Media Release

Today, Screen Producers Australia (SPA) hosted GENR8 2025, its one-day ideas lab and networking forum, at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney. The event brought together more than 100 delegates from across the screen sector to explore the big ideas shaping the future of storytelling and production.

This year’s program featured a dynamic mix of sessions spanning artificial intelligence, audience engagement, ethics and innovation, and cross-industry collaboration. Highlights included:

• AI in the Screen Industry: Global Trends, Tools, and Adoption Rates, where consultant Dan Fahy presented Ampere Analysis research on how AI is transforming production pipelines, marketing, and audience engagement.
• Innovation, Ethics & Impact in the Digital Age, led by Ben Armstrong (Wiradjuri), who unpacked how Indigenous voices and inclusive practices can redefine creative workflows and set new benchmarks for integrity in screen storytelling.
• AI Strategy Lab: How AI is Reshaping the Producer’s Playbook, with insights from Deborah Spinocchia (BBC Studios ANZ) and Nakul Legha (SBS), exploring how AI is influencing everything from commissioning to global distribution.
• Audiences On The Move, featuring Daniel Ahern (ABC), who shared strategies for finding and growing audiences in a fragmented, tech-driven marketplace.
• SXSW Collaboration: Pixels & Frames – Bridging Film and Games, which examined the crossover between filmmakers and gamers and the opportunities for new funding models and collaboration in the Australian creative landscape.

Julia Finn MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Arts, spoke to NSW Government’s commitment to screen and creative industries and the importance of bringing new thinking and trends to the forefront to address the challenges facing the screen industry.

Delegates also engaged in high-energy networking, with established and emerging practitioners connecting across disciplines, strengthening professional ties, and exploring opportunities for growth.

SPA CEO Matthew Deaner said the strong turnout and calibre of discussion reinforced GENR8’s role as a catalyst for innovation. “GENR8 is a runway for new ideas, collaborations and leadership in our sector. Julia Finn's participation underscored how important screen stories are to NSW’s cultural and economic future. Today’s program showed that while the challenges of disruption are real, Australian producers have both the resilience and creativity to turn them into opportunities.”

GENR8 is part of SPA’s suite of professional development initiatives designed to equip screen producers with the knowledge, tools and networks needed to thrive in a fast-changing environment.

Photos from GENR8 2025 can be viewed HERE.