GENR8 Returns to Sydney & Teases Program Packed With Punchy Sessions – Screen Producers Australia (SPA) is thrilled to announce that registrations are open for GENR8, a one-day ideas forum and networking event, which will take place on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, at AFTRS, Sydney, after two successful years in Melbourne.
GENR8 is the Aussie screen sector’s go-to forum for exploring the big ideas shaping the future of screen content, careers, and culture. This one-day event brings together creative visionaries, technologists, and producers at the cutting edge of storytelling and innovation.
“The return of GENR8 to Sydney after two years marks an exciting moment for SPA and our producing community. As the business of storytelling continues to evolve, GENR8 offers a vital platform for producers to engage with transformative ideas, sharpen their strategic thinking, and connect with the people and opportunities shaping the future of our industry,”
– said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.
From creator-led distribution to whether AI can power a greenlight, the 2025 program is packed with bold conversations and practical insights designed to inspire and future-proof the work of Australian screen professionals.
Confirmed sessions include:
AI in the Screen Industry: Global Trends, Tools, and Adoption Rates
This presentation draws on newly collected global data to reveal how productions and production businesses are adopting AI, where AI is having the most impact and where uptake remains cautious.
Innovation, Ethics & Impact in the Digital Age
How can innovation align with values? Explore how to lead with purpose, navigate the challenges of deepfakes, data-driven production, and shifting audience expectations, and set new benchmarks for how tech can support stories on screen and behind the scenes.
AI Strategy Lab: How AI Is Reshaping the Producer’s Playbook
An experimental hands-on session showing how AI could influence what gets greenlit, how slates are shaped, and the evolving role of traditional gatekeepers. Delegates can expect real-world applications, challenges, and ethical questions for decision-makers at every level.
Audiences on the Move
Audiences don’t care what platform a story is on—they care about the story, the voice, and the creator. From audience data to creator platforms, this session will explore how technology is reshaping development, distribution, and monetisation. Panellists will also discuss how they find audiences in a fragmented, tech-led market.
GENR8 is presented by SPA and is pleased to welcome Screen NSW, leaders in creative innovation and economic sustainability for the NSW screen sector, as a proud supporting partner for the first time in 2025.
“Screen NSW is thrilled to support GENR8 and its return to Sydney for what promises to be a compelling and insightful event. The forum will be a timely opportunity for practitioners and producers to come together to discuss and gain insights into key issues and trends that are shaping our sector. GENR8 will ensure our Australian creatives are equipped with the knowledge and tools to move forward in an evolving screen industry,”
– said Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth.
SPA welcomes back Media Super, Industry super fund provider, to countless screen sector professionals as one of GENR8’s returning supporting partners.
Finally, after a two-year hiatus, GENR8 will be hosted by AFTRS once again, and SPA welcomes it back as another supporting partner of the event.
AFTRS CEO Dr Nell Greenwood said,
“It’s a pleasure to welcome GENR8 back to AFTRS. As Australia’s national screen and audio school, we’re proud to host this brilliant forum for bold ideas and industry connections. It’s exactly the kind of forward-thinking dialogue we need as we collectively navigate the transformative disruptions of AI.”
More information on the GENR8 program, industry experts speaking at sessions, and networking opportunities will be announced in the coming weeks.
Register early, as tickets are limited, and get ready to challenge, expand, and future-proof your thinking.
More on GENR8 HERE. Register HERE.
Media Release – SPA
Link to SPA HERE
TV Central Screen Australia content HERE
GENR8 Returns to Sydney & Teases Program Packed With Punchy Sessions
