ACMI Stories & Ideas

Did you know that twenty percent of Australians live with disability? You probably wouldn't guess that from our media. But things are gradually improving. In 2018, more people with disability and appearance diversity are writing and starring in TV and film, influencing on social media and getting opportunities as brand ambassadors. Young people today have a much greater chance of seeing themselves represented, knowing what's possible. We'll be talking representation of people with disability on screens and behind the scenes, and why it's vital to give us a place at the table.

In an ever-changing media landscape, and with audiences savvy and cynical about advertising, brands are looking for more subtle ways to draw their customers in. Enter the documentary filmmaker. Does this offer an exciting new source of finance for documentary or is it a sell out? Is it still possible to make authentic stories within this form? Who has creative control in this environment? Why do brands give money to filmmakers and what do they want in return? This session brings together a world-class panel of award-winning filmmakers, producers and broadcasters to share their first-hand experiences making documentary content for brands and the mechanics of building successful partnerships to do so. They will explore how brand funded content works, why they do it, how it is different to working within traditional funding pathways, and what the deals look like. Between them, our panel has made everything from online content to television to feature films, financed by brands. They will share the realities, the pitfalls and the opportunities of this new financial option in our documentary producing toolbox.

How do we build stronger alliances and create impact campaigns that engage audiences on issues, to create lasting change? The phenomenal rise of documentary impact campaigns in recent years, following the success of Good Pitch Australia and the growing field of expertise, means we now have a global community of impact producers and a rich library of case studies to learn from. There is also a plethora of online tools and organisations offering expertise in delivering impact campaigns. So what have we learned and where are we going? What is the best impact approach for your project and budget? Through unpacking several environmental sustainability themed case studies, our panellists from very different corners of the industry demonstrate the wide variety of ways to achieve genuine social impact.

Robert Fernandez has been producing award-winning documentaries and commercials for over 25 years - yet he still loves getting his hands dirty on budget spreadsheets 'I love the numbers'. Working with Errol Morris since The Fog of War, Fernandez recently delivered their biggest project to-date: the Netflix series Wormwood. With no precedent for its hybrid format or production model, it took 1.5 years to develop and finance with Netflix, and 2.5 years to shoot. Fernandez is the master producer behind a master director, and the man that 'did the numbers' to produce the opus Wormwood, replete with a feature shoot's worth of drama and 10-camera interview setups.

Are the heroines of modern anime confronting the stereotyped female characters that preceded them? Or are they still designed merely to service the fantastical and unrealistic desires of male fans? In this traditionally male-dominated genre, the growing trend of empowered female protagonists is a welcome development. Still, there’s no shortage of anime productions that feature excessive ‘fan-service’ – highly objectified representations of women. For every baddass heroine like Princess Mononoke’s San, there are the subjugated female characters in Keijo, designed purely for the male gaze. Our panel of academics, critics and cultural commentators unraveled anime’s approach to women and tested whether it could become a new ground for feminism. About The Panel Jessica McCallum Jessica McCallum currently works with Madman Entertainment, a Melbourne founded and leading Australian independent entertainment company. As the Head of Social Media and Anime Marketing, Jess is responsible for social media strategies and marketing initiatives. She has played an instrumental part in propelling the growth of Madman's anime audience and community by developing effective and engaging campaigns for key product categories and releases. Working alongside peers who are pushing the organisation in exciting new directions, both in theatrical (Your Name, A Silent Voice), national anime festivals and direct-to-consumer digital streaming via AnimeLab, Jess is extremely passionate about bringing the latest and greatest anime content to Aussie and NZ fans. Phillip Brophy Philip Brophy curated the first major retrospective of manga artist Osamu Tezuka for the National Gallery of Victoria in 2006. The exhibition toured to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco the following year. In 2005, he was commissioned to write “100 Anime” for the British Film Institute in London. In previous years he has curated film retrospective programmes for the Melbourne International Film Festival on Tezuka (1995) and Studio Ghibli (1997). He interviewed Hayao Miyazaki in Tokyo for the exhibition he curated on Japanese and American animation for the Museum of Contemporary Art, “Kaboom!” (1993). He has been published extensively in international journals on anime and manga. Nikki Lam Nikki Lam is a visual artist, curator and programmer based in Melbourne. Working primarily with the moving image, she is passionate about the cross-sections of screen cultures, media arts and representations. Born in Hong Kong, she is interested in exploring the translations of post-colonial identities and narratives in the hybrid world, often through the studies of rituals, language, time and space. She is the former Artistic Director of Channels Video Art Festival (2014-2016) and has worked in a range of arts organisations including Footscray Community Arts Centre, Peril Magazine and Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT). She is currently ACMI X Coordinator for the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Nikki grew up with anime in Hong Kong and would consider the medium as the fundamental ingredient of her formative years. Title: Kill La Kill Season One Copyright: Madman Entertainment Title: Keijo!!!!!! Season One Copyright: Crunchyroll Title: Psycho Pass Season One Copyright: Madman Entertainment Title: Attack on Titan Season One Copyright: Madman Entertainment Title: Perfume Live @ Tokyo Dome Copyright: Perfume Records

From the Marvel and DC cinematic universes to small screen caped-crusaders and vigilantes, superheroes are more popular than ever. But how do superheroes reflect our place and power within society? Whether it’s symbolic representations of asylum seekers and First Nations people on Cleverman, Jessica Jones battling PTSD or The Watchmen exploring the moral ambiguity of individuals with tremendous power, superheroes have the power (dare we say great responsibility?) to tell nuanced, reflective and universal stories. Join us to discuss how our heroic representations hold a mirror up to contemporary views on ethics, justice and equality. About the panel Martyn Pedler Martyn Pedler is a writer and academic who focuses on superhero stories. He's published chapters and presented internationally on subjects like how the Flash runs in a medium without movement and why Doctor Doom cried after 9/11. He's also been a longtime pop culture critic for Bookslut, Time Out Melbourne, Triple J Magazine and more. He is the writer of the 2012 feature film EXIT, and has several other screenplays in development. Dr Liam Burke Dr Liam Burke is the Cinema and Screen Studies coordinator at Swinburne University of Technology. He has written and edited a number of books on comic books and cinema including Superhero Movies, Fan Phenomena Batman, and The Comic Book Film Adaptation: Exploring Modern Hollywood’s Leading Genre. Liam is a chief investigator on the Superheroes & Me research project with ACMI. He recently directed the documentary short film @HOME, which was screened at a number of international film festivals and was broadcast on Irish television. Brooke Maggs Brooke Maggs is a freelance narrative designer and writer for games, VR and other creative industries. She one of the women featured in ACMI's Code Breaker's exhibition where you can play one of her latest projects, The Gardens Between, an adventure puzzle game.Recently, she received the 2017 MCV Pacific XBOX Women in Games Creative Impact award for her work in the games industry. Brooke is writing a science fiction novel for which she was shortlisted for the Ray Koppe Writer’s Residency and awarded a residency at the Varuna House. Her other writing includes academic research in creative writing practice. Copyright Acknowledgments: Title: The Avengers (2012) Copyright: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Production Company Title: Spiderman (2002) Copyright: Marvel Enterprises / Columbia Pictures Title: Superman (1978) Copyright: Warner Bros Title: Man of Steel (2013) Copyright: DC Entertainment / Warner Bros Pictures Title: Daredevil Season 1 Episode 2 Copyright: Marvel Television / Netflix Title: Cleverman Season 1 Episode 2 Copyright: Sundance Studios / ABC TV Title: Superman Returns (2006) Copyright: Legendary Pictures / DC Comics / Warner Bros Pictures

In our uncertain era full of real life horror, what's driving our appetite for true crime and fascination with the macabre? From recent documentaries The Jinx, Making a Murderer and The Family to serial killer anti-heroes in film and TV, and the stark brutality of Scandi-noir, we examined our obsession with the dark side of human nature, the psychology of fear and how recent technological advances like biometric analysis are providing unique findings into our physiological response to on-screen horror. Copyright acknowledgements: Images & Clips Played Title: Westwood Family Photograph Copyright: Westwood Family Title: IT MAKES YOU JUMP OF FRIGHT Copyright: DWS93 Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80sdBtB-Gc Title: car commercial - sun roof feature, cat gets a suprise Copyright: lakers777 Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz-sC-vSIXk Title: Most Scariest Video Ever Copyright: Social Dunya News Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTn90dTakOE Title: Caving Claustrophobia Kill or Cure Copyright: Keith Edwards Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG0WJkmOwd0 Title: Horrific moment massive spider extracted from woman's ear Copyright: SWNS TV Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri2OrRdlxtY Title: The Family Trailer Copyright: Dogwoof Link played: https://www.thefamilysect.com/ Title: Haunted Toaster Copyright: US Today Show, 1984 Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiSwnWw65Wo AFTRS Credits IMOTIONS IMAGES WITH PERMISSION ECLIPSE IMAGE: NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.IT ACCESSED 28.07.17 DROWNING IMAGE: EYESOFODYSSEUS.COM ACCESSED 28.07.17 MIRROR NEURON IMAGE: IMTERACTIVE-BIOLOGY.COM ACCESSED 29.07.17

ACMI presents Changing the Game, where speakers Steph Convery, Clem Ford, Leena van Deventer and Rae Johnston talk survival strategies for being a woman with an opinion on the internet. Online games and social media have dramatically changed the way we interact, creating communities with common passions and interests that transcend geographical, socio/cultural and political boundaries. However, the online world has a dark underbelly where trolling, racism, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, doxing and misogyny are rife. In this provocative and proactive panel discussion, we explore the current landscape of social interactions through technology and the ways diverse players are taking the power back. Warning: Contains strong language and content that some might find upsetting or disturbing. Copyright acknowledgements: Title: Damsels in Distress: Part 1 – Tropes vs Women in Video Games Copyright: Feminist Frequency Please visit www.acmi.net.au for further information.

The representation of gender diversity on screen has a complex history, from invisibility to stereotypical representations of otherness, including the sexually mischievous to the homicidal maniac. In this conversation our panel of filmmakers, critics, festival directors and artists to talked about the history and politics of gender diverse representation in films like Funeral Parade of Roses, Tomboy, The Crying Game and Boys Don’t Cry, as well as Orange is the New Black, Transparent and Billions. The panel will explore the problematic casting and stereotyping of gender diverse characters to the more progressive titles that have paved the way for more positive and nuanced gender expression on screen. About The Panel Bobuq Sayed (Host) Bobuq Sayed is a writer, multi-media artist and community organiser of the Afghan diaspora. They co-edit Archer Magazine and they are the co-founder of the Australian QTPoC activist collective, Colour Tongues. They are one-half of the sound art project, SWALLOW, and an active member of performance art vehicle, Embittered Swish. Their work highlights the unresolved and the grotesque; the ugliness of marginality. Amos Gebhardt Gebhardt’s cinematic portraits of humanness invoke multiple art forms including dance, documentary and performance. Drawn to disruptive representations of identity, Gebhardt has created moving image works for gallery exhibitions, cinema and broadcast exhibiting at ACMI, MONA, Gertrude Contemporary, M+, Monash Gallery of Art, SBS and ABC. Gebhardt is a recipient of the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship, given to select artists who demonstrate outstanding talent and exceptional courage in their practice and is currently working on two video installations to be presented at the Adelaide Biennial 2018. Cerise Howard Cerise Howard is the Artistic Director of the Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia. A co-founding member of tilde: Melbourne Trans & Gender Diverse Film Festival and a committee member of the Melbourne Cinémathèque, she is also a freelance writer and critic who reports for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival daily newspaper and co-hosts Plato's Cave, broadcast live and podcast weekly by 3RRR. Cerise is also the bassist for punk, performance art, queer rock band Queen Kong and The HOMOsapiens. They will be launching "You Come from a DFO, I Come from a UFO" Thursday February 1st at the Northcote Social Club. Copyright Acknowlegments Title: Eat the Rich Copyright: New Line Cinema Title: Rocky Horror Picture Show Copyright: 20th Century Fox Title: Dallas Buyers Club Copyright: Focus Features Title: Women in Revolt Copyright: Morrissey Title: Funeral Parade of Roses Copyright: Art Theatre Guild Title: The Crying Game Copyright: Palace Pictures / Miramax Title: Orlando Copyright: Sony Pictures Classics Title: Tangerine Copyright: Magnolia Pictures Title: Something Must Break Copyright: Garagefilm International / Fasad Postproduktion Title: There are no others Copyright: Amos Gebhardt

Interactive digital narratives, fully-immersive VR, open source gaming, robots writing novels – what does the future of storytelling look like? What do emerging technological advances mean for writers and artists creating work in the digital era? Four artists at the forefront of innovation in digital storytelling kicked off Digital Writers' Festival 2017 with a discussion about the impact of interactive digital narratives, virtual reality, geolocated narratives and more in conversation with artistic director Izzy Roberts-Orr. Copyright acknowledgements: Clips Played Title: Door Into the Dark Trailer Copyright: Anagram Link played: https://vimeo.com/97591942 More info: http://weareanagram.co.uk/project/door-into-the-dark/ Title: The Gardens Between Copyright: TheVoxelAgents Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBXEGmQ_og More info: http://thegardensbetween.com/ Title: The Gardens Between ~ Slow Trailer TEASER Copyright: TheVoxelAgents Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_AaniqoqfEMore info: http://thegardensbetween.com/ Title: Way From Home Copyright: Misha Myers Link played: N/A More info: http://profiles.arts.monash.edu.au/misha-myers/biography/ Title: Magic in Modern London: iPhone App Trailer Copyright: Amblr Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RJ77Q-uiKw More info: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/magic-in-modern-london/id555328123 Title: The Turning Forest Making Of Copyright: Vrtov Link played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6C3TBSqMTw More info: http://vrtov.com/projects/turning-forest/ Title: IS JAPAN COOL? DOU - 道 Copyright: ANA Link Played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLHukYrVi8M More info: https://www.ana-cooljapan.com/contents/dou/ Reading List referenced / not played Title: Our Friends Electric (excerpt) Copyright: Superflux and Mozilla Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsjunTAH-2A More info: http://superflux.in/index.php/work/friends-electric/# Title: Her Story Trailer Copyright: Sam Barlow Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaHw97l7-Lc More info: http://www.herstorygame.com/ Title: The story of Replika, the AI app that becomes you Copyright: Replika by Luka inc Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQGqMVuAk04 More info: https://replika.ai/ Title: A message from Karen | Blast Theory Copyright: Blast Theory Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqa2gTj2uYI// More info: https: www.blasttheory.co.uk/projects/karen/