INDUSTRY PROGRAM
INDUSTRY PROGRAM
Lesbian Space Princess: From Concept to Screen
Friday 21st March
2pm, 75mins
ACMI Cinema 2
Auslan Interpreted
All tickets $10
Go behind the scenes of Lesbian Space Princess (2025), a bold and genre-defying animation that blends animated sci-fi spectacle with queer storytelling. This panel brings together the creative team to unpack the journey from initial idea to final production—exploring the artistic vision, development process, animation, audience strategies, and the challenges and triumphs of bringing a unique narrative to life. Whether you're a fan, filmmaker, or curious creative, join us for an inspiring conversation about collaboration, representation, and pushing boundaries in the screen industry.
Meet the Speakers
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Emma Hough Hobbs (she/they) is a queer artist from Adelaide. They’re a filmmaker, animator and production designer. Their award winning short On Film was in competition at SXSW Sydney 2023. As a props master they have worked on projects such as A24’s Talk To Me and Gold starring Zac Efron.
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Leela Varghese (she/her) is an award winning Australian writer/ director. Her most recent short film I’m The Most Racist Person I Know was selected SXSW Austin 2025 having its world premiere in the narrative short competition. Leela is known for telling joyful, fun and impactful queer stories that spotlight cultural diversity in Australia. She is also known for her work as a musical comedian, television presenter and voice actor.
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Dr Sian Mitchell (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in Film, Television and Animation at Deakin University where she revels in the opportunity to work with the next generation of screen storytellers and creative practitioners. Sian has a PhD in film studies and a Masters in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies and her research in areas of Australian and women’s screen practice has been published in journals and industry blogs, including NECSUS, and Camera Obscura. Sian was the 2022 recipient of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, an initiative that supports the professional leadership of aspirational women in all sectors of the Australian screen industry; developing further skills, knowledge and connections through fellowships and programs.
Friday 21st March
4pm, 90mins
The Edge, Fed Square
Auslan Interpreted
Free
What Happens After the Film is Made? Discoverability in Australian Screen Culture.
You’ve made a film, what’s next? This panel brings together leading voices from across Australia’s screen culture sector to discuss the visibility of local content in today’s rapidly changing screen landscape. Amid significant technological change and increasingly globalised viewing habits, the panel asks whose stories are being seen, who they reach, and why Australian perspectives — particularly those historically marginalised — continue to matter.
Panelists will consider the shifting role of film festivals and other exhibition spaces as cultural curators, community builders, and pathways for emerging and underrepresented voices, alongside the influence of screen publications in shaping critical discourse, preserving screen histories, and expanding audience understanding. Together, they will explore the importance of a diverse screen culture ecology — encompassing festivals, criticism, education, archives, platforms, and independent exhibition — and what is at stake when access, representation, or visibility within that ecosystem is diminished or goes unsupported.
At the heart of the conversation is the challenge of discoverability in an environment shaped by algorithms, streaming platforms, and global content flows. The panel will discuss how cultural institutions, media, and policy can play an active role in amplifying underrepresented Australian work, ensuring it can be found, contextualised, and valued, now and into the future.
Speakers Announced Soon
Meet the Commissioners
Saturday 22nd March
11am, 60mins
Gandel Digital Lab 1
Auslan Interpreted
Free
Commissioners play a pivotal role in shaping what we see on Australian TV screens, working closely with creators to select and develop their stories. This unique panel at MWFF gives you the chance to hear from Australian content commissioners and learn about the work they do. Our panel of industry professionals will explain their place in the Australian screen ecology, demystify the commissioning process, and reveal what they wish creators knew about working with them. This panel is a must-see for screen creators—don’t miss it.
Can’t make it in person? Register for our livestream access.
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Zaina Ahmed joined SBS in May 2024 as Development Executive, Scripted. Zaina was the Associate Producer of SBS Original series, Erotic Stories, and has previously worked in television development at Wooden Horse, TV sales at eOne and TVC production at Collider. Zaina recently servesd as Coordinator for Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Taskforce
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Rebecca Anderson is a highly experienced Scripted Television Executive with a proven track record of developing and overseeing the production of quality, award-winning and high-rating Drama and Comedy for Australian audiences. With over 150 hours of commissioned/broadcast comedy and drama under her belt, Rebecca has worked across Hollywood films, live broadcasts, soaps, and exceptional scripted content. In her nearly 30-year career in television, she has worked in development, production and post-production and has executive produced many award-winning and record-breaking dramas and comedies for the ABC including: The Family Next Door, Mystery Road, Austin, The Letdown, Savage River, The Messenger, In Limbo, Barons and Aftertaste.
The Lifecycle of Film
Saturday 22nd March
2:30pm, 180 mins
Swinburne Studio, ACMI
$40/$30/$25
$20 entry for WIFT Victoria members
The Lifecycle of Film brings together experts from different facets of the screen industry to guide early and mid- career women and gender diverse practitioners through short form spontaneous mentorships.
Over an afternoon, attendees are invited to participate in 2-3 intimate round table conversations lead by industry experts (mentors) based on their interests within the screen industries, from development to distribution and everything in between. This will be an opportunity for attendees to ask the expert questions about their role, the production process, and any other issues they are facing in the screen industry today.