Film Victoria is partnering with Screen Australia to provide Victorian creatives with a unique opportunity to participate in the Writer in Residence TV Drama Initiative which will see the highly experienced UK television writer and producer Simon Mirren take residence in Melbourne during June.
Simon is known for his work on Versailles, Criminal Minds and Without a Trace. His wealth of expertise will assist teams with highly distinctive ideas to hone their drama concepts in readiness to pitch to local and international content providers.
Using the ‘writer’s room’ approach up to three successful teams will each spend time with Simon over a three week period, further developing their television drama concepts, with the workshops being crafted to meet the bespoke needs of each team.
Film Victoria CEO, Jenni Tosi said: “We’re delighted to be able to support three Victorian teams to further develop their drama concepts, guided by the expertise and experience of Simon. His skills and knowledge of the international market will be enormously beneficial and should encourage the teams to aim high to ensure their ideas have the best chance of being commissioned.”
The Writer in Residence TV Drama Initiative is funded through Film Victoria and Screen Australia’s Event Partnerships Program.
Screen Australia’s Head of Production Sally Caplan said ““The Writer in Residence TV Drama Initiative is a fantastic professional development opportunity for Victorian-based storytellers, and one we are proud to support. In addition to the privilege of furthering their story ideas with such a hugely successful TV writer and producer like Simon, they will cultivate invaluable story development skills which they will be able to use in their careers far beyond this experience.”
Applications for the Writer in Residence TV Drama Initiative are open until 4 May. Guidelines and eligibility criteria are available on our development page.