Geeta Gandbhir (USA) Co-Founder
Message Pictures

ONLINE GUEST

Geeta Gandbhir is the director of the 2026 Academy Award®-nominated feature documentary The Perfect Neighbor.

Allan Collins (Australia) Cinematographer
Independent

Allan Collins ACS is a cinematographer; and an artist.

John Battsek (UK) Co-Founder
Ventureland

ONLINE GUEST

John Battsek is the Academy Award-winning producer of One Day in September and Searching for Sugar Man, and co-founder of Ventureland.

Tom McDonald (USa) Executive Vice President of Content
National Geographic

Tom McDonald is National Geographic’s EVP of Content, overseeing television, streaming, editorial, digital and social across all platforms, including Disney+.

Rita Baghdadi (USA) Co-Founder
Lady & Bird Films

Rita Baghdadi is an Emmy® Award-winning American-Moroccan documentary filmmaker with over 10 years of experience directing, producing and filming bold, character-driven films with an intimate lens.

Adam Bhala Lough (USA) Co-Founder
All Facts

ONLINE GUEST

Adam Bhala Lough is a Punjabi-American director known for crafting award-winning, high-impact film and television projects.

Aloke Devichand (UK) Head of Documentaries
Mindhouse

Aloke Devichand is Head of Documentaries at Mindhouse, the BAFTA-winning production company founded in London by filmmaker Louis Theroux.

Ursula Grace Williams (New Zealand) Director
Independent

Ursula Grace Williams is an award-winning director whose storytelling has sparked global conversations, engaged millions, and even influenced legislative change.

Erika Dilday (USA) Executive Producer
American Documentary | POV

Erika Dilday is a Producer, Director, Journalist and Media Executive.

Charlie Parsons (USA) SVP, Global Development
National Geographic

Charlie Parsons is Senior Vice President of Development for the National Geographic Channel.

Trisha Morton-Thomas (Australia) Founder
Brindle Films

Trisha is a First Nations Anmatyerr woman and co-founder of Brindle Films based in Alice Springs.

Jason Ryle (Canada) International Programmer (UK, IRL, AUS, NZ and Global Indigenous Cinema)
TIFF

Jason Ryle is the International Programmer for the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Global Indigenous Cinema at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Valerie Veatch (USA) Filmmaker
Independent

ONLINE GUEST

Valerie Veatch is the Sundance-selected writer, director, and producer of Ghost in the Machine (2026).

Narelda Jacobs OAM (Australia) Journalist, Presenter & Commentator
Network Ten

Narelda Jacobs OAM is a Whadjuk Noongar journalist, presenter and commentator.

Esmé Louise James (Australia) Writer, creative, and sex historian
Independent

Writer, creative, and sex historian, Dr. Esmé Louise James is best known as the creator of Kinky History.

Gil Marsden (AUS) Founder
Den of Martians

Gil is an Emmy-nominated documentary director, producer and show-runner.

Constantine Costi (Australia) Director and Writer
Independent

Constantine Costi is an award winning Greek Cypriot-Australian director and writer.

Ayeesha Ash (AUS) Content Producer
Powerhouse

Ayeesha Ash is a Māori (Ngāi Tūhoe) Grenadian performer, writer and director and the Content Producer at Powerhouse.

Mags Scholes (Australia) Production Executive – SA Led
South Australian Film Corporation

Mags is Production Executive – SA Led at the South Australian Film Corporation.

Paddy Manning (AUS) Journalist and author
ABC

Paddy Manning is an investigative reporter for ABC News, based in Hobart.

Jordan Bastian (Australia) Festival Director, Creative Leader & Industry Strategist
Independent

Jordan Bastian is an accomplished festival and cinema programming professional.

Jason Potkins (Australia) Acting Assistant Secretary, Screen, Inclusion and Workforce Branch
Office for the Arts

ONLINE GUEST

Jason is a policy advisor in the Australian screen sector working for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.

Sarah Martin (AUS) Senior Correspondent
Guardian Australia

Sarah Martin is an award-winning journalist and a senior correspondent with Guardian Australia’s national investigations team.

Maggie Miles (Australia) Founder
Savage Films

Maggie co-wrote, directed, and produced Journey Home, David Gulpilil which received the AACTA 2026 award for Best Documentary.

Sarah Beard (Australia) Producer & Impact Producer
Artesano Productions Pty Ltd

Sarah is a multi-skilled producer with over 30 years’ experience in film and television production.

Lucy Hill (Australia) Investment Manager
Minderoo Pictures

Lucy is the Industry Manager at Minderoo Pictures

Richard Baker (Australia) Founder
Southern Ocean Media

Richard Baker is one of Australia’s most creative, engaging and groundbreaking investigative journalists.

Jaydon Martin (Australia) Filmmaker
Independent

Jaydon Martin is the award-winning filmmaker behind Flathead (2024), which won the Special Jury Award at IFFR 2024.

Anna Miralis (UK) Senior Commissioning Editor
Channel 4

Anna is a Senior Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 (UK).

Anna Charalambous (Australia) Producer
Good Thing Productions

Anna Charalambous is a Melbourne-based producer best known for Spreadsheet Champions, which premiered at SXSW 2025.

Daniel James (Australia) Co-Host / Executive Producer
Solstice Media

Daniel is a Yorta Yorta man and Melbourne based writer and broadcaster.

Natsu Kawakami (Japan) Producer
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

Natsu Kawakami is a producer/associate commissioning editor at “World Documentary.”

Emile Guertin (Malaysia) Senior Producer
Al Jazeera English

Emile is a Senior Commissioning Producer at Al Jazeera English in Malaysia, commissioning documentaries for the Witness strand across broadcast and digital, with a focus on Asia-Pacific.

Clayton Jacobson (AUS) Filmmaker / Actor / AI Artist
Gunshy Cowboys

Clayton is an award winning filmmaker whose experience spans across commercials, documentaries, online content, music videos, feature film and AI creation. 

Jo Siddiqui (Australia) Director and producer
Independent

Jo Siddiqui is a series director and producer who has been working in television production for over 25 years.

Summer Wharekawa (New Zealand) Head of Commissioning
TVNZ

Summer Wharekawa (Ngāti Tahu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto) is the Head of Commissioning at TVNZ

Oli Harbottle (UK) Chief Content Officer
Dogwoof

Oli is responsible for acquisitions across the company's slate as well as the sourcing of projects for production.

Zoe Stinson (UK) Acquisitions and Productions Executive
TVF International

Zoe Stinson is Acquisitions and Productions Executive at TVF International, the UK’s leading independent factual distributor.

Julie Eckersley (AUS) Executive Director, Screen Content
Screen Queensland

Julie Eckersley is the Executive Director, Screen Content at Screen Queensland and an award-winning producer and screen executive.

Kate Lemberg (USA) Associate Manager, Industry Relations and Artist Programs
Points North Institute

Kate Lemberg is the Associate Manager, Industry Relations/Artist Programs at Points North Institute.

PJ Madam (Australia) Industry Development Manager
Screen Tasmania

Inka Achté (Finland) Head of Acquisition and Strategy / Artistic Director
Raina Film Festival Distribution / DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Film Festival

Inka is the Artistic Director of DocPoint - Helsinki Documentary Film Festival, and Head of Acquisitions And Strategy at Raina.

Raul Niño Zambrano (UK) Creative Director
Sheffield Doc Fest

Raul Niño Zambrano has been the Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest since 2023.

Lauren Edwards (AUS) Senior Manager, Content Investment
Screen NSW

Lauren Edwards is a multi-award-winning film and television producer with over 18 years of experience in the industry and is Senior Manager, Content Investment at Screen NSW.

Natalie Lynch (Australia) Founder
Cinch Media

Natalie Lynch is a leading digital media and audience strategist redefining how Australian screen stories find and grow their audiences.

Mustafa Allawi (Australia) Director & Founder
Hazen

Mustafa Allawi is the Director & Founder of Hazen, a global production company for drivers of culture.

Ingrid Longley (AUS) Head of Industry Development
Screenwest

Ingrid Longley is Head of Industry Development at Screenwest, leading industry growth initiatives including production attraction incentives, film-friendly initiatives, workforce capacity, documentary and digital games.

Susie Jones (Australia) Head of Documentary and Specialist
ABC

Susie Jones is the Head of Documentary and Specialist at the ABC.

Joseph Maxwell (Australia) Head of Unscripted
SBS

Joseph oversees commissioning for all unscripted content at SBS Australia.

Kelrick Martin (Australia) Head of Indigenous
ABC

Kelrick is the Head of Indigenous at ABC (AUS)

John Safran (Australia) Writer, filmmaker
Independent

John Safran is a writer and filmmaker whose latest documentary program is called Shut Your Big Fat Mouth John Safran.

David McDonald (Australia) Director of Comedy
Endemol Shine Australia

With a career spanning more than three decades, David McDonald is now Endemol Shine Australia's (ESA) Director of Comedy.

Jordan Giusti (Australia) Filmmaker
Independent

Jordan Giusti is an award-winning director best known for Floodland (2025), he is based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia.

Natalie May (Australia) Industry Manager
AIDC

Natalie is the Industry Manager at AIDC and has spent a decade working on film and arts events, specialising in marketplace delivery and industry development programs in recent years.

Jo Chichester (Australia) Commissioning Editor
ABC TV

Jo is a Commissioning Editor in the ABC's Documentary & Specialist team with responsibility for major brands Grand Designs Australia, Grand Designs Transformations and Restoration Australia, as well as developing and commissioning the hit show Muster Dogs.

Stephen Oliver (Australia) Commissioning Editor
ABC

Stephen is a commissioning editor with a passion for people and impactful stories.

Kalita Corrigan (Australia) Commissioning Editor
ABC

As a commissioning editor for ABC Documentary and Specialist, Kalita is passionate about finding ways to make Australian stories/history/true crime/arts entertaining and informative.

Julie Hanna (Australia) Commissioning Editor
ABC

Julie has worked extensively as an executive producer, series producer and director across a wide range of genres with broadcasters and independent production companies.

Stacie Piper (AUS) Curator, dancer, cultural leader, and mentor
Independent

Stacie is a proud Wurundjeri, Dja Dja Wurrung and Ngurai Illum-Wurrung woman, a Djirri Djirri Dancer and Educator.

Thomas Charles Hyland (Australia) Writer / Director
Independent

Thomas Charles Hyland is an award-winning screenwriter and director whose work spans film, television and commercials.

Harriet Spark (Australia) Documentary Filmmaker / Photographer
Grumpy Turtle Films

Harriet is a documentary filmmaker working across natural history, science, and human interest stories, with a particular love for underwater storytelling.

Bernadine Lim (Australia) Senior Commissioning Editor, Factual
SBS

Senior Commissioning Editor Documentaries for Factual at Australian public broadcaster SBS.

Bethan Arwel-Lewis (Australia) Commissioning Editor
SBS

Bethan Arwel-Lewis is Commissioning Editor of Factual for SBS Australia, and is responsible for commissioning original factual content for the broadcaster.

Joseph Meldrum (Australia) Commissioning Editor
NITV

Commissioning Editor at NITV and oversees commissioning of NITV's original content slate.

Paul Wiegard (Australia) Co-Founder & CEO
Madman Entertainment

Paul Wiegard is the Co-Founder and CEO of Madman Entertainment, a leading independent film distribution company in Australasia.

Ian Darling (Australia) Executive Director
Shark Island Foundation

Ian Darling is Executive Director of Shark Island Institute and Chair of Shark Island Foundation.

Stephanie King (Australia) Impact Director
Documentary Australia

Stephanie is a filmmaker, Impact Producer and Director at Documentary Australia.

Eddie Coupe (Australia) Head of Industry
Melbourne International Film Festival

Eddie Coupe is Head of Industry at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF)

Mat Kesting (Australia) CEO & Creative Director
Adelaide Film Festival

Mat Kesting is a festivals and programming specialist having worked in the sector since the late 1990s.

Farhad Meher-Homji (Australia) Co-Founder/Head of Strategy
Changer Studios

Farhad is the Co-Founder and Head of Strategy at Changer.

Richard Welch (Australia) Filmmaker/Discipline Lead - Documentary
The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS)

Richard Welch is an experienced documentary curator, lecturer and filmmaker, with over 20 years’ experience in the screen media industry.

Devina McPherson (Australia) First Nations Co-Producer
AIDC

Devina is a proud Widi Yamatji and Noongar women from Western Australia, who is the Development and Associate Producer at RAMU Productions.

Anu Hasbold (Australia) Development Producer, Documentary Projects, Film & Television
MOFA

Anu Hasbold is currently a documentary producer at MOFA (formerly Sweetshop & Green).

Marc Fennell (Australia) Journalist and Documentary Storyteller
Independent

Marc Fennell is a Walkley-winning journalist, AACTA-nominated director and one of Australia’s most distinctive documentary storytellers.

Kate Jinx (Australia) Senior Programmer
Melbourne International Film Festival

Kate Jinx is a Senior Programmer of feature films and the talks/in conversations curator at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF).

Alice Burgin (Australia) Investment Manager – Documentary
Screen Australia

Alice Burgin is currently working as an Investment Manager with the Documentary Unit at Screen Australia.

Genevieve Grieves (Australia) Co-creator/Creative Director
GARUWA

Genevieve Grieves is a proud Worimi woman and respected artist, educator, field builder, film director and oral historian.

Rachel Perkins (Australia) Filmmaker
Independent

One of Australia’s most accomplished and versatile directors, Rachel Perkins' career spans feature films, documentary and television.

Kieran Satour (Australia) Co-Founder
GARUWA

ONLINE GUEST

Kieran Satour is a Gurindji/Malngin, Pertame Arrernte & Worimi filmmaker.

Lexi Landsman (Australia) Development Executive
BBC Studios ANZ

Lexi Landsman is a development executive at BBC Studios ANZ.

Karla Hart (Australia) Filmmaker
Karla Hart Productions

Karla Hart is an award-winning Noongar filmmaker, producer and cultural leader whose work spans premium factual television, drama and live cultural production.

Naomi Koh Belic (Australia) Communications specialist
Independent

Dr Naomi Koh Belic 許佳丽 (she/her) is a biracial, bisexual, bimbo biologist.

Mitzi Goldman (Australia) CEO
Documentary Australia

Mitzi is a Co-Founder and CEO of Documentary Australia, a not-for-profit organisation enabling social impact documentaries to be funded and screened to inspire social change.

Nick Batzias (Australia) Founder/Managing Partner
GoodThing Productions

Award winning producer Nick Batzias has almost twenty years experience in the film industry having worked across acquisition, distribution and production.

Kirk Docker (Australia) Filmmaker/Interviewer
Docker Media

Kirk Docker is one of Australia’s finest interviewers and storytellers. He is the co-creator and director of the ABC program You Can’t Ask That.

Sarah Steel (Australia) Head of Marketing and Industry Support
Screenrights

Sarah Steel is Screenrights' Head of Marketing and Industry Support, where she looks after the organisation's comms and sponsorships as well as its annual Cultural Fund grant round.

James Dickinson (Australia) CEO
Screenrights

James Dickinson is the CEO of Screenrights.

Alice McShane (Australia) Conference Programming Manager
AIDC

Alice McShane is the conference programming manager for AIDC 2026.

Blayke Hoffman (Australia) Producer
Stranger than Fiction

Blayke Hoffman is an Emmy award winning creative producer with Stranger Than Fiction.

Danielle MacLean (Australia) Co-Founder and Producer
Tamarind Tree Pictures

Based in the Northern Territory, Danielle is an award-winning Warumungu/Luritja writer, director, and producer, whose work spans drama, animation and documentary, with a deep commitment to First Nations storytelling.

Anna Grieve (Australia) Co-founder
Tamarind Tree Pictures

As one of the founding partners of Tamarind Tree Pictures (along with Danielle MacLean and Steven McGregor) Anna has an extensive career as a documentary producer.

Madeleine Hetherton-Miau (Australia) Producer/ Director
Media Stockade

Madeleine Hetherton-Miau is a multi-awarded director, producer and co-founder of Media Stockade.

Katy Roberts (Australia) Production Executive
VicScreen

Katy Roberts is a production executive at VicScreen.

Lauren Valmadre (Australia) Investment Manager, Documentary
Screen Australia

Lauren has recently joined Screen Australia as an Investment Manager for the Documentary Department.

Yaara Bou Melhem (Australia) Journalist and Filmmaker
Independent

Yaara Bou Melhem is a two-time UN Media Peace and six-time Walkley-award winning Australian writer, director and producer.

Karina Holden (Australia) Head of Factual
Northern Pictures

For almost three decades, Karina has been a trailblazer in the field of non-fiction television.

Lee Naimo (Australia) Head of Creative – Grouse House
Haven't You Done Well Productions

As the Head of Creative for Grouse House, Lee works for Haven’t You Done Well Productions alongside the team responsible for comedy trio Aunty Donna's shows.

Dan Goldberg (Australia) Head of Factual
Mint Pictures

The creative director of Mint Pictures, Dan Goldberg has written, produced and directed award-winning documentaries over the last two decades.

Kyas Hepworth (Australia) Screen & Media Specialist

Kyas Hepworth is a Bundjalung woman and a respected leader in the screen and creative arts sector, dedicated to championing First Nations and under-represented voices and bringing distinctive, genuine stories to the screen.

Alex Kelly (Australia) Producer/Strategist/Director
Unquiet Collective

Alex Kelly (she/her) is a filmmaker and impact producer based on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

Angie Abdilla (Australia) Founder & Director
Old Ways, New

Angie Abdilla creates video installations interrogating Indigenous deeptime knowledges, automation and AI, with a focus on technology as cultural practice.

Dom Bartolo (Australia) Designer/Director/Co-Founder
21-19

Dom is an international designer director and co-founder of 21-19, a Brand & Moving Image agency, based in Melbourne, Australia.

Samantha Dinning (Australia) Head of Content Investment
VicScreen

Sam is Head of Content Investment at VicScreen

Samuel Paynter (Australia) Development and Investment Manager
Screen Australia

Sam currently works as a Development and Investment manager at Screen Australia’s First nations Department.

Douglas Watkin (Australia) Film Director
Double Wire Productions

Douglas Watkin is a First Nations director, producer and writer.

Laurrie Mansfield (Australia) First Nations Co-Producer
AIDC

Laurrie Mansfield is a freelance assessor, developer, facilitator, and producer for the arts.

Pauline Clague (Australia) Associate Professor, Manager of Cultural Resilience Hub
Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research, UTS

Pauline is a Yaegl woman from the North Coast of New South Wales and is currently Associate Professor, Manager of Cultural Resilience Hub, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research at the UTS.

Jub Clerc (Australia) Filmmaker
Independent

Jub is a Nyul Nyul/Yawuru filmmaker from the Kimberley in WA.

Jennie Hughes (Australia) Senior Director
Screen Territory

Richard Huddleston (Australia) Head of Documentary
Screen Australia

Richard has over twenty-five years of experience in the television industry, with creative and strategic leadership positions across a wide range of documentary and factual genres.

Alan Erson (Australia) Managing Director
Wildbear Entertainment

A writer, director, producer and commissioner of true stories for over 25 years, Alan Erson leads creative teams developing and producing wildlife, history, science and arts titles for global audiences.

Michael Cordell (Australia) Creative Director, Co-Founder
CJZ

Michael Cordell is one of Australia’s most established producers and directors; his projects straddle many genres and have won numerous awards.

Matthew Deaner (Australia) CEO
Screen Producers Australia

Matthew Deaner is the Chief Executive Officer of Screen Producers Australia (SPA).

Maya Newell (Australia) Co-Founder
Unquiet Collective

Maya is a documentary film director and impact producer from the Unquiet Collective based on Gadigal Wangal Country.

PLUS MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED CHECK BACK SOON