by FilmInk Staff
Invention is launching a groundbreaking film and television development program in Australia dedicated to supporting top local writers and creators – and to bringing their most distinguished, ambitious and commercial projects to the world market.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our international work to find the greatest emerging creators capable of developing wildly original and world-class movies and shows. The talent, smarts, and ambition of writers and directors in Australia are obvious. We’re proud and excited to be building an innovative launchpad to help those creators generate gamechanging films and series that can take the world by surprise – and by storm.” – Nicholas Weinstock, CEO of Invention.
Invention is launching a comedy incubator program devoted to furthering the Australian comedy tradition of classics like Kath & Kim, Muriel’s Wedding and Summer Heights High and more recent comedy hits like Colin from Accounts, Heartbreak High and Deadloch. This program will pair new voices in Australian comedy for the first time with the development resources, creative guidance, packaging abilities, and worldwide distribution relationships of a Hollywood-based production company.
Invention CEO Nicholas Weinstock and Senior Vice President Divya D’Souza have particular experience in comedy, and the company – in addition to its dramatic fare – is intent on building and releasing a new generation of great comedic films and television worldwide. Weinstock has developed and produced comedic movies and TV including the films Bridesmaids, Alex Strangelove, The Package, Plus One, Dinner in America, Queenpins, and the recent release Thelma as well as television series including In the Dark, High Desert, and Severance. Invention SVP D’Souza, who is also helping to oversee the Australian initiative, previously worked as the head of development at Melissa McCarthy’s and Ben Falcone’s On the Day Productions, where she was a producer on movies including Life of the Party, The Happytime Murders, Superintelligence, Thunderforce, and Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed and series including Nobodies and God’s Favorite Idiot.
The program is being steered locally by Australian comedy writer/producer Hannah Reilly, who is based in Sydney but currently interning at Invention in Los Angeles on an executive exchange program through Screen Australia. Hannah wrote and directed the stage musical THE DEB, ranked by The Guardian as one of the 15 greatest Australian musicals, and subsequently developed the screenplay – which will serve as Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut. Along with Hannah, Carmen Knox, an Australian creative producer with over ten years of international experience in scripted development, production and literary management, will be on the ground working with the participants in Australia.
• Under the Australian incubator program, five (5) original Australian comedy projects by emerging writers will be nurtured through a rigorous creative development process and brought both to local Australian buyers and platforms and to global studios, networks, and streamers.
• The Australian creators will also be mentored, via Zoom sessions, by Hollywood-based writers including Mitch Hurwitz (Arrested Development) and Stacy Traub (Daisy Jones & the Six, Blackish).
• The selected comedy projects for the 2024 program are:
o Gary Hamaguchi, a Jaru/Noongar/Japanese writer and director, will be developing a feature script.
o Lebanese playwright, poet, rapper, and musician Mohammad Awad and writer-director Hebah Ali will develop a feature script.
o Acclaimed performer and comedian Hannah Camilleri is creating a television series inspired by her award-winning standup work.
o Writer/director duo Vanessa Marian and Stefan Hunt will develop a satirical television series inspired by Vanessa’s experiences as a dancer and choreographer.
o Playwright and songwriter Jules Orcullo is adapting her critically acclaimed stage musical into a feature film.
