“Being selected as a Ones to Watch Producer of 2021 has been truly amazing. From being introduced to the incredibly talented Ones To Watch cohort whom I lean on to this day, to attending my first ever SCREEN FOREVER where I connected with creatives I am currently collaborating with, to learning from some of Australia’s most respected industry experts. I have left this program feeling empowered with the knowledge, confidence and support to continue building my company Purple Carrot Entertainment, striving towards my career goals and breaking down barriers along the way. I am extremely grateful for SPA’s support and for selecting me as this year’s Screen Australia Internship recipient,” said Jessica Magro [left].
Jessica will utilise the Screen Australia Internship to be mentored by SPA member and producer Liliana Muñoz [right], Founder of Maximo Entertainment, the production company behind AACTA Award-winning comedy series All My Friends Are Racist.
“As a former Ones To Watch myself I know how important it is to receive the recognition from our peers and to be given that big break which can make all the difference when one is starting out. Jessica is a rare find. She’s ambitious and kind, and already a leader in the new generation of Australian producers. She offers impactful storytelling and produces with a diverse lens which is essential if we are to expand our cultural reach beyond Australia. I can’t wait for us to get started,” said Liliana Muñoz.
Liliana will assist Jessica with creating a business plan and strategy for Purple Carrot Entertainment, and oversee the development of Jessica’s drama slate resulting in pitch and market-ready projects.
“Liliana is an inspiration for storytellers like me and embodies the kind of producer I want to be. I am so excited to continue growing my company and its slate under Liliana’s guidance and look forward to pitching more projects at next year’s SCREEN FOREVER,” said Magro.
Jessica is a proud Samoan-Maltese-Australian currently employed as Assistant Producer at Ludo Studio, working on Emmy Award-winning animated children’s series Bluey. Jessica continues to develop her own slate of projects at Purple Carrot Entertainment, with a strong focus on Pasifika-Australian stories, including The Alexander Ball documentary for SBS premiering 2022 and the drama-comedy series DIVA which recently received development funding through the SBS/Screen Australia Digital Originals initiative.
Screen Australia’s CEO Graeme Mason said, “Congratulations to Jessica on securing this internship with Liliana Muñoz at Maximo Entertainment. Jessica is proving to be an incredibly proficient producer in both scripted and documentary projects and we’re delighted to support this opportunity to further advance her career through the Ones To Watch Program.”
“SPA welcomed a collaboration with Screen Australia once again to offer a talented producer the opportunity to further their learnings from the Ones To Watch program and build on their skill set and develop a slate of projects to take to market,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.
“The Ones To Watch program continues to play an integral role in identifying high-potential producing talent in Australia and provide exclusive skill development opportunities along with priceless industry connections. We congratulate Jessica on being chosen as the recipient and are excited to follow her career over the coming months.”
Previous recipients of the highly coveted internship include Ljudan Michaelis-Thorpe (2020), Rachel Higgins (2019), Yingna Lu (2016) and Bridget Callow-Wright (2015).
Applications for the 2022 Ones to Watch program will open in August 2022.
