Brisbane will welcome hundreds of broadcast representatives from around the globe in November 2018 when it hosts the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP), coinciding with the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Screen Queensland, in partnership with the Queensland Government and with assistance from Brisbane Marketing, won the bid for the prestigious conference.
The event is expected to attract more than 600 industry professionals from major international broadcasters such as ABC, SBS Discovery Channel, Science Channel, National Geographic, PBS, Smithsonian Channel, ARTE, BBC, CBC, Channel 4, France Télévisions, MDR, NDR, NHK, PBS, Radio-Canada, Rai, SVT, YLE and ZDF.
“The Congress is the top industry event for producers working in the factual and science space, providing insights into industry trends and issues, and featuring cutting-edge seminars, networking opportunities and pitch sessions,” said Screen Queensland Chair Catherine O’Sullivan.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the Congress would coincide with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), providing a platform for Australian and international delegates to forge new connections, artistic collaborations and valuable partnerships with filmmakers and nominees who are attending the gala ceremony.
“Each year, the Asia Pacific’s top filmmakers fly to Brisbane to attend the Awards and with the world’s leading producers, distributors and broadcasters in our city for the Congress, it’s a wonderful opportunity for the screen industry,” he said.
“Delegates will be met with our city’s cutting-edge academic, scientific and research communities, welcomed by a burgeoning film industry and enjoy our ever-evolving calendar of cultural events.”
As the Asia Pacific’s key international event bringing together the region’s most respected industry names, APSA has proven a drawcard for other major conferences.
The 2016 Asian Animation Summit and the 2016 CILECT Congress (the International Association of Film and Television Schools) were both held in Brisbane while key film industry decision-makers were in the city to attend APSA.
Organisers of Asia’s largest computer graphics conference and exhibition, SIGGRAPH Asia, also recognised the opportunity to hold their event while industry leaders would be converging for APSA. SIGGRAPH Asia will take place in Brisbane in November 2019.