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FEARLESS IDEAS: FROM PITCH TO SCREEN WITH THE ABC

Business What makes an idea irresistible to the ABC? ABC is joined by producers of recent hard-hitting projects - from the Tampa affair to the crimes of Rolf Harris and court cases that shaped the nation - to explore how these projects made the wild ride from pitch to screen.

Everyone thinks they’ve got a good idea – but what actually makes the ABC say yes? And once they do, how does that idea survive the journey?

As Australia’s biggest commissioner of documentaries, the ABC has heard it all. In this session, Head of Documentary and Specialist Susie Jones sits down with three fearless producers from Northern Pictures, Wildbear and Mint Pictures to spill the secrets behind their upcoming ABC series. From the first pitch to financing, development and delivery, they’ll share the wins, the curveballs and the lessons learned along the way.

These aren’t just any stories. We’re talking: the Tampa affair (Tampa: The Boat That Turned the Tide, Mint Pictures), the crimes of Rolf Harris (Rolf Harris: Primetime Predator, Northern Pictures), the disinformation crisis (The Matter of Facts, Northern Pictures), High Court cases that shaped the nation (Judgment: Cases That Changed Australia, Wildbear Entertainment), and polarnauts battling climate change at the ends of the Earth (Ages of Ice, Northern Pictures).

If you want the real story on what makes an idea irresistible – and how to turn it into a commission – this is the session you don’t want to miss.

 

Image credit: The Matter of Facts (Northern Pictures, 2026)

 

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