The Intentional Filmmaker

An informatvie session for script writers and those filmmakers.

Meet the presenters:

Felicity Bolithio - Award- Winning Scripts: How to Shape Them for TV & Film 

Many filmmakers struggle to create scripts that feel both personal and commercially viable. Characters may lack depth, stories can feel generic, and scripts might fail to connect with audiences or attract industry attention. Emerging writers often underestimate the value of collaboration, feedback, and leveraging their own life experiences, while missing opportunities to submit work for recognition.

Take inspiration from Altazaire Films, the award-winning duo Anton Ballard and Felicity Bolitho. Start by writing from experience—personal stories, authentic settings, and emotional truths make scripts resonate. Focus on crafting sharp, audience-driven characters that drive the narrative. Collaborate with trusted partners to strengthen ideas, drawing on diverse skills and backgrounds. Finally, submit your scripts to competitions and festivals; recognition, like Bolith’s Hello Cello longlisting in the Monte Miller Awards, opens doors and builds credibility.

By combining personal insight, strong storytelling, and strategic exposure, filmmakers can create compelling, optionable scripts that audiences and the industry will love.

Grassland Films - Eco Filmmaking & Stock Footage Strategy

Join Tim Brown and Michael Portway, founders of Grassland Films and contributors to BBC’s Planet Earth III, as they reveal how to transform long-form series into captivating feature content.

Tim, an award-winning ecologist and research scientist with publications in Biological Conservation, brings scientific precision to storytelling. Michael, a VCA-trained director and photographer with years as an archivist at the Australian War Memorial, adds a cinematic eye and visual finesse.

Together, they’ll unpack the strategic value of building a stock footage library, sharing insights on capturing high-quality, future-proof footage, curating metadata for biodiversity and species identification, and maximising the creative potential of B-roll.

This session highlights how blending science and art can drive powerful conservation storytelling while creating visual archives that endure.

Key Takeaways!

Turn Series into Cinema: Condense big stories into feature-ready magic.
Stock Smart: Build a library that saves time and keeps footage alive.

As with all Geelong Waterfront Film Meet Ups, there will be time prior to chat with the panel and attendees and make some new friends!

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Geelong Waterfront Film