Spanning talent with experience on “Love Me,” “The Twelve,” “The Secrets She Keeps,” “Bloom,” “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” “Bump” and “Ellie & Abby (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt),” seven Australian screenwriters will take part in Screen Australia and the Australian Writers’ Guild’s The Creators in 2025.
First staged in 2023, the program is designed to help accelerate the careers of local scribes. Tamara Asmar, Anna Barnes, Sarah Bassiuoni, Glen Dolman, Michelle Offen, Jessica Tuckwell and Monica Zanetti have been selected to participate in its third year.
American television writer Jeff Melvoin, an Emmy-winner for “Northern Exposure” and 2020 nominee for “Killing Eve,” will again travel to Sydney to lead this year’s initiative, as he has since The Creators’ inception. Melvoin is also both the founder and Chair of the Writers Guild of America’s highly competitive Showrunner Training Program, with the Australian screenwriters chosen for The Creators benefiting from WGA-style training.
Attendees will take part in high-level showrunner training, as well as project and pitching development, with being able to sell their work both locally and internationally a key focus.
“The world is in deeply unsettling times, and the power of storytelling to move and inspire audiences is needed more than ever,” said Asmar, who has not only has “Love Me” on her resume, but spent time writing for “In Limbo,” “NCIS: Sydney,” “Erotic Stores” and more, and also co-created “On the Ropes.” “Writing is often such a lonely vocation, and I’m excited to see what everyone brings to the table and watch the evolution of the projects over the week.”
Barnes’ credits include “Content,” “Retrograde,” “Safe Home” and “The Twelve,” with the screenwriter noting that “The Creators initiative is a dream opportunity for me to upskill and learn more about the role of the showrunner from both international leaders of our industry, and also from this extremely talented group of fellow writers.”
For Bassiuoni, the creator of “Critical Incident” and another “On the Ropes” alum, alongside “The Heights,” “The Secrets She Keeps,” “House of Gods” and “Ladies in Black,” “this program is an incredible opportunity to learn directly from those who’ve shaped some of the most compelling television globally — not just in writing, but in leading projects from concept to completion.”
She continued: “as someone passionate about bold, character-driven storytelling, I’m excited to strengthen both my creative and production skills and to bring that knowledge home to help grow a more empowered and diverse Australian screen industry. It’s about making space for voices, leadership and stories that reflect the full depth of who we are.”
“As our industry contracts globally and the need for Australian stories to reach a worldwide audience becomes even more critical, this program offers a rare opportunity to connect with fellow writer/producers, share knowledge and explore best practices — particularly through the lens of the US showrunner model,” advised “Bloom” creator Dolman, who has also penned episodes of “Always Greener” and “High Life” alongside 2020 film “I Met a Girl.” “With the most successful breakout shows internationally led by distinct creative voices who bring both authorship and continuity to a project, I’m thrilled to be part of this group and conversation.”
“East West 101,” “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,” “Hyde & Seek” and “100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone” adds that “pathways to upskill as a showrunner in Australia are rare, which makes The Creators so incredibly valuable. Joining this talented cohort, under the tutelage of the renowned Jeff Melvoin, is an experience I will relish.”
Tuckwell, who has “Bump,” “Year Of” and “Fake” among her past projects, called out “the opportunity to investigate leadership within that crucial place where the vision clashes with the realities of production, where the show is really made. We owe audiences the respect of maintaining creative integrity, and part of that is acknowledging that dropping the writer/creator off at the curb when pre-production starts is such an obvious inefficiency; we are a problem-solving asset at every stage of the process.”
“I’m so thrilled to be part of The Creators program for 2025. I feel so lucky to have the support of this team as I take the next big step in my career from creator to showrunner,” said “While the Men Are Away” creator and “Ellie & Abby (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)” writer/director Zanetti.
2023’s inaugural The Creators group spanned Jane Allen (“Janet King,” “Troppo,” “The Heights”), Kodie Bedford (“Mystery Road,” “Firebite,” “Cursed!”), Judi McCrossin (“The Time of Our Lives,” “The Secret Life of Us,” “The Wrong Girl”), Sam Meikle (“Wakefield,” “MaveriX)”, Suzie Miller (“Prima Facie,” “RBG: Of Many, One”) and Tommy Murphy (“Significant Others,” “Holding the Man”).
In 2024, Thomas Duncan-Watt (“Space Nova,” “Home and Away”), Vanessa Gazy (“Echoes,” “Eden”), Sarah Lambert (“The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” “Lambs of God,” “The Messenger”), Leah Purcell (“The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson,” “The Twelve”), Giula Sandler (“The House Across the Street,” “Savage River,” “Bloom”) and Alexa Wyatt (“Nina and Olga,” “The Bureau of Magical Things,” “Janet King”) took part in the program.