Better-informed advice. Stronger agreements. Fewer avoidable risks. The impact of AI on copyright and performers, industrial and immigration concerns, changing streaming and distribution arrangements, and the complexities of tax and finance: these are the major issues at the heart of this conference. Explore what they mean for screen projects and the advice, agreements, compliance processes and documentation needed to manage them. From securing rights and engaging talent to financing production and bringing content to market, examine how decisions made early can shape a project long after production ends. Hear practical perspectives from legal practitioners, business affairs professionals and industry representatives on protecting creative work, negotiating terms that reflect your client’s priorities and allocating commercial and contractual risk. Whether you advise on film and television projects, negotiate content agreements or manage production risk, use the day to test your assumptions, identify gaps before they become disputes and develop practical approaches to your next negotiation or production decision.

Presenters

Kieren Martin, Special Counsel, Simpsons Solicitors
Kieren brings a broad range of commercial experience and technical proficiency to his work for media and entertainment clients. His practice covers the film and television industry (including production and finance). Kieren's experience includes working for a larger national law firm and in-house in the business and legal affairs team of an international media organisation.

Vincent Floro, Senior Legal Counsel, Stan Entertainment
Vincent is Senior Legal Counsel at Stan Entertainment, where he advises on the production and licensing of Stan’s content slate, encompassing Stan Originals commissioning, third-party acquisitions, and live sports licensing. Vincent also works on a wide range of intellectual property, regulatory, product, technology, privacy, and general commercial matters, and provides pre-publication advice on Stan’s documentary and non-scripted productions. He has extensive experience in the television industry and across digital and broadcast media, having previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Gilbert + Tobin in Sydney, and at Fremantle in London.

Dr Anton Hughes, Crown Prosecutor, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP)
Dr Anton Hughes specialises in all intellectual property matters, including patents, copyright, trade marks, confidential information, misleading and deceptive conduct. In addition to practicing law for over a decade, Anton has been at the forefront of technology for over 30 years. He has a degree in computer systems engineering, and lengthy professional experience in software development.

Sonia Borella, The Stella House, Borella Buchanan
Sonia is an experienced Producer, Executive Producer, Executive Consultant and Entertainment and Corporate Lawyer who has worked in the film and television industry for over 25 years - initially as a Partner of national law firm Holding Redlich and Chair of its national Media, Entertainment and Technology Group, and lead advisor on major Australian and international series and feature films, and subsequently as a Producer and Executive Producer. Credits include George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Three Thousand Years of Longing; Gracie Otto’s Seriously Red; Josh Lawson’s Long Story Short; June Again; Go! aka Go Karts; and Lucy McKendrick’s Fangs with Joel Edgerton and Toni Collette (2026). Sonia has extensive experience in finance structuring; accessing and maximising Australian Federal and State screen incentives, including through co-production; devising and closing out finance plans and distribution strategies; and problem-solving and crisis management across the financing, production and delivery phases. She has been a key contributor to industry and policy reforms, including around Australia’s official co-production program and screen incentives, and stimulating private investment in Australian projects.

Patrick May, Director of Policy and Research, Ausfilm
In conjunction with the CEO, Patrick develops and implements Ausfilm’s proactive advocacy plan to enhance and maintain Ausfilm’s network of influence with government departments and parliamentarians. Patrick’s Research role involves managing Ausfilm’s research and market intelligence program, including monitoring and reporting on trends in international production and its economic impact, particularly in relation to competitor jurisdictions to Australia. Patrick liaises with other agencies involved in industry research and intelligence gathering.

Mark Bamford, Director, Simpsons Solicitors
Mark has over 25 years of experience across the entertainment and media sectors. His clients are involved in all facets of financing, creating and commercialising content. He has particular expertise in media finance and represents a number of banks, financiers, government funders and private equity interests. Alongside this he acts for a number of producers, production houses and studios. He has advised on several hundred TV and film productions; from large budget studio features to award winning, locally produced TV animations. Mark’s clients in distribution and transmission cover the ambit across film and TV commercialisation including sales agents, distributors, broadcasters and streamers. Mark has worked in a bank, for a large Sydney law firm, in London and in-house at a broadcast company. In addition to his core areas of practice, Mark’s broad experience enables him to assist a diverse set of clients seeking assistance in general corporate and commercial transactions. Other areas of expertise include - advertising; banking & finance; content classification; competition & consumer law; company sale and acquisition; general commercial; industrial relations; intellectual property; privacy & data protection; regulatory; securities law (PPSA).

Zoe Angus, Director Of Industrial, Screen Producers Australia
Zoe Angus is the Director of Industry and Commercial at Screen Producers Australia and is responsible for SPA's industrial negotiations as well as providing advice to SPA members on commercial and industrial matters. Zoe previously held the role of National Director of Equity at the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance for six years and has more than two decades experience in employment law and industrial relations. She holds Juris Doctor and Master of Commerce (Honours) degrees from Melbourne University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Queensland University.


Stephen Garofano, Director of Policy, Screen Producers Australia
Stephen Garofano is Director of Policy at Screen Producers Australia (SPA), Australia's peak industry body for screen production businesses. He leads SPA's policy, strategic advocacy and government relations functions, working on issues affecting the Australian screen production sector. Stephen brings extensive experience in public policy across regulated industries, including telecommunications and financial services. Prior to joining SPA, he held policy and regulatory roles with NBN and ASIC and spent several years in private practice at Gilbert + Tobin in its disputes and investigations team, including work connected with major public inquiries and Royal Commissions. Stephen remains an admitted solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW.

Sebastian Tonkin, Senior Associate, Simpsons Solicitors
Seb works closely with Director Adam Simpson and Special Counsel Clare Young in the Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property teams. He has been a key member of the team on some of Australia’s most high profile recent intellectual property and entertainment industry disputes. He advises and has day-to-day care of a range of clients in both litigious and non-litigious matters regarding intellectual property, contract, defamation, confidential information and administrative law. Prior to joining Simpsons, Seb worked in the intellectual property team of a national law firm and as associate to a judge of the Federal Court of Australia.

Emily Martin, Principal, Muse Legal
Emily Martin, started her career at top tier law firm King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney, training with some of the best legal minds in the IP and Media team. But the big law firm vibe was not Emily’s thing, so she moved to London and started her inhouse career with independent production companies Avalon Television and Optomen Television, then at the public broadcaster ITV Network Plc, while at the same time completing a Masters in Arts Administration at Goldsmiths, University of London. Longing for Australian stories, Emily moved back to Australia in 2008 to work for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where she spent 7 years negotiating and advising on commissioning, acquisition and production contracts for a range of programming. Emily also provided pre-publication legal advice to journalists across the ABC’s news and current affairs division.Emily then worked as a Corporate Counsel at the Sydney Opera House for 6 years and founded Muse Legal in 2018 with a view to providing accessible, quality, legal services across the creative industries.

James Kwong, Head of Business Affairs, Stan Entertainment
James Kwong is Head of Business Affairs at Stan. He is an experienced media and legal executive with expertise across scripted, documentary and entertainment productions. He has previously held senior legal and business affairs roles with Curio Pictures and ITV Studios Australia. Prior to joining the screen industry, James practised at global law firm Clifford Chance, advising on mergers and acquisitions and private equity. James combines legal, commercial and production experience, bringing a practical perspective to content development, rights management, business affairs and the strategic operation of screen businesses.