We Interrupt This Broadcast

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 currently sit in the market cycle

Guiding principles for producers when considering the size of your company

Small vs. large business models

Creating engagement in the marketplace

The importance of momentum in getting your projects financed

Financing challenges in the industry

Exploring the value of your intellectual property

The need for private capital in production

Listen to Episode 51 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.

Follow David and his work:

Compton School: https://compton.school

David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-court-058965/

Episode 23 of We Interrupt This Broadcast: Mentoring Can Change the Shape of our Industry, with David Court and Julie Eckersley: https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au/episodes?grid1-dialog=recGSZhWj4oxIhvrZ

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

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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 opinions from around the country...

Subscribe and get every episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast in your inbox.

⁠Subscribe now

00:00 What we’ve been up to this month

01:32 Vale Rhoda Roberts

01:58 Val Kilmer resurrected in AI (article)

02:20 The importance of credits in film

02:47 Audience trust and AI in storytelling

04:26 The future of acting and AI (article)

08:12 The impact of industry consolidation

09:54 Celebrating Australian filmmakers

10:50 Industry movements and appointments

13:12 Grants and opportunities

15:43 What have we been watching?

17:29 What’s in production around the country

22:12 Wrap-up & what’s coming up this month

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.

This episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast was hosted by Robbie Miles and Loani Arman.

Join the conversation about Episode 50 on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, or submit your own Big Idea to shape the industry at ⁠⁠http://weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au⁠⁠.

Have industry news, upcoming events or productions to share? Want to sponsor the podcast? Let us know at [email protected]

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 vertical series with titles including Divorced to be the Top Heiress for ShortMax and Alpha King, Your Pregnant Luna Escaped for NetShort.

Aven and Pauline discuss the business model and production structure Pauline uses on these series, how they fit into her production company’s overall remit, and the ways they might be filling a gap in talent development, providing opportunities for emerging crew.

Listen to hear Pauline discuss:

How much audiences are paying to subscribe to a microdrama

Why the market for microdramas can be lucrative compared to film or television

The structure Pauline’s team puts in place for production and post, to make lower budgets work on their vertical series

How vertical series can support emerging talent

Why it makes sense to produce microdramas in Australia

Building cliffhangers into each 1-3 minute episode

The difference between producing microdramas and working in production servicing

Pauline’s Big Idea to shape the future of the industry

Listen to Episode 49 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.

Follow Pauline and her work:

Pauline on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauline-chan-b041b540

Pauline on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1298625

Roaring Pictures: https://roaringpictures.com.au

Roaring Pictures Productions: https://roaringpictures.com.au/#productions

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Aven Yap and edited by Aven and Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

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 lyrics.

Her debut essay collection, I’ll Let Myself In, was published in 2023, and she was named Advocate of the Year at Marie Claire Australia’s 2023 Women of the Year Awards.

Loani and Hannah chat about how Hannah made Australian TV history as the first disabled person to appear in a sex scene in the SBS Digital Original series Latecomers, and how she’s developing her own screen projects that put romance and representation front and centre.

Listen to hear Hannah discuss:

The importance of representing disabled characters as full humans on screen

How her advocacy and storytelling are intertwined

Petitioning Disney, and calling out Lizzo and Beyonce for their ableist lyrics

Jacob Elordi calling her beautiful

Disabled representation and desirability in romance

How the industry (and you!) can support and advocate for more unheard stories

Her big idea to shape the industry

Follow Hannah and her work:

Hannah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahthewildflower

Hannah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-diviney-464239a4

Hannah’s published essay collection, I’ll Let Myself In: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Hannah-Diviney-I’ll-Let-Myself-In-9781761069710

Jacob Elordi told me I looked beautiful?! https://www.instagram.com/p/DUtp4qBk9NR

Latecomers on SBS on Demand: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/latecomers

Audrey trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgMNlAC6Gjw

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Loani Arman and edited by Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Search all past episodes and read our guests' big ideas to shape the future of the screen industry at https://weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weinterruptpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weinterruptpodcast

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox: https://weinterruptthisbroadcast.substack.com

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 AACTA Award for Best Short Film.
Kirsty and Leela discuss her career trajectory, including the strategies she applied on both recent films to try to build her profile as a director.

Listen to hear Leela discuss:

• strategically aligning project ideas with grant criteria or historical festival programming to give them the best chance of success
• the importance of building relationships with festival programmers
• how bold titles have played a role in her films’ success, and the way they’ve been seen by audiences
• working with distributors and sales agents as part of your festival strategy
• the relevance of film festivals in an age of social media and streaming
• how to pivot and give your project the best chance of market success, while holding onto your creative vision
• why you should be thinking about distribution as you develop your projects

Follow Leela and her work:

• Leela on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leelavargoose
• Lesbian Space Princess: https://lesbianspaceprincessmovie.com
• Lesbian Space Princess on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesbianspaceprincessfilm
• Lesbian Space Princess: Official Trailer:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nra14aUNYS8

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

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 Bespoke Tailoring of Mister Bellamy, which won the $50,000 Grand Prize at the Louisiana Film Prize, and his first feature, A Chance Encounter, which was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films after winning the audience choice award at Heartland Film Festival.
Robbie and Alexander discuss the pros and cons of working outside a major film and television hub, and how he has built a sustainable career as an independent filmmaker.

Listen to hear Alexander discuss:

• his reasons for choosing to work outside of LA
• what makes his projects resonate with an audience
• how to gain an insight into filmmaking trends as a screener for film festivals
• why creating work within a collaborative community can be an advantage
• his strategy for creating profitable indie films
• how to find distribution and get your projects in front of an audience
• his new experiments in independent TV
• why low budgets are sometimes best

Listen to Episode 46 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.

Follow Alexander and his work:

Alexander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderjeffery

Alexander on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexanderjeffery

Alexander on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexanderjeffery

Bespoke Works LLC website: https://bespokeworksllc.com

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

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au

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 news, opportunities and opinions from around the country...

Subscribe and get every episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast in your inbox.

Subscribe now

00:00 Happy Lunar New Year!

00:42 AACTA Award Winners, AACTA Festival Highlights, and what we heard on the ground

08:38 Matchbox Pictures closes

13:01 SPA Seeks ACCC Authorisation for Collective Bargaining

14:47 Streaming Quotas in place & the ABC’s plans for its additional funding

16:25 Screen Australia’s New Market & Audience Programs

18:10 Minimum License Fees for TV Production Increase

18:26 Brad Pitt Fights Tom Cruise & Darren Aronofsky Dabbles in AI

20:54 SXSW Sydney Ends & Tropfest is Resurrected

23:38 Industry Opportunities

24:40 What We’re Watching: Iron Lung + Aussie Festival News & Selections

27:37 What’s in production around Australia

28:33 One year of We Interrupt This Broadcast, and thank you AFTRS!

30:15 Acknowledgement of Country

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.

This episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast was hosted by Kirsty Stark and Aven Yap, and edited by Kirsty Stark.

Thank you to AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, for sponsoring this episode. Applications for the 2026 mid-year intake of the AFTRS Master of Arts Screen Business, their postgraduate course on screen business and creative leadership, are now open until June 2.

Head to aftrs.edu.au/award-course/master-of-arts-screen-business-mid-year for more information about , or listen to past student Fiona Kelly talk about her AFTRS experience in last week’s episode, Ep. 44.

Join the conversation about Episode 45 on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠, or submit your own Big Idea to shape the industry at ⁠http://weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au⁠.

Have industry news, upcoming events or productions to share? Want to sponsor the podcast? Let us know at [email protected]

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 returning to study through a Master of Arts in Screen Business at AFTRS, including her tips for those wanting to forge a writing career today.

Listen to hear Fiona discuss:

• Her initial journey into screenwriting

• The changing landscape of television

• The difference between a writer, story producer and script editor

• Why she decided to pursue further study

• The Master of Arts in Screen Business at AFTRS

• Advice for aspiring screenwriters

• Her big idea to change the shape of the industry

Listen to Episode 44 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help the show find more listeners.

Follow Fiona and her work:

Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-kelly-16002056

Fiona on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1282210

If you’re interested in the Master of Arts Screen: Business at AFTRS, applications for the 2026 mid-year cohort (commencing August this year) are open now, until the 2nd of June.

Designed for a new generation of screen leaders, AFTRS’ Master of Arts Screen: Business is Australia’s foremost creative screen business course. You can find out more at the links below:

https://www.aftrs.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MASB-Course-Guide-2025.pdf

https://www.aftrs.edu.au/award-course/master-of-arts-screen-business/

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find your course and enrol.

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

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.

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Listen to hear Sophie discuss:

How she started as a director, and why it felt like the right role for her

The way she balances writing, directing and producing across her projects

Themes of freedom and intimacy across her projects

The process of casting A list actors

Some of the ways she builds trust with cast and crew

How the body can serve as a way to access greater intimacy in storytelling

Creating a supportive and collaborative culture on set

Her big idea to shape the future of the industry

Follow Sophie and her work:

Sophie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophhyde

Closer Productions: https://closerproductions.com.au

Jimpa (in Australian cinemas from February 19th):

https://www.instagram.com/jimpa_film

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LucqCU5y_-8

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by ⁠Kirsty Stark⁠ and edited by Brandon Boyer and Kirsty Stark.

This episode is sponsored by ⁠AFTRS⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find the right course for you.

Join the conversation about Episode 43 on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠, or submit your own Big Idea to shape the industry at ⁠http://weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au⁠.

Have industry news, upcoming events or productions to share? Want to sponsor the podcast? Let us know at [email protected]

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

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 should check your content against if you’re involved in the creation of stories.

Listen to hear Dan discuss:

• His work for Paramount, BBC Studios and Nine, and why data analysis is crucial for understanding market trends.
• The slowing in revenue, leakage of revenue and concentration of revenue that are affecting content buyers globally.
• How children’s content presents great opportunities that we aren’t capitalising on in Australia.The five ways producers can adapt to make their content more favourable to buyers.
• Why the future of the industry relies on innovation and adaptability.

Follow Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfahy100

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Kirsty Stark and edited by Brandon Boyer and Kirsty Stark.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!

Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find your course and enrol.