British film-producer Lord David Puttnam of Queensgate CBE touched down in Brisbane on 27 November ahead of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Responsible for popular classics like Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields and The Mission, Puttnam has travelled to Brisbane to speak at two screen events, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) Industry Program and the World Congress of Factual Producers (WCSFP).
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk welcomed Puttnam and said he was thrilled for local industry to hear from a cinema veteran whose internationally-acclaimed films have collected 10 Oscars, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme D’Or of Cannes. “Each year, the Asia Pacific’s top filmmakers fly to Brisbane to attend the awards and with 600 of the world’s leading producers, distributors and broadcasters in our city for the congress, it’s a wonderful opportunity for the screen industry,” Cr Quirk said. “Events like this are important to Brisbane because they inject economic impact to the city by filling hotel rooms and boosting our tourism and hospitality industries.”
Puttnam has visited Brisbane more than a dozen times as a result of a long-standing relationship with both APSA and Griffith Film School. Puttnam has been a frequent guest lecturer at Griffith Film School, delivering a number of keynote addresses and web seminars on music in film and producing in the 21st Century.
As part of the APSA Industry Program, Lord Puttnam’s free masterclass Tomorrow’s Screen Careers in a Rapidly Evolving Screen Industry is presented in partnership with the Griffith Film School and will address how emerging filmmakers can adapt to the rapidly evolving film landscape.
At WCSFP, Lord Puttnam will head the free public event A Spark of Inspiration where he will discuss the links between his history as an active politician and environmentalist, and the production of his forthcoming film Arctic 30. The bid for WCSFP conference was led by the Brisbane Marketing, in partnership with the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland, ABC and SBS.
The 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards is held in Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on 29 November.
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