More speakers for BSS 2026 announced

Cliff Curtis has been confirmed as a keynote speaker. His address will explore Indigenous leadership, creative legacy and the responsibility screen practitioners carry towards future generations. Drawing on the work of pioneering filmmakers including Ramai Hayward, Merata Mita, Don Selwyn and Barry Barclay, Curtis will reflect on what the industry is building now - and what it will leave behind.

International executive Penelope Essoyan will offer insight into the journey from optioned intellectual property to a globally released streaming series. Drawing on her experience at Netflix and Hello Sunshine, she will discuss how books, articles and other source material are assessed, developed, packaged and prepared for international audiences.

A dedicated panel will examine the creative and practical realities of developing television partly or entirely in Indigenous languages. Featuring Thomas Paʻa Sibbett, Richard Curtis, Lea McLean and Kiel McNaughton, the conversation will explore how language and culture shape story, character and worldview, while creating work that remains accountable to community and reaches audiences beyond it.

The programme will also look at how AI is currently being explored across Aotearoa New Zealand’s screen sector. The session will feature insights from Graeme Revell, winning films from the Future Frames:NZ AI Short Film Competition, and early research from filmmaker and researcher Caroline Bell-Booth on AI use in local screen production.

These sessions join a growing programme of industry roundtables, craft-based masterclasses, funding announcements and conversations across the screen sector.

Explore the full Big Screen Symposium programme and find out more about the newly announced speakers and sessions HERE

A quick reminder: Screen Guild members are eligible for industry concession tickets!

Secure your tickets for Big Screen Symposium 2026 HERE

‍

‍