his work Stuck in the Middle with You – was the first Virtual Reality work commissioned by ACMI while his latest piece Summation of Force was selected for Sundance’s New Frontiers and won the inaugural VR Award at the Imagine Film Festival Amsterdam.

Molly Reynolds 

Molly Reynolds is a screen-based story-teller. She has written, directed and/or produced Another Country, Still Our Country, What Makes Me, 12 Canoes, Peter Churcher and The Balanda and the Bark Canoes. Her work has played at leading film and arts festivals, including the Cannes, Telluride and Adelaide Film Festivals.

Michela Ledwidge 

Michela Ledwidge is a writer/director who specialises in realtime and virtual production. That means she helms the creative storytelling and experience across any platform. Recently that has included augmented and virtual reality, games and using these technologies behind the scenes for film & TV. She is co-founder of studio Mod and has been both the creative and technical lead on numerous productions. Michela has been an Internet pioneer since the early 1990s, creating the first website in NSW and setting up the National Library of Australia's first web service. She writes words, code and music.  

Leena Van Deventer

Leena van Deventer is a writer, game developer, and educator from Melbourne. In 2013 she co-founded WiDGET, a support group for women and non-binary game developers with over 800 members. In 2016 she co-authored "Game Changers: From Minecraft to Misogyny, the fight for the future of videogames" for Affirm Press with Dr. Dan Golding. Leena was on the curatorial advisory committee for ACMI's "Code Breakers" exhibition, and is the Deputy-Chair of the Games and Interactive Advisory Committee for the Australian Writers Guild. Leena also sits on the Board of Directors of the Victorian Women's Trust, and is currently completing her Masters in Arts Management at RMIT University.

Jamie Harding

Jamie Harding is Artistic Director of Ovation Centre of Performing Arts and cutting edge/award winning professional theatre company Gener8 Theatre working as a Producer, Director, Writer, and Theatre/Virtual Reality Maker.He graduated from Flinders in 2006, and spent many years as a leading actor in film, television, theatre nationally and internationally. He recently premiered his latest work ‘In the Pines’, which is a ground-breaking world-first, combining three spellbinding story-telling techniques: VR, binaural sound and live theatre. 

Speed networking 

The evening discussion will be followed by a fun meet and greet session. This is your chance to meet experts in the field, ask any and all questions you have or pitch your secret passion project!    

The Family Law – Season 3 Includes a ticket to the screening

Right after speed networking, guests will be treated to the Season 3 World Premiere of The Family Law, which will be attended by filmmakers (including Benjamin Law!) for a Q & A session.

The Adelaide Film Festival program is out NOW! Check out the screenings and premieres, forums and special events here. 

Writing for the New Reality is made possible with the support of SAFC.