My Day at AIMC’s Filmmaker Masterclass (Thanks to WIFTmas!)
Winning a free ticket to AIMC’s Filmmaker Masterclass in the WIFTmas raffle felt a bit like finding a golden ticket to the filmmaker’s version of a chocolate factory, a factory that specialises in distribution pathways, box office data, and the audience experience. As a WIFT VIC member, it was a joy to be in a room filled with creatives, executives, exhibitors and storytellers nerding out on cinema. The masterclass reignited that all consuming love for the big screen, remindinged us just how vital it is, especially here in Australia, where we have 60million attendances to the cinema each year.
The day kicked off with our WIFT VIC president, Lauren Simpson doing us proud as the fabulous emcee. Lauren reminded us that filmmaking is never a straight line and that producers are usually the first people in and the last ones still standing.
WIFT Vic President Lauren Simpson MC’ing the masterclass
Before our first panel, we were treated to a video message from everyone’s favourite director, Taika Waititi, sharing his characteristically sharp, heartfelt love for cinema. “Calories don’t count in the dark,” he declared, and described going to the movies as a “giant group therapy session that’s cheaper and not always about your mum.” Iconic.
Then came the first panel, “Know Your Audience”, chaired by the formidable Natascha Rey-Barry with an all-star lineup: Claire Gandy, Edwina Waddy, Jason Hernandez, and Kristina Ceyton. All of them hammered home the importance of your audience not being a marketing afterthought. Success lives and dies on who the film is for, and that thinking must begin in development. My favourite takeaway? “Hope is not a strategy.”
After a quick break — which I used to pillage my AIMC showbag overflowing with sweet treats — we dove into Sashi Arnold and Deanne Weir’s powerhouse presentation on packaging. Their visual breakdowns had half the room whipping out phones to capture slides like paparazzi. Their clarity around budgets, investor expectations, and revenue pathways was incredibly insightful and, honestly, a godsend for so many emerging filmmakers in the room.
The afternoon shifted into story development with a brilliant panel led by Julie Eckersley and featuring Louise Gough, Bruna Papandrea, Chantelle Murray, and Jane Nice. This conversation was a reminder that development is not something to “get through quickly”. It is the craft and we can always be rewriting until we can perfect the stories. One line that stuck with me: “Your work is a campfire that people will want to sit around” and I’m stealing that as my mantra for development moving forward.
Panel 3 zoomed out to the bigger picture with a discussion on marketing, exhibition and long-term strategy. Paul Wiegard, Stacey Kwijas, and Amanda Goddard explored how filmmakers, distributors and exhibitors can collaborate to truly future-proof Australian cinema. There’s still a lot of work to do! Especially if we want cinema to be as culturally dominant as sport. What is exciting that they pointed out is that we have a real opportunity to redefine Australia’s global image beyond the red dirt clichés still lingering from decades ago.
And finally, a treat better than a free choc top, an intimate conversation between Bruna Papandrea and Edwina Waddy to close the day. It was equal parts inspiring, and grounding hearing Bruna’s career life story and the experiences on the incredible productions she’s been a part of. Bruna’s reflections on ambition, resilience and trusting your voice were the perfect send-off.
By the time closing remarks wrapped and people drifted toward the bar, I left feeling energised and genuinely hopeful about the future of Australian cinema. There’s something powerful about being in a room full of people who care deeply about storytelling and about building an industry that backs itself.
A huge thank you to WIFT VIC for the WIFTmas magic that got me in the door. Sadly, I struggled to walk out of it… mostly due to the sheer number of free choc tops consumed.
Also a massive shout out to WIFT VIC Vice President Katie Page for being the best moderator!