Queer Screen Studio

Panel 1: Pitching to buyers, industry and funding bodies

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Our panelists share their knowledge on how to get your project from development to production, navigating the complexity of financing your project and building a fantastic pitch, from working with screen agencies and building a strong application, to making the most of meetings with funding agencies, production companies and private investors.

Moderator: Rosie Braye 

Rosie Braye is the Screen Investment Manager at Screen NSW and an AACTA-nominated producer of the hit digital series Ding Dong I’m Gay. With a background in theatrical distribution at NIXCO and StudioCanal, she is a dedicated advocate for diverse storytelling whose latest short film, Her Silence, premiered at MIFF 2026.

Panellist: Paloma Schneideman

Paloma Schneideman is an Aotearoa New Zealand filmmaker and musician whose debut feature, Big Girls Don’t Cry, premiered at Sundance 2026 and won the Grand Prix at the Biarritz Film Festival. A participant in Jane Campion’s A Wave in the Ocean programme, she also performs music as PollyHill and composes for stage and screen.

Panellist: Angie Fielder

Angie Fielder is an Academy Award® nominated producer and founding partner of Aquarius Films. Her credits include the global hit Lion, Sundance-premiere Berlin Syndrome, and the series Savage River and High Country. She is a recipient of the NSW Creative Laureate for excellence in storytelling.

Panellist: Sleena Wilson 

Sleena Wilson is Head of Development at Causeway Films, following a tenure as VP of Film and Television at Black Bear in LA. She was part of the producing team for the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing and the AMC series Monsieur Spade. Sleena is a former recipient of the Australians in Film Producer Placement.

Panel 2: Leviticus Deep Dive –

From Script to Screen

12:45 pm to 2:00 pm

Join the team from Leviticus as they share how the queer horror hit was realised for the big screen, starting from the script to discussions with the production and creative teams, and amplifying the tone in post-production. Go behind-the-scenes of the independent sensation and get the lowdown on how the globally award-winning film was made.

Moderator: Peter James  

Peter James ACS, ASC, is a legendary cinematographer and four-time ACS Milli winner. His career spans over 30 features, including the Oscar-winning Driving Miss Daisy, Mao’s Last Dancer, and Meet the Parents. A longtime collaborator of director Bruce Beresford, he currently chairs the ACS AI Committee.

Panellist: Tyson Perkins

Tyson Perkins is an award-winning Arrernte & Kalkadoon cinematographer whose work includes the AACTA-winning Mystery Road: Origin and the feature Went Up the Hill. He has lensed notable productions such as Robbie Hood, Heartbreak High, and the series Sunny Nights.

Panellist: Nick Fenton

Nick Fenton is a BAFTA-winning film editor whose recent credits include The Order and Ellis Park, directed by Justin Kurzel. His extensive portfolio includes Nitram, Submarine, and American Animals, for which he won a BIFA for Best Editing. He has also collaborated with artists like Björk and Jeremy Deller.

Panellist: Samantha Jennings

Samantha Jennings is the co-founder of Causeway Films and producer of global hits like Talk To Me and the Netflix Original Cargo. Her recent successes include Bring Her Back and Leviticus. In 2026, she received the Byron Kennedy AACTA Award for her outstanding contributions to Australian cinema.

Panel 3: Finding your audience and getting to Screen

2:15 pm to 3:00 pm

You’ve made your film. Now what? Experienced industry professionals share their insights on the many paths your film can take to find its audience, including building your festival submission, networking with sales agents and acquisitions teams, how your audience strategy is built, and what happens at major markets like AFM!

Moderator: Toni Stowers

Toni Stowers is an Investment Manager of Narrative Content at Screen Australia. She previously spent four years producing and developing projects at No Coincidence Media, including the award-winning joint co-production We Are Still Here, and has held roles across NITV Commissioning and Sydney Film Festival.

Panellist: Maya Newell

Maya Newell is an AACTA-winning director known for powerful documentaries like In My Blood It Runs and Gayby Baby. Her Netflix short, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, was nominated for a Peabody Award. She is currently developing her next feature, Testimony.

Panellist: Nick Hayes

Nick Hayes is the CEO of Independent Cinemas Australia and a leading industry advocate with 29 years of experience. He authored the major industry report Made, Not Seen and has held senior roles at Umbrella and Icon Films. He is a recipient of the ICA Mark Sarfaty CEO Award.

Panellist: Benson Wu

Benson Wu is the CEO of Queer Screen and the Co-Founder and Festival Director of the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia. With over a decade of industry experience, he has led marketing and programming across festivals including the Inner West Film Fest, First Films, and the Okinawa Pan-Pacific International Film Festival. 

Masterclass w/ Goran Stolevski

3:15 pm to 5:00 pm

Join filmmaker Goran Stolevski as he breaks down his journey from directing over 20 short films to landing feature successes in LGBTIQ+ and horror cinema. He’ll walk you through his full creative pipeline—from initial concept to the final edit—while sharing industry advice on pitching to sales agents and building a sustainable filmmaking career.

Moderator: Simon Smith

Simon Smith is a queer cinematographer, writer, and educator with over 30 years of experience in screen production. He is the Discipline Lead for MA Cinematography at AFTRS, author of the historical novel A Man of Honour, and a dedicated advocate for inclusive visual storytelling.

About Goran Stolevski

Goran Stolevski is an acclaimed writer and director who holds a Master’s in Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts. He achieved international recognition through his extensive short film catalog, including Would You Look at Her, which won Best International Short at the Sundance Film Festival, and You Deserve Everything, which earned him the Ruben Mamoulian Best Director Award at the Sydney Film Festival alongside the prestigious $50,000 Lexus Australia Fellowship.

Having directed 25 short films that have collectively screened at more than 100 festivals worldwide—including Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs, Raindance, and Frameline—Goran transitioned into feature filmmaking to widespread critical acclaim. His celebrated feature filmography includes You Won’t Be Alone, Of An Age, and Housekeeping for Beginners, alongside directing credits on the International Emmy-winning series Nowhere Boys. Dividing his time between Australia, North Macedonia, and the UK, Goran is widely recognized as one of contemporary cinema’s most compelling voices.