Screen Queensland has partnered with AACTA to support Queensland’s most promising creatives with exclusive career development opportunities throughout the 2027 AACTA calendar, commencing with the AACTA Festival in February. The Creative Launchpad program provides Queensland-based writers, producers, and directors with the opportunity to meet and learn from the experiences of established names working in the industry, and to create connections with their peers and develop lasting professional relationships and collaborations.

The 2026 AACTA Queensland Creative Launchpad began with a series of intimate role-specific roundtables with industry leading professionals such as Wayne Garvie, Tony Ayres, Joanna Werner, Emma Freeman, Ari Harrison, Tony McNamara, and Samantha Strauss. The program expanded throughout the year and was tailored to the specific goals of the cohort. Participants had the opportunity to attend exclusive virtual workshops and masterclass sessions with key talent such as James J. Robinson (First Light) and Mia-Kate Russell (Penny Lane is Dead). They also took part in a tailored networking program which grouped participants based on shared goals and potential for knowledge and skill exchange. AACTA and Screen Queensland are now accepting applications for the 2027 program. 

Successful applicants must be available to attend sessions held during the 2027 AACTA Festival running from Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 7th of February 2027. Please note that travel support and tickets to AACTA events are not included as part of the program. The AACTA Awards are proudly presented by Binge and supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Screen Queensland, and Experience Gold Coast. 

2026 Cohort  

Key Projects from the 2026 Cohort

Catherine Mack - Swimmers

Swimmers is an upcoming webseries that follows Liv's awkward scramble through modern
fertility as she searches for a path to motherhood - sperm only. With dry humour and real
emotional honesty, the series finds comedy in awkward donor encounters, questionable
candidates and the absurdities of trying to make a family when the usual route no longer fits.
At its heart, Swimmers is about choice and how far we'll go for the family we want. A
bite-sized comedy for women whose lives won't stick to the script.

“Being part of the QCL cohort has been a real joy this year. It has provided some incredible
opportunities to connect with other Queensland creatives and leaders across the industry.
The festival roundtables and online workshops have been a fantastic source of creative
momentum, and I'm so grateful for the strong community of Queensland creatives who have
come together this year, thank you to the incredible guidance and organisation by AACTA to
make this happen."

Troy Spacie - QT Story Co

Founded in 2026 by Queensland screenwriter and creative producer Troy Spacie, QT Story
Co is a screen-development company focused on developing Australian stories across film,
television and animation. With a particular interest in literary adaptation, QT Story Co works
across screenwriting, adaptation, project development and creative partnerships to help
bring audience-connected Australian stories to the screen.

“The Queensland Creative Launchpad came at a pivotal point in my career. It helped me see
a clearer pathway from screenwriter to creative producer, gave me valuable industry insight
and connections, and provided the confidence to launch QT Story Co and go all-in on
building my screen career from regional Queensland.”

Janneke Williamson - Odd Man Out and The Carers

Odd Man Out is a feature film by award winning filmmaker, Janneke Williamson, currently in
development with support from Screen Queensland, and The Carers is her upcoming caper
comedy series.

“Being a part of the QCL this year has been incredibly inspiring and uplifting, particularly as I
have vastly different projects at various stages of development and working out the best way
to move them forward individually. Development can be such a marathon of a process, and
having the different programs in the QCL there throughout the year has been incredibly
beneficial for my projects and myself as a filmmaker. I especially enjoyed the roundtables at
the AACTA festival and connecting with other emerging filmmakers.
Having the QCL workshops, roundtables and mentoring running alongside [developing my
current projects] has been incredibly invaluable.”

Lilli-Corrias Smith - @olivethebuggirl

Nominated for an International Webby Award amongst the likes of National Geographic and
CNN, Lilli Corrias-Smith's nature adventure x mockumentary sci-fi online series follows
@olivethebuggirl: a bug-enthusiast tiktoker who discovers she has an intergalactic audience
for her Australian Christmas Beetle content. Intentionally made for social media audiences,
this story travels out of this world (through paper-mache universes) to unpick the mystery of
our disappearing insects; encouraging care for the survival of bugs and our planet. The
series organically garnered 33K+ Followers, 1million+ Views & 3K+ Comments across
Instagram and TikTok, with audiences clamouring for more.

“Being a part of QCL allowed me to be in roundtables with Showrunners Tony McNamara
and Samantha Strauss. I greatly admire and respect both of their careers and work, and, as I
am working towards a key-creative trajectory in my own career, it was invaluable to be able
to talk face to face with these role models for inspiration and advice. After intentionally
learning from our wider industry over the last 6 years through working in the camera
department and in development roles, I am now investing in my own directing, producing
and writing. QCL has been encouraging as a support network that offers leverage and
community as I take the next steps in scaling my IP and career, building on my work as
creator of @olivethebuggirl (and as the director, writer and co-producer of the series).”