Join us at The Mercury on Tuesday 1 July for an insightful industry panel discussion where leading screen professionals will share their unique journeys and offer invaluable advice for early-career filmmakers.

This special free event celebrates the culmination of the AFTRS Introduction to Filmmaking Program, run in collaboration with ActNow Theatre and The Mercury. 

It’s a fantastic opportunity to hear from established experts in the field and connect with the cohort of twenty talented emerging filmmakers from underrepresented groups who were selected to participate in this amazing program.

The panel will be moderated by Kirsty Stark, Producer at Epic Films, Founder of CrewHQ, Co-Chair of The Mercury.

Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or an industry veteran, this free event is open to all and promises an evening of inspiring stories, practical tips, and valuable networking.

Event Details

Date: Monday 1 July 2025
Time: 630pm – 9pm
Location: The Mercury
Cost: FREE
Open to all industry professionals and aspiring filmmakers

RSVP now to be part of this vibrant discussion!

Presented by AFTRS, ActNow Theatre and The Mercury

Meet the Panel

Kirsty Stark is an Emmy award winning television producer whose screen credits include children’s series First Day, Stateless (co-producer for Matchbox Pictures), feature film A Month of Sundays (Madman Production Company) and ABC iview series Goobler, Unboxed and Wastelander Pander. Kirsty founded and runs independent production company Epic Films, and launched CrewHQ, a nationwide crewing platform for production freelancers around Australia. She has a strong commitment to supporting the wider industry. 

Cameron Bruce Nelson is an independent filmmaker who has written, directed and produced award-winning films such as Some Beasts, Mars Futures, and Jules of Light and Dark. He currently teaches film production at Flinders University in Adelaide. 

Kirstie Parker is a Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal woman from northwestern NSW now living in Adelaide on Kaurna yerta. Her leadership in community, not-for-profit and government settings spans First Nations rights, representation and advocacy, policy development, journalism and communications, tourism and the arts. She is Head of First Nations at the South Australian Film Corporation, the owner of Kirstie Parker Consulting, and Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia. Kirstie is also a signatory to the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart. Her previous roles include Strategic Adviser to the Uluru Dialogue; Director – Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation within SA Government; CEO of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence; elected Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples; and editor of The Koori Mail newspaper. 

Suriyna Sivashanker (she/her) is an emerging film producer who is transitioning into producing after over seven years of experience in film post-production, mastering technical workflows and scheduling. Recognising the need for more female producers who identify as CALD, Suriyna is passionate about uplifting stories by women of colour. She produced the short film I’m The Most Racist Person I Know, directed by Leela Varghese which won the Narrative Shorts Special Jury Award at SxSW 2025, and was selected by Andrew Scott as a finalist for the Redbreast Unhidden Award. Her previous post-production credits include Bring Her Back, Talk To Me, Territory (TV Series), Gold Diggers (TV series) and Mortal Kombat. 

Gail Kovatseff manages AFF’s programming department, responsible for film submissions, selection and Awards alongside industry development, audience expansion and AFF Youth. A prominent figure in the SA Screen Industry, Gail led the Media Resource Centre and Mercury Cinema for 12 years as CEO, transforming its professional program including introducing the Screen Makers Conference and establishing the cinema as a vital part of the city’s cultural life via launching programs such as Seniors on Screen.  Since 2021, she has been on the shorts nomination panel for the US Cinema Eye Honors for non-fiction filmmaking.