Screen Producers Australia chief exec outlines what’s in store at this year’s event in the Gold Coast
While the prospect of getting from Europe to Australia may seem daunting at the moment, Matthew Deaner knows that for those who get there, a tonne of opportunities await.
“It’s a highly focused business-driven event connecting Australian producers with global partners,” the chief exec of Screen Producers Australia (SPA) explains of the Queensland-based conference.
The three-day event lures around 1,000 delegates to the Gold Coast from a range of territories including New Zealand, the UK, the US, Canada, Ireland, France, Germany, Philippines, Singapore and South Korea.
Like much of the world, Australia is having issues with getting projects onto screens due to the need for more complex financial packages. And while the solutions for these normally lie in international sources, there is still a need for distinctly Australian storytelling.
“Producers are navigating longer development cycles, more complex financing and increased competition for greenlights,” Deaner explains. “There is also a strong focus on how local regulation and global platforms intersect to support ongoing investment in Australian content.”
With a programme built around “market intelligence, deal-making and practical insight into how projects are getting financed, commissioned and distributed in a more competitive international landscape” the three-day conference is also aimed at opening Australia up to the world, and vice-versa.
“Australia is often seen as a smaller market, but it’s deeply embedded in global production and financing networks. Producers here are outward-looking and developing projects with international audiences and partners in mind from the outset,” says Deaner.
The 45 sessions and 179 speakers will explore everything from coproduction trends and adapting popular books for screen, to diving into what local commissioners are looking for.
Screen Forever is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and Deaner says over the past four decades the event has evolved from a national conference into an international marketplace.
“The scale of participation and the focus on global partnerships now reflect how the industry itself operates,” he adds.
And if there was one word to sum it up, Deaner says it’s simply “opportunity”.
“Producers are adjusting to a more disciplined global market, and the focus is on exploring new partnerships and strategies to succeed in the next cycle.”
Screen Forever’s Global Market takes place online 21-22 April 2026 and the in-person Conference runs 28-30 April 2026. For more details, click here.
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