Behind the Streams: Celebrating the Australian Talent Bringing Stories to the World
On August 11, Streaming For Australia brought together policymakers, industry leaders, creators and some of the people behind Australia’s screen productions at Parliament House in Canberra for Behind the Streams, an evening celebrating the talent and creativity powering Australian stories on screen.
Hosted by Australian actor, writer and comedian Nina Oyama, the event put the spotlight not only on the stories audiences see, but also on the hundreds of people working behind the scenes to bring them to life.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke joined guests for the evening, which featured Australian productions and talent from across Streaming For Australia members including Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Disney+.
Australian stories, global audiences
Throughout the evening, guests heard directly from the people commissioning, producing and performing in Australian productions.
Paramount+ showcased upcoming Australian dramas Dalliance and Two Years Later, with Paramount ANZ President Beverley McGarvey joined by actor Heather Mitchell and producers Tracey Robertson and John Edwards to discuss the productions.
Prime Video took guests behind the upcoming second season of Deadloch, with Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Australian Originals Sarah Christie and actor Luke Hemsworth joining Nina Oyama to discuss the scale of Australian productions, the crews behind them and the ability for distinctly Australian stories to connect with audiences around the world.
Netflix offered a glimpse at its upcoming adaptation of the iconic Australian novel My Brilliant Career, with Netflix ANZ Content Director Amanda Duthie and Jungle Entertainment Executive Producer Chloe Rickard discussing the new Australian production.
Apple TV also shared news of its first Australian original, Last Seen, with Josh Machin introducing the series and giving guests a first look at what is to come.
Together, the showcases reflected the breadth of Australian stories being created for streaming audiences, from comedy and contemporary drama to adaptations of Australian literary classics.
Celebrating the people behind the screen
A central focus of Behind the Streams was recognising the people audiences may never see on screen, but whose skills and creativity are essential to every production.
Guests had the opportunity to meet and hear from Australian artists, technicians and craftspeople working across visual effects, animation, special effects make-up and creature design.
Industrial Light & Magic showcased the work of its Sydney team, which numbers more than 500 people and has contributed visual effects to major global productions including Stranger Things and The Mandalorian.
Special Effects Make-Up and Creature Workshop stations offered another look behind the camera, highlighting the specialist skills and craftsmanship involved in creating the characters and worlds audiences ultimately see on screen.
The evening was a reminder that behind every production is a much larger creative ecosystem of writers, producers, performers, designers, technicians, artists and crew working together.
Supporting Australia's screen industry
Behind the Streams also highlighted what investment in Australian screen production can mean beyond the finished show.
Productions create opportunities for Australian cast and crew, support specialist screen businesses and skills, and provide pathways for local creative talent to work on productions made for audiences at home and around the world.
As Nina Oyama reflected during the evening, Australian television is increasingly reaching international audiences while giving Australians the opportunity to see their own stories, humour, places and culture represented on screen.
Streaming services are an important part of that story, investing in Australian productions and helping locally created content reach audiences around the world.
A special thank you to Minister for the Arts Tony Burke, MC Nina Oyama, and our partners from Netflix, Prime Video, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Disney+, Industrial Light & Magic and the many talented Australians whose work brings these productions to life.
Thank you also to everyone who joined us at Parliament House to celebrate the people and creativity behind the streams.
Click here to view photos from the event
