Fresh off of winning Tropfest 2026 with her short film Crescendo and taking home the Rebel8 Award for Most Outstanding Emerging Female Director at Flickerfest for Tuesday Tuesday, Lianne Mackessy reveals her process and reflects on the experiences that have shaped her creative voice.

She chats to Robbie Miles to explore the pressures of creative ambition, motherhood and hustle culture, the importance of emotional truth in storytelling, and how working-class voices remain underrepresented behind the camera in the Australian screen industry.

Listen to hear Lianne discuss:

Why life experience is essential to storytelling

The transition from acting into writing and directing

Making Crescendo under the tight deadlines of Tropfest

Motherhood, creativity and redefining success

Building authentic creative collaborations and community

Why working-class representation behind the camera matters

Sustainable filmmaking careers and balancing art with life

Listen to Episode 57 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

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Further information after listening to the episode:

Lianne Mackessy Website: https://www.liannemackessy.com/

Tropfest Winner - Crescendo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys7v4uEMS_M

Flickerfest Winners: https://flickerfest.com.au/press-releases/flickerfest-2026-awards-announced-and-the-winners-are/

Follow Lianne and her work:

Lianne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianne-mackessy-4a968b341/

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Robbie Miles.

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