Film festivals are often celebrated for the films they premiere. Less visible, but equally important, are their industry markets, where the people behind projects in development connect with financiers, distributors, sales agents, broadcasters and streamers to explore new partnerships and opportunities for financing, co-production and international distribution.
One of the region’s leading examples is 37°South Market, the Melbourne International Film Festival’s industry marketplace, where producers and project teams participate in curated meetings with industry decision-makers from across Australasia and beyond.
Fresh from this year’s market, Rachel Fawcett, Amanda Jane Robinson and Letisha Tate-Dunning join veteran producer and moderator Tom Hern to reflect on their experience at 37°South. Together they’ll discuss what makes a project market-ready, how producers decide whether a market is the right fit for a project, what preparation goes into making those meetings count, how expectations compare with reality, the conversations and trends that emerged from this year’s market, and why international marketscan be a worthwhile investment for producers, writers and directors alike.
If you’re considering the long-term future of a project or a career, discover why sometimes you simply have to be in the room to work the room.
When: Tuesday 25th August, 6:00PM – 7:00 PM
Where: ONLINE via Zoom
Click below to register:
This Script to Screen KŌRERO is made possible thanks to New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, and Images and Sound.
ABOUT:
Tom Hern is a filmmaker and producer drawn to human stories about outsiders, rebels and unlikely heroes. He broke onto the international scene producing hit chess drama The Dark Horse, starring Cliff Curtis, before producing films including Guns Akimbo and TIFF Midnight Madness winner Shadow in the Cloud. Hern co-created, produced and directed The Panthers, the record-breaking series about New Zealand’s Polynesian Panthers, and produced the award-winning comedy-drama Madam. He is currently in post-production on his feature directorial debut, Shearing The Love, starring Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean. Tom has been participating in international film markets since 2009.
Rachel Fawcett is a Chinese-Kiwi producer and founder of Lusty Productions, creating female-centred stories across film and digital media. She began her career co-producing Friday Night Bites Season 2 before producing acclaimed short films including Munkie, Wind, Song and Rain, Anu and Chrysanthemum, which screened internationally. Rachel co-created and produced the hit series n00b and its television adaptation, released on Three, Netflix Australia and CANAL+ France. She also co-created, storylined and produced the NZ On Air-funded YouTube series Literally Dead alongside K-Ci Williams. Rachel is currently associate producer on the NZFC feature Shearing the Love and producer of Roseanne Liang’s short action film Bodyworker. This year, she was nominated for the WIFT Award for Achievement in Television/Digital for her work on n00b.
Amanda Jane Robinson is a filmmaker and the founder of Vetiver Pictures. Most recently, she produced a short film In Conversation with Jack Maurer (dir. Hash) which premiered in Official Selection at Venice Film Festival 2025. In 2025 her short film Womb (dir. Ira Hetaraka) premiered at Tribeca Festival and has since played at BFI London Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, ImagineNATIVE and Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival where it won the Umbrella Entertainment Ngā Whanaunga New Zealand’s Best Short Film Award. Amanda is currently in post-production on two further shorts while developing a slate of feature films.
Letisha Tate-Dunning is a producer with over 11 years experience working across film and television. Most recently she produced Eleanor Bishop’s debut short film GIRL TIME (82nd Venice Film Festival), created through Jane Campion and Philippa Campbell’s A Wave in the Ocean intensive, as well as investigative documentary series What the Hell Happened at Woofington’s? for TVNZ+ (dir. Baz Macdonald). For the past several years she has worked for acclaimed producer Catherine Fitzgerald across her slate of films, including James Ashcroft’s The Rule of Jenny Pen and an upcoming film by Tusi Tamasese.
MIFF 37°South Market is a selective event for producers to pitch their script-stage screen projects to potential financiers. It also includes screenings for buyers, modules for publishers and IP owners pitching their manuscripts/creative assets to producers for potential screen adaptations, writers pitching their screenplays to producers, and panel discussions. MIFF 37ºSouth Market is the exclusive South Pacific partner of London’s Production Finance Market (PFM).
