FUTURE VISION is led by co-chairs, producer Bruna Papandrea (Nine Perfect Strangers) and showrunner Tony Ayres (The Survivors), alongside executive director Peter Ritchie, creative advisors, Imogen Banks (Fake), Robert Connolly (Barracuda), Darren Dale (Total Control), Emile Sherman (Apple Cider Vinegar) and Rebecca Yeldham (The Gift), and supported by a dedicated and passionate production and programming team.
Bruna Papandrea
FUTURE VISION Co-Chair
Bruna Papandrea is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning producer behind iconic projects such as Gone Girl, Wild, and HBO’s Big Little Lies, which she developed while co-founding Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon.
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As Founder and CEO of Made Up Stories, Papandrea continues to champion female-led narratives through critically acclaimed series including The Undoing (HBO), Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu), Pieces of Her and Anatomy of a Scandal (Netflix), Roar (Apple TV+), The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Amazon), and Strife (Binge).Her films include Luckiest Girl Alive, The Nightingale, Penguin Bloom, The Dry, and Addition, which recently premiered at TIFF. She also produced Warm Bodies, Better Than Sex, All Good Things, Smart People, and executive produced Milk.
A passionate advocate for underrepresented voices, Papandrea was awarded the prestigious Order of Australia and the Byron Kennedy Award in 2024.
Rebecca Yeldham
FUTURE VISION Creative Advisor
Rebecca Yeldham has collaborated with some of the world’s most celebrated filmmakers, earning her a reputation as a world-class producer and creative leader, championing projects with social and cultural impact in creative industries such as film festivals, film production, “edu-tainment”/tech and film distribution.
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Producing credits include The Motorcycle Diaries, The Kite Runner, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, On the Road, The Gift, and Gringo. Her films have played and received awards at Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, and Toronto Film Festivals, been nominated for Academy Awards, and won BAFTAs, Spirit Awards, and an Emmy Award.
She has been director of the Los Angeles Film Festival, Head of Creative at MasterClass, served on Film Independent’s Board, been on numerous film juries and selection committees, and is a member of the Academy’s producing branch.
She has mentored creatives and filmmakers. Has acted as consultant to Australians in Film and Screen Australia, creating the inaugural Global Producers Exchange and mentoring for their Indigenous Filmmakers Workshop.
Tony Ayres
FUTURE VISION Co-Chair
Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director, and co-founder of Matchbox Pictures. In 2018 Tony established his own company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), developing and producing films and television for global audiences.
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Tony’s work has been nominated for over one hundred Australian and international awards, and won over sixty including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, a Golden Horse, six AACTA awards, and six Logies.Tony was Executive Producer, Showrunner and writer on Netflix series The Survivors; Executive Producer on two seasons of ABC/BBC children’s series The Spooky Files; and creator/showrunner on The Slap, Nowhere Boys and global Netflix hit, Clickbait. He co-created and was Executive Producer on Glitch, Stateless, and Fires, and executive produced acclaimed shows such as Barracuda, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Wanted, Creamerie, The Devil’s Playground, Old School, Underground: The Julian Assange Story, The Straits, and The Family Law.
In film, Tony directed Cut Snake, The Home Song Stories, and Walking on Water. He has also executive produced award-winning feature films such as Ali’s Wedding and Lou. His films have premiered and screened at A-list festivals around the world including the Berlinale and the Toronto Film Festival.
Robert Connolly
FUTURE VISION Creative Advisor
Robert Connolly is an acclaimed Australian producer, director and writer. He directed the critical and commercial success, The Dry, its sequel Force of Nature, and Blueback, screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.
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His most recent film The Surfer premiered in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. Other films include The Bank, Three Dollars, Balibo, Underground: The Julian Assange Story, and Paper Planes.On television, Robert’s credit include the International Emmy-nominated series The Slap; Barracuda for NBC Universal; and the political thriller Deep State starring Mark Strong.
Through his company Arenamedia, Robert’s has produced The Surfer starring Nicholas Cage; Frances O’Connor’s directorial debut Emily starring Emma Mackey; Romulus, My Father; The Boys; and The Turning starring Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Rose Byrne.
His company has championed new First Nations filmmakers including Jub Clerc (Sweet As) and Stephen Page (Spear).
Peter Ritchie
FUTURE VISION Executive Director
Peter Ritchie has been Executive Director of Australians in Film since 2015. He has transformed the non-profit cultural organization into a global artist development powerhouse that connects Australia’s best and emerging screen professionals.
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Peter Ritchie has been Executive Director of Australians in Film since 2015.He has transformed the non-profit cultural organization into a global artist development powerhouse that connects Australia’s best and emerging screen professionals to Hollywood via its prestigious professional development programs - UNTAPPED, Talent Gateway and Global Producers Exchange, co-presented with Screen Australia.
In 2016, Peter envisaged and created Charlie’s, an innovative and unique business and networking hub. Based at The Lot Studios, Charlie’s is the epicenter of Australian creativity in Hollywood, supporting and birthing a number of original Australian film and television works.
In 2022, Peter produced The ANZ Writers Journey presented by Netflix in Sydney, Australia, the first artist development program ever hosted in Australia by AiF.
In October 2023, AiF brought out Australian screen icons Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Jason Clarke, Phillip Noyce and best new talent Amy Wang and Charmaine Bingwa to the inaugural SXSW Sydney for a series of exclusive industry showcases.
Peter oversees AiF’s flagship industry event in Australia, FUTURE VISION, a global television exchange for the world’s top minds, which is co-presented with Screen Australia and VicScreen at ACMi Melbourne.
Imogen Banks
FUTURE VISION Creative Advisor
Known for her work championing strong female characters and exploring complex narratives in a relatable way, Imogen Banks has produced multiple acclaimed Australian series, including Offspring, RFDS, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie, Tangle, Sisters, Party Tricks, and Gallipoli.
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She recently founded independent production company Kindling Pictures, debuting with critically acclaimed SBS mini-series Safe Home. Kindling’s most recent project is the multi award-winning Fake, starring Asher Keddie and David Wenham, which premiered on Paramount + and is the streamer’s most successful Australian drama launch to date.
Darren Dale
FUTURE VISION Creative Advisor
Darren Dale is a Producer and Managing Director of Blackfella Films, Australia's premier First Nations production company. He has produced multiple award-winning documentary, factual and drama programs.
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In drama, credits include: telemovie Mabo; the groundbreaking Redfern Now, which won the 2013 and 2014 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Drama Series, and the 2014 AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series; and Deep Water.In 2019, Total Control premiered at TIFF, won the 2019 AACTA Award for Best Television Drama, and received MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Race and Ethnicity (Scripted).
In 2021, Darren produced season two of Total Control (ABC), which won the Gold Award (Entertainment Program - Drama) at 2022’s New York Festivals TV & Film Awards. The show’s third and final season aired in 2024 and won a Awgie for Best Television Series or Miniseries.
Darren is a Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Emile Sherman
FUTURE VISION Creative Advisor
Academy Award, BAFTA and Emmy-winning producer Emile Sherman co-founded Australia and UK based production powerhouse See-Saw Films with Iain Canning in 2008.
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See-Saw’s films and television shows have been nominated and won multiple Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Emmys and AACTAs. Titles include Academy Award winning The Power Of The Dog; Emmy-winning Slow Horses; BAFTA Award winning Lion; Emmy-winning Heartstopper; and the Academy Award Best Picture-winning The King’s Speech.Emile is one of 6 Australians, and the only fulltime producer, included in the Variety500. He is a Director of Fulcrum Media Finance, the market leader cashflow provider for film and television in Australia and New Zealand, a trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW, and a former director of Sydney Writers’ Festival as well as The Ethics Centre.
He co-hosts popular podcast Principle of Charity as well as The Sandbox, a See-Saw podcast that explores creativity.
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Australians in Film Board
Chair: Graeme Mason
Deputy Chair: Samantha Lang
Attorney: Karen Robson
Board Members: Toby Borg, Jiao Chen, Emma Cooper, Nakkiah Lui, Simonne Overend, Penny Smallacombe, Richard Weinberg
Board of Advisors: Tony Ayres, Laura Brown, Bec Smith, Bruna Papandrea, Charmaine Bingwa, Emile Sherman -
Future Vision Production Team
Event Producer: Rachel Harvey
Program Producer: Lucinda Reynolds
Associate Program Producer: Jonah Primo
Design and Brand Consultant: Laura Baxter
Communications & International Guest Management Consultant: Emily Smith
Publicist: Jane Lunn
Production Coordinator: Andrés Vergara
Assistant: Neal Mulani
“We are so enormously thrilled to have three of our television heroes coming to FUTURE VISION this year. Richard Gadd, Sally Wainwright, and Soo Hugh are undoubtedly some of the most exciting television creators in the world today. They create unforgettable worlds and characters that explode onto our screens, and they are masters of their craft. We cannot wait to engage with them in Melbourne and bring their thinking and provocation to the thought leaders at home.”
— Bruna Papandrea & Tony Ayres