Hugo Weaving, Robyn Nevin, Marta Dusseldorp for Series Mania

Hugo Weaving, Robyn Nevin, Marta Dusseldorp are names that have been announced for Series Mania this week in Melbourne.

They join other talent at the TV festival including UK writer David Nicholls, directors Robert Connolly & Catriona McKenzie, ABC TV Head of Comedy, Rick Kalowski, actor / director Rachel Griffiths, actor Kim Gyngell, producers Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler, and writers Andrew Knight, Matt Cameron, Drew Proffitt and Ellie Beaumont.

ACMI CEO and Director Katrina Sedgwick said: “Bringing together some of the finest local and international content, Series Mania Melbourne 2018 presents 16 Australian premieres and 5 world premieres. Highlights of the festival range from an opening night world premiere of Catriona McKenzie’s comedy drama series Wrong Kind of Black to an in-conversation on BBC First’s Patrick Melrose with cast member Hugo Weaving and writer David Nicholls. Series Mania Melbourne has something to offer everyone from fans to TV industry professionals alike.”

Film Victoria CEO, Caroline Pitcher said: “The Series Mania industry Day is jam packed full of inspirational presentations and discussions that will stimulate ideas for the future of Australian television content. Book your place today.”

ACMI and Film Victoria are delighted to announce an encore screening of Patrick Melrose on 22 July, after the first session on 20 July sold-out in record time. The acclaimed series – which was last week announced as a nominee for both the Emmy for Best Limited Series and for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Benedict Cumberbatch) – is one of 23 screening at Series Mania Melbourne 2018, Australia’s edition of the world’s premier festival of TV. The sister festival of Series Mania, a 10-day event in France lauded as the Cannes of the TV industry, Series Mania Melbourne returns to ACMI this July to deliver an array of industry events and free public screenings.

This latest announcement welcomes the addition of 15 Q&A events with key creators and cast. Headline events include an ‘In Conversation’ between David Nicholls, the acclaimed screenwriter of Patrick Melrose, and Hugo Weaving, who stars in the series alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Jennifer Jason Leigh (20 July); fellow Australian screen icon Rachel Griffiths joins Dead Lucky creators and writers Drew Proffitt and Ellie Beaumont in a live Q&A following the premiere screening of the SBS four-part crime drama, a gripping thriller which twists and turns at a frenetic pace through the streets of Sydney (22 July); and director Robert Connolly joins for a Q&A following the screening of the first two episodes of gritty espionage thriller Deep State (22 July); director Catriona McKenzie, co-writer/narrator Boori Monty Pryor and ABC TV Head of Comedy, Rick Kalowski take part in a special Q&A following the opening night screening of the already internationally heralded ABC series Wrong Kind of Black (19 July); creators Wayne Hope and Robyn Butler, and Stars Robyn Nevin and Kim Gyngell join for a Q&A following the screening of Back in Very Small Business, an 8-part reboot of the acclaimed ABC comedy Very Small Business (21 July) and a special Q&A with cast and crew in attendance follows the screening of Fighting Season (Australia), a complex, character-driven drama about Australian soldiers returning from Afghanistan, starring Jay Ryan, Ewen Leslie and Kate Mulvaney and directed by Kate Woods.

An exciting new addition to the line-up is a Jack Irish Masterclass, bringing together the creative team behind the celebrated Australian crime drama – co-creators and -producers Andrew Knight and Matt Cameron, Director Fiona Banks and the series co-star with Guy Pearce, actor Marta Dusseldorp on 22 July.

With the full line-up revealed, Series Mania Melbourne 2018 presents 20 TV series, and 3 web series from around the world – including 5 world premieres, 16 Australian premieres and 2 Melbourne premieres of quality drama and comedy TV and web series. The festival includes a dedicated industry day alongside the public program of screenings and events.