We Interrupt This Broadcast

In this episode, Robbie chats to Alexander Jeffery, a filmmaker based in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he co-owns production company Bespoke Works LLC with his friend and longtime collaborator, Paul Petersen.
After moving to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of acting and filmmaking, Alexander returned to the south to make low-budget, independent films with his friends, including his short film The Bespoke Tailoring of Mister Bellamy, which won the $50,000 Grand Prize at the Louisiana Film Prize, and his first feature, A Chance Encounter, which was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films after winning the audience choice award at Heartland Film Festival.
Robbie and Alexander discuss the pros and cons of working outside a major film and television hub, and how he has built a sustainable career as an independent filmmaker.

Listen to hear Alexander discuss:
his reasons for choosing to work outside of LA
what makes his projects resonate with an audience
how to gain an insight into filmmaking trends as a screener for film festivals
why creating work within a collaborative community can be an advantage
his strategy for creating profitable indie films
how to find distribution and get your projects in front of an audience
his new experiments in independent TV
why low budgets are sometimes best

Listen to Episode 46 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help us reach more listeners for We Interrupt This Broadcast.

Follow Alexander and his work:
Alexander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderjeffery
Alexander on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexanderjeffery
Alexander on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexanderjeffery
Bespoke Works LLC website: https://bespokeworksllc.com

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Robbie Miles and edited by Robbie Miles and Kirsty Stark.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!
Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.
https://www.weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au

It’s been a huge start to the year for the Australian screen industry, with lots to cover in this episode!
Kirsty Stark and Aven Yap discuss their time at AACTA Festival, including all of the big winners from the AACTA Awards.
We talk about Universal Studios International’s decision to close Matchbox Pictures, and what it means for our local industry.
Plus: all of your February screen industry news, opportunities and opinions from around the country...

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00:00 Happy Lunar New Year!
00:42 AACTA Award Winners, AACTA Festival Highlights, and what we heard on the ground
08:38 Matchbox Pictures closes
13:01 SPA Seeks ACCC Authorisation for Collective Bargaining
14:47 Streaming Quotas in place & the ABC’s plans for its additional funding
16:25 Screen Australia’s New Market & Audience Programs
18:10 Minimum License Fees for TV Production Increase
18:26 Brad Pitt Fights Tom Cruise & Darren Aronofsky Dabbles in AI
20:54 SXSW Sydney Ends & Tropfest is Resurrected
23:38 Industry Opportunities
24:40 What We’re Watching: Iron Lung + Aussie Festival News & Selections
27:37 What’s in production around Australia
28:33 One year of We Interrupt This Broadcast, and thank you AFTRS!
30:15 Acknowledgement of Country

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple or give us 5 stars on Spotify to help us spread the word.
This episode of We Interrupt This Broadcast was hosted by Kirsty Stark and Aven Yap, and edited by Kirsty Stark.

Thank you to AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, for sponsoring this episode. Applications for the 2026 mid-year intake of the AFTRS Master of Arts Screen Business, their postgraduate course on screen business and creative leadership, are now open until June 2.
Head to aftrs.edu.au/award-course/master-of-arts-screen-business-mid-year for more information about , or listen to past student Fiona Kelly talk about her AFTRS experience in last week’s episode, Ep. 44.

Join the conversation about Episode 45 on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠, or submit your own Big Idea to shape the industry at ⁠http://weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au⁠.

Have industry news, upcoming events or productions to share? Want to sponsor the podcast? Let us know at [email protected]

In this episode, Kirsty chats to screenwriter, story producer and script editor Fiona Kelly, about her 30 years’ experience writing for Australian television.
Fiona has over 280 episodes of Australian drama to her name on shows including Home and Away, All Saints, Sea Patrol, and recently Scrublands Silver S2 and NCIS Sydney S3.
Fiona shares her journey as a screenwriter from her early days to returning to study through a Master of Arts in Screen Business at AFTRS, including her tips for those wanting to forge a writing career today.

Listen to hear Fiona discuss:
Her initial journey into screenwriting

The changing landscape of television

The difference between a writer, story producer and script editor

Why she decided to pursue further study

The Master of Arts in Screen Business at AFTRS

Advice for aspiring screenwriters

Her big idea to change the shape of the industry

Listen to Episode 44 on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe & leave a rating or review to help the show find more listeners.
Follow Fiona and her work:
Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-kelly-16002056
Fiona on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1282210

If you’re interested in the Master of Arts Screen: Business at AFTRS, applications for the 2026 mid-year cohort (commencing August this year) are open now, until the 2nd of June.
Designed for a new generation of screen leaders, AFTRS’ Master of Arts Screen: Business is Australia’s foremost creative screen business course. You can find out more at the links below:
https://www.aftrs.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/MASB-Course-Guide-2025.pdf
https://www.aftrs.edu.au/award-course/master-of-arts-screen-business/

This Deep Dive interview is hosted and edited by Kirsty Stark.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!
Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find your course and enrol.
Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Director, Writer & Producer Sophie Hyde, whose work includes 52 Tuesdays, Animals, Good Luck to You Leo Grande and Jimpa.
Sophie shares insights into her process of collaborating with cast and crew, including internationally renowned performers like Emma Thompson, Alia Shawkat, Olivia Colman and John Lithgow.
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Listen to hear Sophie discuss:
How she started as a director, and why it felt like the right role for her
The way she balances writing, directing and producing across her projects
Themes of freedom and intimacy across her projects
The process of casting A list actors
Some of the ways she builds trust with cast and crew
How the body can serve as a way to access greater intimacy in storytelling
Creating a supportive and collaborative culture on set
Her big idea to shape the future of the industry
Follow Sophie and her work:
Sophie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophhyde
Closer Productions: https://closerproductions.com.au
Jimpa (in Australian cinemas from February 19th):
https://www.instagram.com/jimpa_film
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LucqCU5y_-8

This Deep Dive interview is hosted by ⁠Kirsty Stark⁠ and edited by Brandon Boyer and Kirsty Stark.
This episode is sponsored by ⁠AFTRS⁠, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find the right course for you.
Join the conversation about Episode 43 on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠LinkedIn⁠, or submit your own Big Idea to shape the industry at ⁠http://weinterruptthisbroadcast.com.au⁠.
Have industry news, upcoming events or productions to share? Want to sponsor the podcast? Let us know at [email protected]
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!
Don’t forget to subscribe & get weekly episodes in your inbox.

In this episode, Kirsty chats to Screen industry consultant Dan Fahy about the evolving global marketplace for television, focusing on revenue trends, the importance of community, and the impact of data analysis on content creation.
Dan outlines the opportunities for producers in a changing market with an emphasis on adaptability and innovation.
Plus, the five realities buyers are facing that you should check your content against if you’re involved in the creation of stories.
Listen to hear Dan discuss:
His work for Paramount, BBC Studios and Nine, and why data analysis is crucial for understanding market trends.
The slowing in revenue, leakage of revenue and concentration of revenue that are affecting content buyers globally.
How children’s content presents great opportunities that we aren’t capitalising on in Australia.The five ways producers can adapt to make their content more favourable to buyers.
Why the future of the industry relies on innovation and adaptability.
Follow Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfahy100
This Deep Dive interview is hosted by Kirsty Stark and edited by Brandon Boyer and Kirsty Stark.
If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and we’d love you to forward this episode to a friend!
Follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠
This episode is sponsored by AFTRS, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. Head to aftrs.edu.au to find your course and enrol.