SPAA week in Melbourne

Next week TV Tonight will be coming to you from the Screen Producer’s conference in Melbourne.

A Who’s Who of Australia’s independent producers will be in attendance for four days at Central Pier, Docklands Melbourne. Network execs will also be in attendance.

The week includes daily sessions, industry breakfasts, dinners and a tour of Docklands Studios (pictured).

SPAA is always a hive of activity and news. If you’re in attendance, feel free to say hi…. I’ll be the one attached to a laptop desperately trying to keep the blog running when I’m not in a conference session! Please understand if I keep it brief…

If you’re not in Melbourne and you want to follow SPAA info the Twitter hashtag is #SPAA2012

Session speakers:
International:
Al Clark, Producer and Co-Founder, Wellington Films, UK
Alan Gregg, Director, Original Content, TELETOON Canada Inc., Canada
Alex Ristevski, Creative, TALPA, The Netherlands
Andrew Beecham, Senior Vice President, Programming Sprout, US
Bob Higgins, Executive Vice President, Kids & Family Entertainment, FremantleMedia Enterprises, US
Dileep Singh Rathore, Producer, On the Road Productions, India
Emmanuel Pappas, Producer, On the Road Productions, India
Helen Jackson, Managing Director, Content and Production, BBCWorldwide, UK
Himesh Kar, Producer, Frequent Flyer Films, UK
Ivan Mactaggart, Producer/Executive Producer, Trademark Films, UK
Mark Bishop, Co-CEO and Executive Producer, marblemedia, Canada
Matt Harlock, Founder, Halflife Films, UK
Matt Hornburg, Co-CEO and Executive Producer, marblemedia, Canada
Lene Børglum, Producer and Co-Founder, Space Rocket Nation, Denmark
Peter Rhodes OBE, Managing Director, Reed Midem, UK
Rick Clodfelter, Director, Content Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Cartoon Network and Boomerang, US
Sebastian Debertin, Head of Fiction, Acquisition and Co-Productions, KiKA of ARD and ZDF, Germany
Stephen Garrett, Chairman, Kudos Film & Television and Executive Chairman, Shine Pictures, UK
Steve Peters, VP, Experience Design, Fourth Wall Studios, US
Thomas W Lynch, Writer/Producer, CEO, Tom Lynch Company, US
Tom McGillis, President and Co-Founder, Fresh TV, Canada

Local:
Adam Good, Director of Digital Media and Content, Telstra Media
Alan Erson, General Manager and Head of Factual, Essential Media and
Entertainment
Andrew Duncan, Writer, Producer
Angie Fielder, Co-Founder, Aquarius Films
Anna Whitelaw, Marketing, Partnerships and Business Development, Pozible
Anthony Ackroyd, Comedian
Antony Reed, CEO, Games Developers Association
Austen Atkinson, Writer, Producer, Director, Planet 55 Studios
Ben Grant, Managing Director, Goalpost Pictures Australia
Ben Knight, Reporter, ABC News
Bernadette O’Mahony, Head of Development and Production, ACTF
Brad Giblin, Digital Media Manager, Film Victoria
Brendan Dahill, Controller, ABC1
Brett Sleigh, Network Script Executive/Executive Producer, ABC TV
Caterina De Nave, Commissioning Editor Drama, Comedy & Entertainment, SBS
Cathy Overett, Producer, Cathartic Pictures
Chris Hilton, CEO and Executive Producer, Essential Media and Entertainment
Chris Oliver-Taylor, Managing Director, Matchbox Pictures
Chris Rose, Commissioning Editor for Animation, ABC Television
Dan Fill, Co-Founder of Chocolate Liberation Front
Dan Pearce, Partner, Holding Redlich
Darren Dale, Director, Blackfella Films
Daryl Talbot, Managing Director, WTFN
Deborah Huxley, Managing Consultant, Fetch TV
Domenic Friguglietti, Head of International Development, ABC
Emile Sherman, Producer and Founder, See-Saw Films
Erica Glynn, Head of Indigenous, Screen Australia
Ester Harding, All Media Producer, Freehand Productions
Evan Manolis, Group Manager AV, Samsung Electronics Australia
Ewan Burnett, CEO, Burberry Productions
Frank Verheggen, Partner, Chocolate Liberation Front
Gillian Armstrong, Director
Greg Logan, Executive Producer, Hatch Entertainment
Helen Panckhurst, Producer, Matchbox Pictures
Hugh Baldwin, Director of Television and Digital Content, Nickelodeon
Jenni Tosi, CEO, Film Victoria
Jennifer Collins, Head of Entertainment, ABC TV
Jennifer Wilson, Director, The Project Factory
Jenny Buckland, CEO, Australian Children’s Television Foundation
Jenny Lalor, Lawyer, Lalor Law
Jim Ballantine, Managing Director, Flying Bark Productions
Joel Williams, Senior Programming Manager, The Walt Disney Company Australia
Jo Elsom, Manager Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, ABC International Development
John Doyle, Writer, Actor, Comedian
Joanne Liddell, Director, Sydney, OMD Fuse
Joseph Maxwell, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, SBS
Jon Penn, CEO, Asia Pacific, FremantleMedia Enterprises
Karl Quinn, Editor, The Arts, The Age
Katrina Sedgewick, Head of Arts, ABC TV
Kristen Bowen, Manager, Content Partnerships, YouTube Entertainment
Linda Klejus, Producer and Founder, Circa Media
Liz Watts, Producer, Porchlight Films
MaryAnne Carroll, Executive Producer, Comedy, 7 Network
Michael Bourchier, Producer, Blink Films/Freehand
Mike Cowap, Investment Manager, Screen Australia
Miriam Stein, Producer, Hatch Entertainment
Monique Potts, Project Director, ABC Digital Education
Muffy Potter, Producer/Company Director, Put It Out There Pictures
Nathan Anderson, Managing Director, Envelop Entertainment
Nathan Mayfield, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Hoodlum
Nick Doherty, Head of Product, zeebox Australia
Nick Murray, CEO and Founder, Cordell Jigsaw Productions
Paul Wiegard, Founder and Joint Managing Director, Madman Entertainment
Penny Wright, Manager of Scheduling and Acquisitions, ABC iview
Peter Duncan, Writer, Director
Peter Jenetsky, General Manager, Content Strategy and Marketing, Movie Network Channels
Rob Carlton, Actor, Producer
Ron Saunders, General Manager, Beyond Screen Production
Ross Symons, CEO, Big Ant Studios
Ruth Harley, CEO, Screen Australia
Sally Riley, Head of Indigenous, ABC TV
Sam Smith, Adconion Media Group : Executive APAC
Sam White, CEO, The People’s Republic of Animation (PRA)
Sandy George, Journalist
Shaun Miller, Lawyer, Shaun Miller Lawyers
Simon Hopkinson, Commissioning Editor, Live Action, ABC Children’s Television
Simon Lake, CEO, Screenrights
Spencer McLaren, Co-Founder, Momo
Stephane Zerbib, Game Producer, WASABI DIGITAL
Sue Edwards, Acting General Manager, IDI, Film Victoria
Suzanne Ryan, CEO and Executive Producer SLR Productions
Tanya Denning, Channel Manager of National Indigenous TV
Tim Brooke-Hunt, Controller of Children’s TV, ABC TV
Tim Phillips, Investment Manager, Drama, Screen Australia
Tim Hodgson, General Manager, Ensemble Australia
Tom Crago, CEO, Tantalus
Tony Briggs, Actor, Writer, Producer
Tracey Robertson, CEO and Co-Founder, Hoodlum
Trent Kusters, Creative Director, Divisive Media
Trudi-Ann Tierney, Head of Drama, Moby Media Group
Vincent Sheehan, Producer and Co-Founder, Porchlight Films
Wil Monte, Company & Game Director, Millipede Creative Development
Wayne Denning, Managing Director, Carbon Media