Accelerator Classic Participants with films at MIFF 2024
Aarushi Chowdhury (Clown): Aarushi Chowdhury is a writer-director. Her debut film, Clown, premiered at SXSW in Sydney, and she recently wrote research for Tony Ayres Productions. Currently, Aarushi is in pre-production for a proof-of-concept developed through AFTRS and Screen Australia’s Talent Camp.
Awanui Simich-Pene (First Horse): Awanui is a filmmaker and television director of proud Māori descent. Her distinctive cinematic voice is informed by her steadfast commitment to authentic Māori storytelling and wahine perspective. She earned the NZFC Māori Screen Excellence Award for her direction of Titty & Bash in the acclaimed portmanteaux film Waru and is an alumna of Jane Campion’s A Wave in the Ocean Crest programme. Her 18 years of production experience has been balanced between writing, directing and script supervision.
David Tse (Me & Mazzy Melancholy): David Tse is an Australian filmmaker based out of Melbourne, Australia. Working primarily as an editor David has brought that skillset to his directing projects. He has worked with brands such as Nike, Samsung, Footlocker, as well as musical artists Bennee, Tkay Maidza and Partiboi 69. Me & Mazzy Melancholy is his narrative debut.
Dylan Ferenc Nyerges (Bör (Skin)): Dylan Ferenc Nyerges is an Australian Writer-Director and recent alumni of the AFTRS Master of Arts: Directing program. Born and raised in Bangkok to Australian expats, Dylan moved to Australia to pursue filmmaking. While at QUT, his undergraduate film Arthur, Blessed was nominated for a 2020 ADG Award. His recent short, Bőr (Skin) was inspired by his paternal grandparents’ migration to Australia as a result of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Grace Tan (A Daydream with Fini): Grace Tan is an Australian writer and director. She is a UNSW Art & Design and AFTRS Masters in Directing graduate and has a background working in both documentary and fiction. Her award-winning work has screened at multiple film festivals, receiving nominations at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, Australian Directors’ Guild and Australian Writers’ Guild.
Hannah Moore (Mars Futures): Hannah Moore is a filmmaker and video artist. She has made short films that have played at international festivals and on Australian television. She trained as an actor before completing her Masters in filmmaking at the VCA. She has been mentored by Belá Tarr and the late Abbas Kiarostami and is currently developing two feature films.
Hugo Kohler (Flide): Hugo is an emerging Naarm (Melbourne) based film director working between commercials, music videos and narrative film.
Jasper Caverly (Pleasure): Jasper Caverly is an emerging film practitioner raised on Arakwal country. His debut short, Hedgehog (2022) was nominated for Best Australian Short and Best Director at the 33rd edition of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. In 2024, they were the recipient of MQFF’s Pitch, Pleez!
Jessica Sofarnos (Punctum): Jessica Sofarnos is an actor, writer & director from Melbourne. She works in film & TV production and is currently in development for a TV series.
Mark Wills (The Horn): Mark Wills is a Thai-Australian writer and director based in Sydney, Australia. Mark studied Directing at the International Film School Sydney and since then, has gone on to engage in the fields of documentary, advertising and film. He is currently in development for his debut feature film.
Nick Allen (Kar): After graduating from Sydney Film School in 2016, Nick got a start in film by working as a crew member on numerous films and has recently settled into the role of a Director’s Assistant. Throughout his career he has directed numerous music videos and fashion films.
Pernell Marsden (The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste): Pernell is an Australian director & production designer with a Masters of Production Design for Screen for the Victorian College of the Arts. She has worked in the film industry in Australia and the UK since 2012, working across the production, assistant directing and art departments during that time. The Meaningless Daydreams of Augie & Celeste is Pernell’s second short film, which had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival.
Te Waiarangi Ratana (Honey Kaha): Ngāi Tūhoe and based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). Te Waiarangi has been working steadily as an Assistant Director since 2018 which lead to being invited to the writer’s room for Wellington Paranormal Season 4.
Vea Mafile’o (Lea Tupu’anga / Mother Tongue): Vea Mafile’o is a Director/Producer with a passion for Pasifika arts. She excels in nurturing Pacific storytelling, with extensive experience in roles like Production Designer, Camerawoman, Reporter, Director, and Producer. Her works, including documentaries and dramas, have premiered at festivals such as Berlinale and Sundance. Vea’s achievements include directing a TV series and founding The Nuku’alofa Film Festival. A practising artist, she holds a BVA and PGDip in Moving Image installation from Auckland University.
2024 Accelerator Express Directors
Directors selected by VicScreen’s Inspirit Lab initiative:
Kynan Clarke: Kynan, a Gunai/Kurnai and Monero Filmmaker from Narrm (Melbourne), Australia, studied a Bachelor of Media & Communications. Kynan’s worked on Typecast’s ‘Elders‘ and participated in the Inspirit Lab initiative, learning from mentors Tony Briggs, Jan Sardi, and Elise McCredie. Kynan strives to elevate Indigenous voices in film, as these stories are crucial to Australia’s cultural tapestry, fostering understanding and respect for his people’s traditions.
Tyeli Hannah: Born and raised on Boonwurrung country, Tyeli Hannah is an Aboriginal Australian filmmaker. He has recently graduated in Master of Film & Television at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), where he also works as a screenwriting teacher. With a background in graphic design, painting and creative writing, he uses his previously acquired skills in his work as a writer-director.
Directors selected by VicScreen’s She Directs initiative:
Merryn Trescott: Merryn is a Queer and Genderfluid Wiradjuir person whose connection to culture informs their practice. She has on set experience working as a director, producer, in the assistant directors and camera departments. Merryn is the Co-founder of Sapphic Flicks and recently attended the She Directs lab.
Talia Liddle: Talia Liddle, an Arrernte and Luritja emerging director from Alice Springs, now based in Naarm. She has experience in documentary filmmaking, hosting SBS’s “Larapinta.” Currently, Talia is directing her first feature-length electronic music documentary titled “BODY HEAT”.
Directors selected by the South Australian Film Corporation’s New Voices initiative:
Anna Lindner: From Peramangk Country. She’s writer, creator and star of AACTA winning, AWGIE nominated, dark comedy series A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GRIEF (SBS/Viceland). She is co-writer/director on feature, THE SANDCASTLE for 2024 Film Lab: New Voices initiative (SAFC), won the 2024 AFF/Samstag Museum of Art $100,000 Moving Image Commission and penned two episodes of AACTA & Canneseries nominated series IT’S FINE, I’M FINE (SBS).
Elena Carapetis: Elena is an actor, writer and director, whose stage and screen career spans over 25 years. While the SBS Emerging Screenwriter for SA, Elena was mentored by acclaimed producer Lisa Scott who produced her debut short film Blame the Rabbit, which opened the Adelaide Film Festival. She is currently developing her first feature film with co-writer Anna Lindner and producer Adam Comporeale. Elena is the daughter of Greek and Cypriot migrants and has the privilege of living on Kaurna Land.
Johanis Lyons-Reid: Johanis Lyons-Reid is a Malaysian-Australian director and cinematographer living and working on Kaurna land.
Directors selected by Screen NSW’s Screenability initiative:
Victoria Singh-Thompson: Victoria’s latest short film ‘14 In February‘, funded by the Screen NSW Screenability Film Fund, played at festivals including Palm Springs, Sydney Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, Flickerfest and St Kilda. Their previous short film ‘Don’t Forget To Go Home‘ premiered at MIFF and went on to play at Inside Out LGBT, Outfest Fusion and Flickerfest.
Directors selected by Screen NSW’s Fast Track initiative:
Vonne Patiag: Vonne Patiag is an AACTA, AWGIE, Logie and SPA Award-nominated Filmmaker based in Western Sydney. His credits include writing and producing ‘The Unusual Suspects‘ for SBS and feature anthology film ‘Here Out West‘, and writing on ‘Significant Others’ for ABC. He show-ran and directed all episodes of ‘Halal Gurls‘ for ABC iView and wrote and directed short films ‘Tomgirl’ for SBS, with its International Premiere at Palm Springs Shortsfest, and ‘Too Many Ethnics‘, which had its World Premiere at Flickerfest.
Directors selected by Screenwest’s West Coast Visions initiative:
Debbie Carmody: Debbie Carmody is a writer, director, producer and First Nations Consultant. Carmody has written and directed documentaries for ABC and a short film for SBS and produced a music video clip. Other work includes being an Indigenous Script Advisor and Creative Director/Writer for digital megafauna project.
Karla Hart: Karla studied Aboriginal Theatre at WAAPA and a BA in Contemporary Arts majoring in Performing Arts from Edith Cowan University. Karla’s producing, writing and directing credits are over 130 episodes of television including Our Story on Mechelle Turvey (ABC), sports entertainment show Yokayi Footy (NITV, AFL) series 1 to 3, short dramas Wirnitj and Tooly, Family Rules Series 1 to 3 (NITV), The Return – Stuff The British Stole (ABC) and many more. Karla is in development for a feature drama ‘Moodja’ and in post-production for ‘Our Medicine’ (NITV).
Kelli Cross: Kelli Cross is a Nyoongar/Malgana/wadjela woman from the Fremantle area of Perth.
Mitch Torres: Mitch Torres’ film career spans 35+ years. She began her career in the media sphere as a television presenter for SBS, actor, journalist, broadcaster, then made her first short film ‘Promise’ a part of the Shifting Sands drama series with Australian Film Commission. Mitch has written and directed documentaries with CAAMA, Saltwater Bluesman, Whispering in our Hearts, Healing hands of the Bungarun Orchestra, and written in collaboration with other teams for drama projects: Mystery Road, Double Trouble. Her documentary Jandamarra’s War won the best Australian at the AACTA awards 2012.
Ngaire Pigram: Proud queer, Wajarri, & Yawuru storyteller from Rubibi, Ngaire Pigram’s passion for truth telling and supporting the voices of their communities remains staunch and at the forefront of their work and creativity. They’ve been active in film, television, and theatre, for over 25 years – as a multidisciplinary artist, with an unwavering passion to inspire and collaborate with their communities – creating spaces and stories that empower and elevate their peoples’ representation and educate generations of today and beyond.
Richard Vilensky: Richard studied film at Murdoch University before completing a Masters in Directing at AFTRS. He received two AACTA nominations in 2009 for his short Liebermans In The Sky. Richard started directing commercials in 2010 and moved back to Perth in 2016 where he has collected awards including the PADC Diamond Skull for Director of The Year in 2018. Vilensky’s feature debut is The Renovator’s Dream.
Ryan Svirac: Ryan Svirac is a director, cinematographer, and editor from Perth, Western Australia. His work spans across Iceland, America, England, and Australia, contributing to documentary series for major networks. His short shark film, Everything Will Kill You – RIP, became a viral hit, amassing 250,000 YouTube subscribers. With Matthew Buss, Ryan leads Goodboy Media, developing feature films, TV series, and documentaries, and crafting marketing content. In 2013, he earned a master’s in directing and cinematography from the West Australian Screen Academy.
Tim Barretto: Tim Barretto is an Australian filmmaker who has produced works in Australia, Indonesia and India. Tim is the founder of production company Hope St Productions. Tim’s first feature documentary Aceh beyond the tsunami was awarded Best Documentary at the 2018 Dhaka International Film Festival. In late 2022, Tim released his dramatic feature debut Bassendream. Tim has also made short films that have screened at festivals around the world.
