by FilmInk Staff
For Film’s Sake (FFS) today announced the fourteen creatives selected for the third edition of its unique talent development program, Platform, delivered in partnership with the Sydney Film Festival (SFF). Focusing on process rather than projects, the incubator is designed to create more agile development behaviours and outcomes via rapid cycles of idea generation and testing, supported by leading international producers and filmmaker guests of the 72nd Sydney Film Festival.
Whilst the initial callout suggested twelve individuals would be selected, the final cohort includes fourteen producers, writers and directors, reflecting the volume and calibre of national applicants, as FFS Executive Director Sophie Mathisen explains, “Once again we were inundated with applications from amazing talent from all across the country. I was very clear with our assessors that we must stick to just twelve participants and yet again we felt compelled to expand the cohort size to accommodate the breadth of skills, talent and perspectives of our formidable shortlist. Notably a number of our participants have a diverse range of experience across many above the line roles, a testament to the tenacity and vibrancy of Australian creative talent. We are very grateful to Screen NSW for their support in allowing this wildly talented bunch to dive headfirst into the one-of-a-kind development experience that is Platform.”
Platform is designed by FFS and will be delivered by UK BAFTA-award winning producer Samm Haillay and Sundance award-winning South Asian director Sarnik Kaur. They will be joined by guests and international filmmakers of the 72nd Sydney Film Festival, to be announced throughout the festival.
The selected Platform participants are:
Pia Derya (NSW)
Born and raised in Turkey, Pia has been based in Australia since 2015. She was Assistant Director on No One Knows About Persian Cats, winner of the 2009 Cannes Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize. Her independently produced short, Sleeping Beauties, earned major festival recognition at festivals including Clermont-Ferrand. In 2023 Pia was the recipient of a Sundance Collab scholarship.
Geraldine Hakewill (VIC)
As an actor, writer, director and musician, Geraldine has worked consistently on Australian screens and stages since 2008 including lead roles in Miss Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries and Wanted. Geraldine began producing in 2015 and her first feature credit as producer, The Rooster (2023) was nominated for MIFF’s Bright Horizons award.
Chloe de Brito (NSW)
Chloe de Brito is an ADG award-winning director creating ethereal, sensorial worlds. Her short Pink Reef screened globally, and she’s been a participant of labs with MIFF, AFF, and Playlab. Chloe crafts concept-driven works for institutions like Sydney Opera House and Bangarra and recently directed Samsung’s Space To Dream for Vivid 2025.
Andrew Fraser (NSW)
Fraser works across film, television and theatre, with multiple credits as producer, director, actor, writer and photographer. He is currently working as a producers’ assistant at Causeway Films. Fraser is passionate about supporting original Australian voices and developing new queer work.
Ben Bryan (VIC)
Ben is an award-winning cinematographer of Iron Winter (Visions du Reel International Competition 2025) and Franklin (2022). As writer and director, Ben helmed Yiyili (2024, SBS & NITV) and NZIFF award-winning Trees (2023). Most recently Ben’s comedy pilot Lake Boga won Best Indie Pilot at US Seriesfest (2025).
Emily Caelli (NSW)
Emily Caelli is an emerging producer from regional NSW. Emily is the 2025 recipient of the Screenworks Regional Producer Elevator Program supported by Screen NSW with Screen Producers Australia (SPA). Her first feature credit as producer, independent horror Site Unseen, is currently in post-production.
David Ma (NSW)
David Ma is a Chinese-Australian filmmaker based in Sydney. His work includes The Dancing Girl and The Balloon Man (Best Live Action Short Film Award, SFF 2023) and documentaries featured in The New York Times Op-Docs series. He is a Walkley nominee and co-founder of the film collective Floating Leaf Pictures.
Maisie Watkins (NSW)
Maisie is a Sydney-based producer who’s passionate about creating cool stuff. Currently working at renowned Australian production company Easy Tiger as Development Associate, Maisie is fine-tuning her craft in developing compelling scripted television.
Sonia Whiteman (NSW)
Sonia Whiteman is the Co-Writer of feature film Uproar, starring Julian Dennison, Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby that premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023. She is Director, Co – Writer and Story Producer on The Disposables, a multiplatform youth environmental action series (Photoplay and ABCTV), and has a number of projects currently in development.
Monique Mulcahy (VIC)
Monique Mulcahy is a Creative Producer and founder of Strange Mage, a production company focused on creating bold, funny, and weird female-driven projects. Monique is currently the Associate Producer at Aunty Donna’s Haven’t You Done Well Productions, managing a slate of original comedy projects across film, TV and online.
Renny Wijeyamohan (NSW)
Renny Wijeyamohan is a Tamil-Australian producer/writer/director. His debut drama The Disposables (ABC) was nominated for a Rose D’Or and AACTA awards. He is currently in Screen Australia funded development on half-hour comedy A Model Family (Photoplay Films), as well as Scalpel, a 6×1 hour crime drama selected for Series Mania’s Writers Campus.
Imogen McCluskey (NSW)
Imogen McCluskey is an award-winning director whose film, television, and short-form work has screened internationally on platforms including Stan, CBS, Paramount+, ABC and Short of the Week. A graduate of the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI), her work explores bold, character-driven stories of love and longing told with warmth and humour.
David Robinson-Smith (NSW)
David Robinson-Smith is an award-winning Australian writer-director from Budgewoi. His acclaimed shorts Mud Crab, We Used To Own Houses, and The Shirt Off Your Back explore memory, class, and moral ambiguity. He’s developing two features—Colossus and Sundowner—with support from Screen Australia and Screen NSW, alongside storied Australian producers.
Aaron Lucas (NSW)
Aaron is a writer and director based in Sydney. He trained as an actor at the University of Wollongong before switching to directing for the screen. He is a TIFF Filmmaker Lab and TIFF Writers Studio alum and his past films include Free Therapy, Mary, I’ll Be Frank, and Luna and the Brain Tuna. He is currently in development for his debut feature film Luna, which has received development support from Screen Australia.
Kyas Hepworth, Head of Screen NSW, praised the outstanding calibre and variety of talent featured in this year’s Platform cohort. “It’s inspiring to see such a dynamic mix of emerging and established screen creatives selected for the third year of Platform. Screen NSW is thrilled to again come on board to support this initiative, and we’re particularly excited by the strong representation of NSW talent. Programs like Platform are essential in nurturing bold ideas, fostering innovative collaboration, and creating career-defining connections and opportunities for global creative exchange. We’re looking forward to joining FFS in the SFF Hub and witnessing the innovation, partnerships, and momentum that this vital incubator will spark.”
Platform: Lab culminates in a public pitch in the Sydney Film Festival Hub on Saturday 14th. Tickets are free and can be booked via the SFF website.
ABOUT FOR FILM’S SAKE
For Film’s Sake is Australia’s flagship advocacy organisation providing skills training and professional development across development, production, distribution and cultural exhibition of screen-based media. Most recently For Film’s Sake delivered the first global feature film development lab exclusively for female, trans and non-binary filmmakers, Attagirl, supported by Screen Australia, Telefilm Canada, the British Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, the New Zealand Film Commission, Create NSW, Vic Screen, Screen Queensland and Screenwest and Lotterywest. Twenty-eight teams were supported over two years with six awarded cash grants for development and production.
For more information and to make a tax deductible donation to FFS’ mission and activities head to www.forfilmssake.org
